Rancho Santa Margarita weather in May

In May, Rancho Santa Margarita sees average daytime highs of 74°F and overnight lows near 56°F, with 0.6 in of rain across 2.3 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 74°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 18 min at the start of May to 14 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Rancho Santa Margarita's 6th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rancho Santa Margarita's year-round climate.

Daytime high
74°
6th warmest
Overnight low
56°
7th coldest
Rainfall
0.6 in
2.3 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
4:55 AM – 6:39 PM
Cloud cover
33%
6th clearest
Wind
4 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
7.28 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.7
out of 10

Rancho Santa Margarita is city in Orange County, California, United States.

Density
1,466/km²
people per km²
Founded
2000

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 74°F through the month.

A typical May day in Rancho Santa Margarita reaches about 74°F in the afternoon and slips back to 56°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 65°F and 85°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°F warmer than April and about 6°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17454
27454
37455
47455
57455
67455
77455
87455
97455
107455
117455
127456
137456
147456
157456
167456
177456
187456
197456
207456
217556
227556
237556
247557
257557
267557
277657
287657
297657
307658
317658

Rancho Santa Margarita weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan64° / 44°3.66.4106.5
Feb64° / 46°4.46.810.76.4
Mar67° / 48°2.66.511.76.9
Apr71° / 51°1.23.912.87.9
May74° / 56°0.62.313.78.7
Jun80° / 60°0.10.614.28.6
Jul86° / 65°0.10.6146.7
Aug88° / 66°0.10.313.26.1
Sep85° / 64°0.21.312.26.9
Oct79° / 57°0.92.811.28.5
Nov70° / 49°1.23.210.38.0
Dec64° / 44°2.55.39.86.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% 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 24%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27327
37228
47129
57129
67129
77228
87228
97228
107327
117327
127327
137426
147525
157525
167624
177624
187723
197723
207723
217921
227921
237921
248020
258020
268119
278119
288218
298218
308317
318416

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Rancho Santa Margarita gets around 0.6 in of rain over 2.3 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 7% and peaks near 11% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
111
211
310
410
510
610
710
810
910
1010
1110
129
139
149
158
168
177
187
197
207
216
226
235
245
255
264
274
284
294
303
313

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 72% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
185150
284160
384160
482171
582171
681181
781181
880191
979201
1078211
1177221
1277221
1376231
1474242
1573252
1672262
1771272
1870282
1970282
2069292
2168302
2267312
2366322
2464333
2563343
2662353
2761363
2860373
2959383
3058393
3157403

Wind in May

Winds average 4 mph in May, the windiest month of the year.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 4 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 18 min at the start of May to 14 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:08 AM to 4:46 AM, and sunset from 6:27 PM to 6:49 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.35:086:27
213.45:076:28
313.45:066:29
413.45:056:30
513.45:046:30
613.55:036:31
713.55:026:32
813.55:016:33
913.65:006:33
1013.64:596:34
1113.64:586:35
1213.64:586:36
1313.74:576:37
1413.74:566:37
1513.74:556:38
1613.74:556:39
1713.84:546:40
1813.84:536:40
1913.84:526:41
2013.84:526:42
2113.94:516:42
2213.94:516:43
2313.94:506:44
2413.94:496:45
2513.94:496:45
2614.04:486:46
2714.04:486:47
2814.04:486:47
2914.04:476:48
3014.04:476:49
3114.04:466:49

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.28 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.99 kWh/m² to a high of 7.98 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.28 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.0Intense
27.0Intense
37.1Intense
47.1Intense
57.1Intense
67.1Intense
77.1Intense
87.1Intense
97.2Intense
107.2Intense
117.2Intense
127.2Intense
137.2Intense
147.2Intense
157.2Intense
167.3Intense
177.3Intense
187.3Intense
197.3Intense
207.3Intense
217.3Intense
227.4Intense
237.4Intense
247.4Intense
257.5Intense
267.5Intense
277.5Intense
287.5Intense
297.6Intense
307.6Intense
317.6Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Rancho Santa Margarita?

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

8.7
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Rancho Santa Margarita in May

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

In May, Rancho Santa Margarita sees daytime highs around 74°F and nights near 56°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes.

sun protectionlight clothes

Sea temperature near Rancho Santa Margarita in May

The nearest coast averages about 63°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 16 mi away) is warmest in August at about 69°F and coldest in February near 59°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 13 to Sep 28 — about 2.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°65°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan59Cool
Feb59Cool
Mar59Cool
Apr60Cool
May63Cool
Jun65Cool
Jul68Refreshing
Aug69Refreshing
Sep69Refreshing
Oct67Cool
Nov64Cool
Dec60Cool

UV index in Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita peaks around June 23 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 10Dec 16UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov3Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Santa Margarita is worst in September — around 49 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.0× the cleanest month (May, 12 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateSep 1447 µg/m³May 1713 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan18Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr17Moderate
May12Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug32Moderate
Sep49Poor
Oct21Moderate
Nov21Moderate
Dec18Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Rancho Santa Margarita?

Rancho Santa Margarita sits at 33.6°N, 117.6°W, 948 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mission Viejo, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Rancho Santa Margarita

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Rancho Santa Margarita has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 764 ft around an average of 1,007 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,564 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 9,967 ft.

The land around Rancho Santa Margarita is covered by artificial surfaces (41%) and trees (35%) within 2 miles, trees (43%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 10 miles, and water (27%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
764 ft
10 miles
5,564 ft
50 miles
9,967 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Mission Viejo 5.0 mi · Lake Forest 5.0 mi · Ladera Ranch 5.0 mi · Laguna Hills 6.8 mi · Laguna Woods 7.5 mi · Aliso Viejo 8.7 mi · Stonegate 9.3 mi · Laguna Niguel 9.9 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 Santa Margarita (33.6409°, -117.6031°, elevation 948 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. 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).