Pocatello weather in May

In May, Pocatello sees average daytime highs of 65°F and overnight lows near 42°F, with 2.3 in of precipitation across 10.2 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 61°F in the first days to 69°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Pocatello's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Pocatello's year-round climate.

Daytime high
65°
5th warmest
Overnight low
42°
8th coldest
Precipitation
2.3 in
10.2 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
5:13 AM – 7:39 PM
Cloud cover
59%
6th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.8
out of 10

Pocatello is city in Bannock and Power counties in Idaho, United States, that is the county seat of Bannock County.

Density
649/km²
people per km²
Founded
1889

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 61°F in the first days to 69°F by the end.

A typical May day in Pocatello reaches about 65°F in the afternoon and slips back to 42°F overnight — a 23°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 52°F and 78°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 10°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16037
26038
36138
46138
56139
66239
76239
86340
96340
106340
116441
126441
136441
146542
156542
166542
176642
186643
196643
206643
216744
226744
236744
246744
256845
266845
276845
286945
296946
306946
317046

How May really feels in Pocatello

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.

Pocatello 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
Jan30° / 17°2.010.911.19.20.0
Feb35° / 21°1.69.38.510.20.0
Mar45° / 28°1.910.66.911.61.1
Apr55° / 34°2.111.43.413.13.3
May65° / 42°2.310.20.814.45.8
Jun75° / 49°1.26.30.215.17.5
Jul86° / 58°0.64.2014.86.2
Aug84° / 56°0.84.4013.86.6
Sep74° / 48°1.250.112.37.9
Oct59° / 37°1.46.61.610.85.0
Nov43° / 26°1.68.25.89.50.8
Dec31° / 17°2.010.510.98.90.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% 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 53%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34852
44852
54753
64753
74654
84654
94654
104555
114555
124654
134555
144555
154555
164555
174555
184555
194654
204654
214654
224753
234753
244852
254852
265050
275050
285149
295248
305248
315248

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Pocatello gets around 2.3 in of rain and snow over 10.2 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 precipitation averages around 33% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1345
2335
3335
4325
5325
6314
7314
8314
9314
10314
11313
12323
13323
14333
15333
16332
17342
18342
19352
20352
21351
22351
23351
24351
25351
26341
27341
28331
29321
30321
31311

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 5 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
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 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 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 5:31 AM to 5:00 AM, and sunset from 7:23 PM to 7:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.95:317:23
213.95:307:24
313.95:297:25
414.05:277:26
514.05:267:27
614.15:257:28
714.15:237:29
814.15:227:31
914.25:217:32
1014.25:197:33
1114.35:187:34
1214.35:177:35
1314.35:167:36
1414.45:157:37
1514.45:147:38
1614.45:137:39
1714.55:127:40
1814.55:117:42
1914.55:107:43
2014.65:097:44
2114.65:087:45
2214.65:077:46
2314.75:067:47
2414.75:057:48
2514.75:047:49
2614.85:047:49
2714.85:037:50
2814.85:027:51
2914.85:027:52
3014.95:017:53
3114.95:007:54

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.91 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.86 kWh/m² to a high of 7.91 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.91 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.5Intense
26.5Intense
36.6Intense
46.6Intense
56.7Intense
66.7Intense
76.7Intense
86.8Intense
96.8Intense
106.8Intense
116.8Intense
126.8Intense
136.9Intense
146.9Intense
156.9Intense
166.9Intense
176.9Intense
186.9Intense
197.0Intense
207.0Intense
217.0Intense
227.0Intense
237.0Intense
247.0Intense
257.1Intense
267.1Intense
277.1Intense
287.2Intense
297.2Intense
307.2Intense
317.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Pocatello?

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

5.8
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Pocatello for sightseeing.

What to pack for Pocatello in May

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

In May, Pocatello sees daytime highs around 65°F and nights near 42°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 Pocatello 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 Pocatello peaks around July 10 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highHighModerateLowJul 10UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Pocatello 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 Pocatello is worst in August — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.9× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1721 µg/m³Dec 178 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Good
Apr11Good
May10Good
Jun10Good
Jul13Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Pocatello?

Pocatello sits at 42.9°N, 112.4°W, 4,462 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Idaho Falls, 46 mi away.

Topography around Pocatello

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Pocatello has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 833 ft around an average of 4,596 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,923 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,033 ft.

The land around Pocatello is covered by artificial surfaces (42%) and grassland (31%) within 2 miles, grassland (51%) within 10 miles, and grassland (62%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
833 ft
10 miles
2,923 ft
50 miles
5,033 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Idaho Falls 46 mi · Conda 47 mi · Rexburg 74 mi · Logan 85 mi · Brigham City 96 mi · Twin Falls 104 mi · North Ogden 111 mi · Ogden 116 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 Pocatello (42.8713°, -112.4455°, elevation 4,462 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).