Medford weather in May

In May, Medford sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 44°F, with 3.1 in of precipitation across 10.3 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 64°F in the first days to 70°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Medford's 6th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Medford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
5th warmest
Overnight low
44°
8th coldest
Precipitation
3.1 in
10.3 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
4:56 AM – 7:20 PM
Cloud cover
56%
6th clearest
Wind
4 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
6.48 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Medford is city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Oregon, United States.

Density
1,196/km²
people per km²
Founded
1884

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 70°F by the end.

A typical May day in Medford reaches about 67°F in the afternoon and slips back to 44°F overnight — a 23°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 54°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 7°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16441
26441
36441
46441
56542
66542
76542
86542
96543
106643
116643
126643
136644
146644
156744
166744
176744
186745
196745
206745
216845
226845
236846
246946
256946
266946
276946
287046
297047
307047
317047

How May really feels in Medford

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.

Medford weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan47° / 32°5.013.85.79.31.4
Feb50° / 33°4.012.75.710.32.1
Mar55° / 35°4.815.15.411.63.0
Apr59° / 38°3.913.93.213.14.2
May67° / 44°3.110.30.314.46.2
Jun74° / 49°1.65.70157.8
Jul84° / 56°0.52.5014.87.2
Aug84° / 55°0.62.6013.77.3
Sep77° / 49°0.93.5012.38.4
Oct66° / 42°2.37.30.110.86.6
Nov52° / 36°4.312.82.99.62.7
Dec45° / 31°6.114.87.290.9

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24852
34852
44951
54951
64951
74951
84852
94852
104753
114852
124753
134753
144654
154654
164753
174753
184753
194753
204753
214951
224951
235050
245050
255248
265248
275248
285248
295347
305446
315545

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Medford gets around 3.1 in of rain and snow over 10.3 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 33% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1363
2352
3342
4342
5332
6331
7331
8331
9331
10341
11341
12341
13351
14351
15351
16351
17351
18351
19351
20351
21351
22341
23341
24331
25321
26311
27301
28291
29291
30281
31270

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
18991
19991
20991
21982
22982
23973
24973
25973
26964
27964
28964
29955
30955
31955

Wind in May

Winds average 4 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 3 mph on the calmest days to 4 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 48 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 4:44 AM, and sunset from 7:03 PM to 7:34 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:147:03
213.95:137:04
313.95:117:05
413.95:107:07
514.05:097:08
614.05:077:09
714.15:067:10
814.15:057:11
914.15:047:12
1014.25:027:13
1114.25:017:14
1214.35:007:15
1314.34:597:16
1414.34:587:18
1514.44:577:19
1614.44:567:20
1714.44:557:21
1814.54:547:22
1914.54:537:23
2014.54:527:24
2114.64:517:25
2214.64:507:26
2314.64:497:27
2414.74:497:28
2514.74:487:29
2614.74:477:30
2714.74:467:30
2814.84:467:31
2914.84:457:32
3014.84:447:33
3114.84:447:34

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.48 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.54 kWh/m² to a high of 7.92 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.48 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.2Intense
56.3Intense
66.3Intense
76.3Intense
86.3Intense
96.3Intense
106.3Intense
116.3Intense
126.4Intense
136.4Intense
146.4Intense
156.4Intense
166.4Intense
176.4Intense
186.5Intense
196.5Intense
206.5Intense
216.5Intense
226.6Intense
236.6Intense
246.7Intense
256.7Intense
266.7Intense
276.8Intense
286.8Intense
296.9Intense
306.9Intense
316.9Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Medford

In seasonPeak

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

Medford's rainy season runs November–May, 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 Medford?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
2.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Medford for sightseeing.

What to pack for Medford in May

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

In May, Medford sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 44°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

sun protectiona warm layerrain gear

UV index in Medford in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Medford peaks around July 11 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 9Dec 15UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May9Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5High
Oct5Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Medford in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Medford is worst in September — around 110 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 25.0× the cleanest month (January, 4 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateUnhealthyGoodSep 11106 µg/m³Jan 175 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan4Good
Feb6Good
Mar7Good
Apr8Good
May7Good
Jun7Good
Jul24Moderate
Aug89Unhealthy
Sep110Unhealthy
Oct8Good
Nov11Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Medford?

Medford sits at 42.3°N, 122.9°W, 1,381 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Central Point, 3.7 mi away.

Topography around Medford

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Medford has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 292 ft around an average of 1,401 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,078 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 8,825 ft.

The land around Medford is covered by artificial surfaces (54%) and trees (23%) within 2 miles, trees (52%) and grassland (34%) within 10 miles, and trees (84%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
292 ft
10 miles
4,078 ft
50 miles
8,825 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Central Point 3.7 mi · Ashland 12 mi · Grants Pass 24 mi · Klamath Falls 57 mi · Altamont 59 mi · Roseburg 66 mi · Coos Bay 99 mi · McKinleyville 114 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 Medford (42.3265°, -122.8756°, elevation 1,381 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).