Pullman weather in May

In May, Pullman sees average daytime highs of 66°F and overnight lows near 46°F, with 1.9 in of rain across 8.9 wet days and about 14.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 62°F in the first days to 69°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Pullman's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Pullman's year-round climate.

Daytime high
66°
5th warmest
Overnight low
46°
8th coldest
Rainfall
1.9 in
8.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 48 min
4:21 AM – 7:09 PM
Cloud cover
58%
6th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.57 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Pullman is city in Whitman County, Washington State, USA.

Density
1,187/km²
people per km²
Founded
1875

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 62°F in the first days to 69°F by the end.

A typical May day in Pullman reaches about 66°F in the afternoon and slips back to 46°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 78°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 9°F warmer than April and about 7°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16242
26242
36243
46343
56343
66344
76444
86444
96444
106545
116545
126545
136546
146646
156646
166646
176647
186747
196747
206747
216747
226748
236848
246848
256848
266849
276949
286949
296949
306949
316949

How May really feels in Pullman

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.

Pullman weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan37° / 27°3.013.17.48.80.0
Feb42° / 29°2.210.85.3100.3
Mar50° / 34°2.612.43.211.62.1
Apr57° / 39°2.010.20.813.34.1
May66° / 46°1.98.9014.86.2
Jun73° / 52°1.25.7015.67.5
Jul84° / 58°0.42.4015.37.1
Aug83° / 58°0.52.10147.3
Sep74° / 51°0.83.7012.48.1
Oct59° / 41°2.08.50.210.65.0
Nov45° / 33°3.112.53.89.21.0
Dec37° / 27°3.213.68.68.40.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24951
34951
44951
54852
64852
74852
84753
94753
104753
114753
124654
134654
144654
154654
164654
174654
184654
194654
204753
214753
224753
234852
244951
254951
264951
275050
285050
295149
305149
315149

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Pullman gets around 1.9 in of rain over 8.9 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 29% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
229
329
429
529
628
728
828
928
1028
1129
1229
1329
1429
1530
1630
1730
1831
1931
2031
2131
2230
2330
2430
2529
2629
2728
2828
2928
3027
3127

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22982
23982
24982
25982
26982
27982
28982
29982
30982
31982

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
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 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 72 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:42 AM to 4:06 AM, and sunset from 6:50 PM to 7:26 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.14:426:50
214.24:416:51
314.24:396:52
414.34:376:54
514.34:366:55
614.44:346:56
714.44:336:58
814.54:316:59
914.54:307:00
1014.64:287:02
1114.64:277:03
1214.64:267:04
1314.74:247:06
1414.74:237:07
1514.84:227:08
1614.84:217:09
1714.94:197:11
1814.94:187:12
1914.94:177:13
2015.04:167:14
2115.04:157:15
2215.04:147:17
2315.14:137:18
2415.14:127:19
2515.24:117:20
2615.24:107:21
2715.24:097:22
2815.24:087:23
2915.34:087:24
3015.34:077:25
3115.34:067:26

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.57 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.25 kWh/m² to a high of 7.73 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.57 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.2Intense
36.3Intense
46.3Intense
56.3Intense
66.4Intense
76.4Intense
86.4Intense
96.4Intense
106.5Intense
116.5Intense
126.5Intense
136.5Intense
146.5Intense
156.5Intense
166.5Intense
176.5Intense
186.5Intense
196.6Intense
206.6Intense
216.6Intense
226.6Intense
236.7Intense
246.7Intense
256.7Intense
266.7Intense
276.8Intense
286.8Intense
296.8Intense
306.8Intense
316.8Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Pullman?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Pullman for sightseeing.

What to pack for Pullman in May

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

In May, Pullman sees daytime highs around 66°F and nights near 46°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

sun protectiona warm layerrain gear

UV index in Pullman in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Pullman peaks around July 16 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 16UV 8Dec 16UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun6High
Jul9Very high
Aug6High
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Pullman 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 Pullman is worst in August — around 27 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.6× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodAug 1627 µg/m³Dec 238 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May11Good
Jun10Good
Jul25Moderate
Aug27Moderate
Sep25Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Pullman?

Pullman sits at 46.7°N, 117.2°W, 2,352 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Moscow, 8.7 mi away.

Topography around Pullman

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Pullman has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 423 ft around an average of 2,520 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,215 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,827 ft.

The land around Pullman is covered by cropland (32%), grassland (24%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 2 miles, cropland (82%) within 10 miles, and cropland (37%), grassland (36%) and trees (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
423 ft
10 miles
2,215 ft
50 miles
5,827 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Moscow 8.7 mi · Lewiston 23 mi · Lewiston Orchards 26 mi · Opportunity 63 mi · Spokane Valley 65 mi · Spokane 65 mi · Coeur d'Alene 68 mi · Post Falls 69 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 Pullman (46.7313°, -117.1796°, elevation 2,352 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).