Rancho Cordova weather in May

In May, Rancho Cordova sees average daytime highs of 80°F and overnight lows near 55°F, with 1.1 in of rain across 4 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 78°F in the first days to 83°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% 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 Rancho Cordova's 6th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rancho Cordova's year-round climate.

Daytime high
80°
5th warmest
Overnight low
55°
8th coldest
Rainfall
1.1 in
4 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
4:59 AM – 7:04 PM
Cloud cover
38%
6th clearest
Wind
5 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.31 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.7
out of 10

Rancho Cordova is city in Sacramento County, California, United States.

Density
809/km²
people per km²
Founded
2003

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 78°F in the first days to 83°F by the end.

A typical May day in Rancho Cordova reaches about 80°F in the afternoon and slips back to 55°F overnight — a 25°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 69°F and 92°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 8°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17753
27853
37853
47853
57853
67853
77953
87954
97954
107954
117954
127954
138054
148055
158055
168055
178055
188055
198155
208155
218156
228156
238256
248256
258256
268256
278356
288357
298357
308457
318457

How May really feels in Rancho Cordova

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.

Rancho Cordova 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan57° / 41°4.99.59.64.2
Feb62° / 43°4.79.610.55.2
Mar66° / 46°4.19.211.76.3
Apr72° / 50°1.95.8137.5
May80° / 55°1.1414.17.7
Jun88° / 59°0.2114.65.9
Jul91° / 62°0.00.114.44.8
Aug91° / 61°0.10.213.55.0
Sep87° / 59°0.10.712.36.4
Oct78° / 53°1.43.2118.3
Nov65° / 45°2.66.69.96.5
Dec57° / 40°4.89.79.44.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 29%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16535
26634
36733
46832
56832
66931
76931
86931
96931
106832
116832
126832
136832
146931
156931
166931
177030
187030
197030
207129
217129
227228
237228
247426
257426
267426
277525
287624
297624
307624
317723

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Rancho Cordova gets around 1.1 in of rain over 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 12% and peaks near 15% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
115
214
314
413
513
613
713
813
913
1013
1113
1213
1313
1413
1513
1613
1713
1813
1913
2013
2113
2213
2312
2412
2511
2611
2710
2810
299
309
318

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 93% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19460
29460
39460
49460
59460
69460
79460
89460
99550
109550
119550
129550
139550
149550
159550
169451
179451
189451
199361
209361
219271
229271
239181
249181
259091
2689101
2789101
2888111
2988111
3088120
3188120

Wind in May

Winds average 5 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
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
126calm
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 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 5:15 AM to 4:49 AM, and sunset from 6:50 PM to 7:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.65:156:50
213.65:146:51
313.75:126:52
413.75:116:53
513.75:106:54
613.85:096:55
713.85:086:56
813.85:076:57
913.95:066:58
1013.95:046:59
1113.95:037:00
1214.05:027:01
1314.05:017:01
1414.05:017:02
1514.15:007:03
1614.14:597:04
1714.14:587:05
1814.24:577:06
1914.24:567:07
2014.24:557:08
2114.24:557:09
2214.34:547:10
2314.34:537:10
2414.34:527:11
2514.34:527:12
2614.44:517:13
2714.44:517:14
2814.44:507:14
2914.44:507:15
3014.44:497:16
3114.54:497:17

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.31 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.1 kWh/m² to a high of 8.21 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 7.31 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.9Intense
26.9Intense
36.9Intense
47.0Intense
57.0Intense
67.0Intense
77.1Intense
87.1Intense
97.1Intense
107.2Intense
117.2Intense
127.2Intense
137.2Intense
147.3Intense
157.3Intense
167.3Intense
177.3Intense
187.3Intense
197.4Intense
207.4Intense
217.4Intense
227.5Intense
237.5Intense
247.5Intense
257.6Intense
267.6Intense
277.6Intense
287.7Intense
297.7Intense
307.7Intense
317.8Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Rancho Cordova

In seasonPeak

None of Rancho Cordova's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Rancho Cordova's rainy season runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Rancho Cordova?

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

7.7
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
7.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit Rancho Cordova for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Rancho Cordova in May

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

In May, Rancho Cordova sees daytime highs around 80°F and nights near 55°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 4 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothes

UV index in Rancho Cordova 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 Rancho Cordova peaks around June 21 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 21UV 10Dec 14UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep6High
Oct5Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

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

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateAug 2126 µg/m³Jun 138 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr12Good
May9Good
Jun8Good
Jul11Good
Aug27Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct17Moderate
Nov19Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Rancho Cordova?

Rancho Cordova sits at 38.6°N, 121.3°W, 89 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Carmichael, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Rancho Cordova

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Rancho Cordova has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 125 ft around an average of 89 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 420 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,056 ft.

The land around Rancho Cordova is covered by artificial surfaces (56%) and trees (26%) within 2 miles, artificial surfaces (37%), grassland (33%) and trees (22%) within 10 miles, and trees (37%), grassland (30%) and cropland (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
125 ft
10 miles
420 ft
50 miles
6,056 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Carmichael 2.5 mi · Fair Oaks 4.3 mi · Arden-Arcade 4.3 mi · Rosemont 4.3 mi · Foothill Farms 6.8 mi · Orangevale 7.5 mi · North Highlands 7.5 mi · Citrus Heights 8.1 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 Rancho Cordova (38.5891°, -121.3027°, elevation 89 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).