Palm Springs weather in May
In May, Palm Springs sees average daytime highs of 80°F and overnight lows near 75°F, with 4.0 in of rain across 12.4 wet days and about 13.3 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs climb over the month, from about 79°F in the first days to 82°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of May to 13 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Palm Springs's 2nd-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Palm Springs's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 80°
- 6th warmest
- Overnight low
- 75°
- 7th coldest
- Rainfall
- 4.0 in
- 12.4 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 h 18 min
- 5:37 AM – 6:56 PM
- Cloud cover
- 49%
- 2nd clearest
- Wind
- 9 mph
- 8th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.32 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 6.3
- out of 10
Palm Springs is village in Florida, United States.
- Density
- 2,579/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Highs climb over the month, from about 79°F in the first days to 82°F by the end.
A typical May day in Palm Springs reaches about 80°F in the afternoon and slips back to 75°F overnight — a 6°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 77°F and 84°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°F warmer than April and about 3°F cooler than June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 |
| Avg low (°F) | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 |
| Avg high (°F) | Avg low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 79 | 73 |
| 2 | 79 | 73 |
| 3 | 79 | 73 |
| 4 | 79 | 73 |
| 5 | 79 | 73 |
| 6 | 79 | 74 |
| 7 | 79 | 74 |
| 8 | 80 | 74 |
| 9 | 80 | 74 |
| 10 | 80 | 74 |
| 11 | 80 | 74 |
| 12 | 80 | 74 |
| 13 | 80 | 74 |
| 14 | 80 | 74 |
| 15 | 80 | 75 |
| 16 | 80 | 75 |
| 17 | 80 | 75 |
| 18 | 80 | 75 |
| 19 | 81 | 75 |
| 20 | 81 | 75 |
| 21 | 81 | 75 |
| 22 | 81 | 75 |
| 23 | 81 | 76 |
| 24 | 81 | 76 |
| 25 | 81 | 76 |
| 26 | 81 | 76 |
| 27 | 82 | 76 |
| 28 | 82 | 76 |
| 29 | 82 | 76 |
| 30 | 82 | 76 |
| 31 | 82 | 76 |
How May really feels in Palm Springs
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.
May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Palm Springs weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72° / 64° | 2.0 | 7.1 | 10.5 | 7.2 |
| Feb | 73° / 65° | 1.9 | 6.5 | 11.1 | 7.4 |
| Mar | 74° / 67° | 2.6 | 7.8 | 11.8 | 7.4 |
| Apr | 77° / 71° | 2.6 | 8.4 | 12.6 | 7.2 |
| May | 80° / 75° | 4.0 | 12.4 | 13.3 | 6.3 |
| Jun | 83° / 78° | 6.5 | 21.1 | 13.6 | 4.2 |
| Jul | 85° / 79° | 5.3 | 22.5 | 13.5 | 3.7 |
| Aug | 85° / 80° | 6.5 | 24.2 | 12.9 | 3.5 |
| Sep | 84° / 79° | 7.0 | 23.3 | 12.2 | 3.8 |
| Oct | 81° / 76° | 4.5 | 15.1 | 11.4 | 5.7 |
| Nov | 77° / 71° | 2.2 | 9.3 | 10.7 | 7.1 |
| Dec | 74° / 67° | 1.7 | 7.4 | 10.4 | 7.3 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 67 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 63 | 62 | 61 | 60 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 54 | 53 | 52 |
| Cloudier (%) | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 67 | 33 |
| 2 | 67 | 33 |
| 3 | 68 | 32 |
| 4 | 68 | 32 |
| 5 | 69 | 31 |
| 6 | 69 | 31 |
| 7 | 68 | 32 |
| 8 | 68 | 32 |
| 9 | 68 | 32 |
| 10 | 68 | 32 |
| 11 | 68 | 32 |
| 12 | 68 | 32 |
| 13 | 66 | 34 |
| 14 | 66 | 34 |
| 15 | 65 | 35 |
| 16 | 64 | 36 |
| 17 | 63 | 37 |
| 18 | 63 | 37 |
| 19 | 62 | 38 |
| 20 | 61 | 39 |
| 21 | 60 | 40 |
| 22 | 59 | 41 |
| 23 | 59 | 41 |
| 24 | 59 | 41 |
| 25 | 58 | 42 |
| 26 | 57 | 43 |
| 27 | 56 | 44 |
| 28 | 55 | 45 |
| 29 | 54 | 46 |
| 30 | 53 | 47 |
| 31 | 52 | 48 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Palm Springs gets around 4.0 in of rain over 12.4 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 41% and peaks near 57% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 37 | 38 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 56 | 57 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 30 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 30 |
| 4 | 30 |
| 5 | 30 |
| 6 | 30 |
| 7 | 31 |
| 8 | 31 |
| 9 | 32 |
| 10 | 33 |
| 11 | 34 |
| 12 | 35 |
| 13 | 37 |
| 14 | 38 |
| 15 | 40 |
| 16 | 41 |
| 17 | 43 |
| 18 | 44 |
| 19 | 45 |
| 20 | 46 |
| 21 | 47 |
| 22 | 48 |
| 23 | 49 |
| 24 | 50 |
| 25 | 50 |
| 26 | 51 |
| 27 | 52 |
| 28 | 53 |
| 29 | 54 |
| 30 | 56 |
| 31 | 57 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 51% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 85% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Muggy (%) | 37 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 14 |
| Oppressive (%) | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 48 | 51 | 53 | 54 | 58 | 59 | 62 | 64 | 66 | 67 | 70 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 75 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 37 | 31 | 0 |
| 2 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 38 | 32 | 0 |
| 3 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 38 | 33 | 0 |
| 4 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 38 | 34 | 0 |
| 5 | 1 | 7 | 19 | 39 | 35 | 0 |
| 6 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 39 | 35 | 0 |
| 7 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 39 | 36 | 0 |
| 8 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 40 | 37 | 0 |
| 9 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 40 | 38 | 0 |
| 10 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 40 | 39 | 0 |
| 11 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 41 | 40 | 0 |
| 12 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 41 | 41 | 0 |
| 13 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 40 | 43 | 0 |
| 14 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 40 | 45 | 0 |
| 15 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 39 | 46 | 0 |
| 16 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 39 | 48 | 0 |
| 17 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 37 | 51 | 0 |
| 18 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 36 | 53 | 0 |
| 19 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 35 | 54 | 1 |
| 20 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 33 | 58 | 1 |
| 21 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 32 | 59 | 1 |
| 22 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 30 | 62 | 1 |
| 23 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 28 | 64 | 2 |
| 24 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 26 | 66 | 2 |
| 25 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 25 | 67 | 3 |
| 26 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 23 | 70 | 3 |
| 27 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 71 | 4 |
| 28 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 73 | 5 |
| 29 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 74 | 6 |
| 30 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 75 | 8 |
| 31 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 75 | 9 |
Wind in May
Winds average 9 mph in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (mph) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (mph) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | light breeze |
| 2 | 10 | light breeze |
| 3 | 10 | light breeze |
| 4 | 10 | light breeze |
| 5 | 10 | light breeze |
| 6 | 10 | light breeze |
| 7 | 10 | light breeze |
| 8 | 9 | light breeze |
| 9 | 9 | light breeze |
| 10 | 9 | light breeze |
| 11 | 9 | light breeze |
| 12 | 9 | light breeze |
| 13 | 9 | light breeze |
| 14 | 9 | light breeze |
| 15 | 9 | light breeze |
| 16 | 9 | light breeze |
| 17 | 9 | light breeze |
| 18 | 9 | light breeze |
| 19 | 9 | light breeze |
| 20 | 9 | light breeze |
| 21 | 9 | light breeze |
| 22 | 9 | light breeze |
| 23 | 9 | light breeze |
| 24 | 9 | light breeze |
| 25 | 9 | light breeze |
| 26 | 9 | light breeze |
| 27 | 9 | light breeze |
| 28 | 9 | light breeze |
| 29 | 9 | light breeze |
| 30 | 8 | light breeze |
| 31 | 8 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 13 hours at the start of May to 13 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 30 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:48 AM to 5:32 AM, and sunset from 6:47 PM to 7:04 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:48 | 5:47 | 5:46 | 5:45 | 5:45 | 5:44 | 5:43 | 5:42 | 5:42 | 5:41 | 5:40 | 5:40 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:38 | 5:37 | 5:37 | 5:36 | 5:36 | 5:35 | 5:35 | 5:35 | 5:34 | 5:34 | 5:33 | 5:33 | 5:33 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 5:32 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:47 | 6:48 | 6:48 | 6:49 | 6:50 | 6:50 | 6:51 | 6:51 | 6:52 | 6:52 | 6:53 | 6:54 | 6:54 | 6:55 | 6:55 | 6:56 | 6:56 | 6:57 | 6:57 | 6:58 | 6:59 | 6:59 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:01 | 7:01 | 7:02 | 7:02 | 7:03 | 7:03 | 7:04 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.0 | 5:48 | 6:47 |
| 2 | 13.0 | 5:47 | 6:48 |
| 3 | 13.0 | 5:46 | 6:48 |
| 4 | 13.1 | 5:45 | 6:49 |
| 5 | 13.1 | 5:45 | 6:50 |
| 6 | 13.1 | 5:44 | 6:50 |
| 7 | 13.1 | 5:43 | 6:51 |
| 8 | 13.1 | 5:42 | 6:51 |
| 9 | 13.2 | 5:42 | 6:52 |
| 10 | 13.2 | 5:41 | 6:52 |
| 11 | 13.2 | 5:40 | 6:53 |
| 12 | 13.2 | 5:40 | 6:54 |
| 13 | 13.2 | 5:39 | 6:54 |
| 14 | 13.3 | 5:39 | 6:55 |
| 15 | 13.3 | 5:38 | 6:55 |
| 16 | 13.3 | 5:37 | 6:56 |
| 17 | 13.3 | 5:37 | 6:56 |
| 18 | 13.3 | 5:36 | 6:57 |
| 19 | 13.4 | 5:36 | 6:57 |
| 20 | 13.4 | 5:35 | 6:58 |
| 21 | 13.4 | 5:35 | 6:59 |
| 22 | 13.4 | 5:35 | 6:59 |
| 23 | 13.4 | 5:34 | 7:00 |
| 24 | 13.4 | 5:34 | 7:00 |
| 25 | 13.5 | 5:33 | 7:01 |
| 26 | 13.5 | 5:33 | 7:01 |
| 27 | 13.5 | 5:33 | 7:02 |
| 28 | 13.5 | 5:32 | 7:02 |
| 29 | 13.5 | 5:32 | 7:03 |
| 30 | 13.5 | 5:32 | 7:03 |
| 31 | 13.5 | 5:32 | 7:04 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.32 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.09 kWh/m² to a high of 6.32 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 6.32 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.0 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Palm Springs
In May, Palm Springs sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Palm Springs sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Palm Springs's rainy season runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is May a good time to visit Palm Springs?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Palm Springs for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Palm Springs in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Palm Springs sees daytime highs around 80°F and nights near 75°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 12 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Palm Springs in May
The nearest coast averages about 81°F in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 14 mi away) is warmest in August at about 85°F and coldest in February near 77°F.
The water stays above 68°F all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°F) | 77 | 77 | 77 | 79 | 81 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 83 | 81 | 79 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°F) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77 | Warm |
| Feb | 77 | Warm |
| Mar | 77 | Warm |
| Apr | 79 | Warm |
| May | 81 | Warm |
| Jun | 83 | Tropical |
| Jul | 85 | Tropical |
| Aug | 85 | Tropical |
| Sep | 85 | Tropical |
| Oct | 83 | Tropical |
| Nov | 81 | Warm |
| Dec | 79 | Warm |
UV index in Palm Springs in May
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 Palm Springs peaks around July 12 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 5 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| Level | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | High |
| Feb | 7 | Very high |
| Mar | 9 | Very high |
| Apr | 9 | Very high |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 9 | Very high |
| Oct | 8 | Very high |
| Nov | 6 | High |
| Dec | 5 | Moderate |
Air quality in Palm Springs in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Palm Springs is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Good |
| Feb | 10 | Good |
| Mar | 11 | Good |
| Apr | 11 | Good |
| May | 11 | Good |
| Jun | 15 | Moderate |
| Jul | 20 | Moderate |
| Aug | 17 | Moderate |
| Sep | 12 | Good |
| Oct | 9 | Good |
| Nov | 8 | Good |
| Dec | 8 | Good |
Where is Palm Springs?
Palm Springs sits at 26.6°N, 80.1°W, 10 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Lake Worth Corridor, 1.2 mi away.
Topography around Palm Springs
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Palm Springs.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Palm Springs has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 46 ft around an average of 20 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 154 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 203 ft.
The land around Palm Springs is covered by artificial surfaces (65%) and trees (21%) within 2 miles, artificial surfaces (33%) and water (33%) within 10 miles, and water (39%) and wetland (22%) within 50 miles.
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
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 Palm Springs (26.6359°, -80.0961°, elevation 10 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).