Moab weather in May

In May, Moab sees average daytime highs of 75°F and overnight lows near 50°F, with 0.6 in of precipitation across 3.9 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 70°F in the first days to 80°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Moab's 8th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Moab's year-round climate.

Daytime high
75°
5th warmest
Overnight low
50°
8th coldest
Precipitation
0.6 in
3.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
5:12 AM – 7:17 PM
Cloud cover
44%
8th clearest
Wind
6 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
7.78 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10

Moab is city in and county seat of Grand County, Utah, United States.

Density
424/km²
people per km²
Founded
1878

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 70°F in the first days to 80°F by the end.

A typical May day in Moab reaches about 75°F in the afternoon and slips back to 50°F overnight — a 25°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 62°F and 86°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 11°F warmer than April and about 12°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16945
27045
37046
47146
57146
67147
77247
87247
97348
107348
117349
127449
137449
147450
157550
167550
177651
187651
197651
207651
217752
227752
237852
247853
257853
267953
277953
288054
298054
308155
318155

How May really feels in Moab

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.

Moab weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan39° / 20°0.95.54.59.60.0
Feb46° / 26°0.96.23.910.51.4
Mar57° / 34°1.05.52.611.74.6
Apr64° / 40°0.95.71.2136.5
May75° / 50°0.63.90.114.18.0
Jun87° / 60°0.31.9014.66.1
Jul92° / 67°0.53014.44.0
Aug89° / 64°0.84.8013.55.0
Sep80° / 55°1.25.3012.37.6
Oct66° / 42°1.04.90.3117.1
Nov52° / 31°0.94.82.39.93.2
Dec40° / 20°0.954.39.40.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 33%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16535
26634
36634
46634
56634
66634
76634
86535
96535
106535
116535
126436
136436
146436
156337
166337
176436
186436
196436
206535
216535
226634
236832
246832
257030
267129
277228
287327
297525
307624
317624

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Moab gets around 0.6 in of rain and snow over 3.9 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 12% and peaks near 17% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
217
317
416
516
615
714
814
913
1013
1113
1213
1312
1412
1512
1612
1712
1812
1912
2012
2112
2212
2311
2411
2510
2610
279
289
298
308
318

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:28 AM to 5:02 AM, and sunset from 7:03 PM to 7:30 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.65:287:03
213.65:277:04
313.75:257:05
413.75:247:06
513.75:237:07
613.85:227:08
713.85:217:09
813.85:207:10
913.95:197:11
1013.95:177:12
1113.95:167:13
1214.05:157:13
1314.05:147:14
1414.05:147:15
1514.15:137:16
1614.15:127:17
1714.15:117:18
1814.15:107:19
1914.25:097:20
2014.25:087:21
2114.25:087:22
2214.35:077:22
2314.35:067:23
2414.35:057:24
2514.35:057:25
2614.45:047:26
2714.45:047:27
2814.45:037:27
2914.45:037:28
3014.45:027:29
3114.55:027:30

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.78 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.64 kWh/m² to a high of 8.42 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.78 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.4Intense
27.4Intense
37.4Intense
47.5Intense
57.5Intense
67.5Intense
77.5Intense
87.6Intense
97.6Intense
107.6Intense
117.6Intense
127.7Intense
137.7Intense
147.7Intense
157.7Intense
167.7Intense
177.8Intense
187.8Intense
197.8Intense
207.8Intense
217.9Intense
227.9Intense
238.0Intense
248.0Intense
258.0Intense
268.1Intense
278.1Intense
288.1Intense
298.2Intense
308.2Intense
318.2Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Moab?

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

8.0
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Moab for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Moab in May

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

In May, Moab sees daytime highs around 75°F and nights near 50°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 4 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothes

UV index in Moab in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Moab peaks around July 18 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJul 18UV 11Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Moab?

Moab sits at 38.6°N, 109.5°W, 0 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Grand Junction, 63 mi away.

Topography around Moab

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Moab has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,470 ft around an average of 4,390 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,406 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 8,940 ft.

The land around Moab is covered by bare terrain (45%) and shrubs (24%) within 2 miles, bare terrain (48%) and shrubs (39%) within 10 miles, and bare terrain (38%) and shrubs (29%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
1,470 ft
10 miles
3,406 ft
50 miles
8,940 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Grand Junction 63 mi · Clifton 69 mi · Montrose 91 mi · Telluride 104 mi · Durango 128 mi · Farmington 147 mi · Aspen 153 mi · Payson 155 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 Moab (38.5733°, -109.5498°, elevation 0 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).