Montrose weather in May

In May, Montrose sees average daytime highs of 70°F and overnight lows near 40°F, with 1.3 in of precipitation across 7.7 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 64°F in the first days to 75°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% 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 Montrose's 9th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Montrose's year-round climate.

Daytime high
70°
5th warmest
Overnight low
40°
8th coldest
Precipitation
1.3 in
7.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
5:05 AM – 7:10 PM
Cloud cover
52%
9th clearest
Wind
5 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.46 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.0
out of 10

Montrose is city in and seat of Montrose County, Colorado, United States.

Density
412/km²
people per km²
Founded
1882

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 75°F by the end.

A typical May day in Montrose reaches about 70°F in the afternoon and slips back to 40°F overnight — a 30°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 57°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 12°F warmer than April and about 12°F cooler than June.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16435
26436
36436
46536
56537
66637
76637
86738
96738
106738
116839
126839
136940
146940
156940
167040
177041
187141
197141
207142
217242
227242
237242
247343
257343
267443
277444
287444
297544
307544
317645

How May really feels in Montrose

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 3 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
3
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Montrose weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan37° / 11°1.277.39.60.0
Feb41° / 17°1.387.710.50.2
Mar50° / 25°1.59.16.811.72.5
Apr58° / 31°1.78.84.5134.5
May70° / 40°1.37.70.814.17.0
Jun82° / 49°0.53.5014.67.3
Jul86° / 56°0.86014.45.5
Aug83° / 54°1.06.6013.56.5
Sep75° / 46°1.15.90.112.37.8
Oct63° / 34°1.36.61.6116.2
Nov48° / 23°1.36.55.59.92.1
Dec38° / 12°1.27.17.19.40.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25347
35347
45347
55347
65446
75446
85446
95545
105644
115644
125644
135644
145644
155644
165743
175842
185842
195941
205941
215941
226139
236139
246139
256238
266337
276436
286535
296535
306733
316733

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Montrose gets around 1.3 in of rain and snow over 7.7 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 24% and peaks near 28% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1289
2288
3278
4277
5267
6266
7255
8255
9244
10244
11243
12243
13243
14252
15252
16252
17252
18252
19251
20251
21251
22251
23241
24241
25231
26221
27211
28200
29190
30180
31170

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 5 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

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 5:21 AM to 4:55 AM, and sunset from 6:56 PM to 7:23 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.65:216:56
213.65:206:57
313.75:196:58
413.75:186:59
513.75:167:00
613.85:157:01
713.85:147:02
813.85:137:03
913.95:127:04
1013.95:117:05
1113.95:107:06
1214.05:097:07
1314.05:087:08
1414.05:077:08
1514.15:067:09
1614.15:057:10
1714.15:047:11
1814.15:047:12
1914.25:037:13
2014.25:027:14
2114.25:017:15
2214.35:007:16
2314.35:007:16
2414.34:597:17
2514.34:587:18
2614.44:587:19
2714.44:577:20
2814.44:577:20
2914.44:567:21
3014.44:567:22
3114.54:557:23

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.46 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.58 kWh/m² to a high of 8.17 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.46 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.1Intense
27.1Intense
37.1Intense
47.2Intense
57.2Intense
67.2Intense
77.2Intense
87.3Intense
97.3Intense
107.3Intense
117.3Intense
127.4Intense
137.4Intense
147.4Intense
157.4Intense
167.5Intense
177.5Intense
187.5Intense
197.5Intense
207.5Intense
217.6Intense
227.6Intense
237.6Intense
247.7Intense
257.7Intense
267.7Intense
277.8Intense
287.8Intense
297.8Intense
307.8Intense
317.9Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Montrose?

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

7.0
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Montrose for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Montrose in May

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

In May, Montrose sees daytime highs around 70°F and nights near 40°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer. About 8 days see rain.

sun protectiona warm layer

UV index in Montrose 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 Montrose peaks around July 15 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJul 15UV 11Jan 1UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar7High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Montrose?

Montrose sits at 38.5°N, 107.9°W, 5,807 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Telluride, 37 mi away.

Topography around Montrose

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Montrose has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 308 ft around an average of 5,827 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,005 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 9,485 ft.

The land around Montrose is covered by artificial surfaces (35%) and grassland (25%) within 2 miles, grassland (33%) and trees (21%) within 10 miles, and trees (54%) and grassland (28%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
308 ft
10 miles
3,005 ft
50 miles
9,485 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainmoss and lichen
May weather nearby: Telluride 37 mi · Clifton 52 mi · Grand Junction 55 mi · Aspen 75 mi · Durango 83 mi · Moab 91 mi · Farmington 122 mi · Cañon City 142 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 Montrose (38.4783°, -107.8762°, elevation 5,807 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).