Peoria weather in May

In May, Peoria sees average daytime highs of 72°F and overnight lows near 53°F, with 4.6 in of rain across 13 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 67°F in the first days to 76°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 42 min at the start of May to 14 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Peoria's 7th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Peoria's year-round climate.

Daytime high
72°
5th warmest
Overnight low
53°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.6 in
13 wet days
Daylight
14 h 18 min
4:47 AM – 7:02 PM
Cloud cover
64%
7th clearest
Wind
8 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.74 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
out of 10

Peoria is county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States.

Density
881/km²
people per km²
Founded
1680

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 67°F in the first days to 76°F by the end.

A typical May day in Peoria reaches about 72°F in the afternoon and slips back to 53°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 59°F and 83°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 10°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16748
26749
36749
46849
56850
66950
76951
86951
97051
107052
117052
127152
137153
147153
157153
167253
177254
187254
197354
207355
217355
227455
237456
247456
257556
267557
277557
287658
297658
307658
317759

How May really feels in Peoria

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.

Peoria weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan33° / 19°2.1859.40.0
Feb37° / 22°2.17.14.110.40.0
Mar49° / 32°2.910.21.911.72.1
Apr62° / 43°4.411.80.613.14.9
May72° / 53°4.613014.26.1
Jun81° / 63°4.411.6014.96.1
Jul84° / 67°3.810.2014.65.7
Aug82° / 64°3.19.4013.66.5
Sep76° / 56°3.07.9012.37.2
Oct64° / 45°3.18.60.110.95.8
Nov49° / 34°2.88.219.72.2
Dec38° / 24°2.27.73.59.10.0

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 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 59%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23862
33763
43763
53862
63862
73961
84060
94060
104060
114060
124159
134159
144159
154159
164159
174159
184258
194258
204258
214258
224159
234258
244258
254258
264258
274357
284357
294357
304456
314456

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Peoria gets around 4.6 in of rain over 13 wet days in May, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 42% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
142
242
343
443
543
643
743
843
943
1043
1142
1242
1342
1442
1542
1641
1741
1841
1941
2041
2141
2241
2341
2441
2542
2642
2742
2842
2942
3042
3142

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 62% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 8% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
18213410
28114410
37914520
47715620
57516630
67416730
77317730
87117840
97017940
106917950
1167181050
1266181060
1365181160
1465181160
1564181170
1663181270
1762181280
1861181380
1959181391
2058181491
21561815101
22561815101
23541816111
24531817111
25521817121
26501818131
27491818131
28481918141
29471919141
30461919151
31441919162

Wind in May

Winds average 8 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 42 min at the start of May to 14 h 42 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 5:04 AM to 4:36 AM, and sunset from 6:47 PM to 7:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.75:046:47
213.85:036:48
313.85:026:49
413.85:006:50
513.94:596:51
613.94:586:52
713.94:576:53
814.04:556:54
914.04:546:55
1014.14:536:56
1114.14:526:57
1214.14:516:58
1314.24:506:59
1414.24:497:00
1514.24:487:01
1614.34:477:02
1714.34:467:03
1814.34:457:04
1914.44:447:05
2014.44:437:06
2114.44:427:07
2214.44:427:08
2314.54:417:09
2414.54:407:10
2514.54:397:11
2614.64:397:12
2714.64:387:13
2814.64:377:13
2914.64:377:14
3014.64:367:15
3114.74:367:16

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.74 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.75 kWh/m² to a high of 6.38 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.74 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.4Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.6Bright
105.6Bright
115.6Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
235.9Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
266.0Bright
276.0Bright
286.0Bright
296.0Intense
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Peoria?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Peoria for sightseeing.

What to pack for Peoria in May

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

In May, Peoria sees daytime highs around 72°F and nights near 53°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Peoria in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Peoria peaks around June 19 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 19UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Peoria 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 Peoria is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodJul 1816 µg/m³Oct 228 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr11Good
May14Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Peoria?

Peoria sits at 40.7°N, 89.6°W, 502 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is North Peoria, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Peoria

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Peoria has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 272 ft around an average of 518 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 456 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 597 ft.

The land around Peoria is covered by artificial surfaces (40%) and trees (30%) within 2 miles, trees (44%) and cropland (25%) within 10 miles, and cropland (75%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
272 ft
10 miles
456 ft
50 miles
597 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: North Peoria 1.9 mi · East Peoria 1.9 mi · Morton 8.7 mi · Pekin 9.3 mi · Washington 9.3 mi · Normal 34 mi · Bloomington 34 mi · Galesburg 45 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 Peoria (40.6936°, -89.589°, elevation 502 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).