Mason City weather in May

In May, Mason City sees average daytime highs of 69°F and overnight lows near 49°F, with 5.1 in of precipitation across 13.6 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 64°F in the first days to 73°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Mason City's 7th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mason City's year-round climate.

Daytime high
69°
5th warmest
Overnight low
49°
8th coldest
Precipitation
5.1 in
13.6 wet days
Daylight
14 h 30 min
4:55 AM – 7:23 PM
Cloud cover
64%
7th clearest
Wind
10 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.59 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.8
out of 10

Mason City is city and the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States.

Density
376/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 64°F in the first days to 73°F by the end.

A typical May day in Mason City reaches about 69°F in the afternoon and slips back to 49°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 12°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16344
26444
36444
46445
56545
66546
76546
86647
96647
106747
116748
126748
136848
146849
156849
166949
176950
186950
197051
207051
217051
227152
237152
247153
257253
267253
277254
287354
297355
307355
317455

How May really feels in Mason City

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Mason City weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan24° / 1.16.15.79.20.0
Feb28° / 13°1.25.95.310.20.0
Mar42° / 25°2.48.53.911.60.7
Apr57° / 37°4.011.51.913.13.8
May69° / 49°5.113.60.114.45.8
Jun78° / 60°5.412.6015.16.3
Jul80° / 63°4.09.7014.96.7
Aug78° / 60°4.010.2013.86.9
Sep72° / 52°3.59.3012.36.9
Oct59° / 40°2.78.20.510.84.8
Nov43° / 27°1.96.52.89.50.9
Dec30° / 15°1.56.75.98.90.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13961
23961
33961
43862
53763
63763
73862
83763
93763
103763
113862
123961
133961
143961
153961
163961
173961
184060
194060
204060
214060
224060
234060
244060
254159
264258
274159
284159
294159
304159
314258

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Mason City gets around 5.1 in of rain and snow over 13.6 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 43% and peaks near 47% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1422
2422
3431
4441
5441
6441
7441
8441
9430
10430
11420
12420
13410
14410
15410
16410
17410
18410
19420
20420
21420
22430
23440
24440
25450
26460
27460
28460
29470
30460
31460

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 79% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
195410
293520
393520
492620
591720
690730
789830
888930
987940
10861040
11851140
12841141
13821251
14821251
15821251
16801361
17801361
18781372
19771382
20751492
21741493
227314103
237115113
247015114
256816124
266816124
276517135
286418135
296318145
306119146
315920156

Wind in May

Winds average 10 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
210light breeze
310light breeze
410light breeze
510light breeze
610light breeze
710light breeze
810light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
1710light breeze
1810light breeze
1910light breeze
2010light breeze
2110light breeze
2210light breeze
2310light breeze
2410light breeze
2510light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 60 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:14 AM to 4:43 AM, and sunset from 7:06 PM to 7:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.95:147:06
213.95:127:07
314.05:117:08
414.05:107:10
514.05:087:11
614.15:077:12
714.15:067:13
814.25:047:14
914.25:037:15
1014.25:027:17
1114.35:017:18
1214.34:597:19
1314.44:587:20
1414.44:577:21
1514.44:567:22
1614.54:557:23
1714.54:547:24
1814.54:537:25
1914.64:527:26
2014.64:517:27
2114.64:507:28
2214.74:497:29
2314.74:487:30
2414.74:477:31
2514.84:477:32
2614.84:467:33
2714.84:457:34
2814.84:447:35
2914.94:447:36
3014.94:437:37
3114.94:437:38

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.59 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.64 kWh/m² to a high of 6.38 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.59 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.4Bright
85.4Bright
95.4Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Mason City

In seasonPeak

In May, Mason City sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Mason City's rainy season runs April–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Mason City?

Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.8
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
3.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Mason City for sightseeing.

What to pack for Mason City in May

From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In May, Mason City sees daytime highs around 69°F and nights near 49°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 14 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Mason City in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mason City peaks around June 16 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 16UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Mason City?

Mason City sits at 43.2°N, 93.2°W, 1,129 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Albert Lea, 35 mi away.

Topography around Mason City

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Mason City.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Mason City has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 135 ft around an average of 1,129 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 285 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 577 ft.

The land around Mason City is covered by trees (38%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 2 miles, cropland (77%) within 10 miles, and cropland (89%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
135 ft
10 miles
285 ft
50 miles
577 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Albert Lea 35 mi · Austin 37 mi · Cedar Falls 58 mi · Waterloo 63 mi · Owatonna 64 mi · Fort Dodge 66 mi · Rochester 70 mi · Marshalltown 78 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Mason City (43.1536°, -93.201°, elevation 1,129 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).