Saint Joseph weather in May

In May, Saint Joseph sees average daytime highs of 74°F and overnight lows near 55°F, with 5.6 in of precipitation across 12.5 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 69°F in the first days to 78°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% 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 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Saint Joseph's 11th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Saint Joseph's year-round climate.

Daytime high
74°
5th warmest
Overnight low
55°
8th coldest
Precipitation
5.6 in
12.5 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
5:10 AM – 7:21 PM
Cloud cover
60%
11th clearest
Wind
9 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.8 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

Saint Joseph is city and seat of Buchanan County, State of Missouri, United States.

Density
662/km²
people per km²
Founded
1843

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 69°F in the first days to 78°F by the end.

A typical May day in Saint Joseph reaches about 74°F in the afternoon and slips back to 55°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 62°F and 85°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)
16850
26950
36950
46951
57051
67052
77152
87152
97153
107253
117253
127254
137354
147355
157355
167455
177455
187456
197456
207556
217557
227657
237658
247658
257658
267759
277759
287860
297860
307860
317961

How May really feels in Saint Joseph

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.

Saint Joseph 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
Jan37° / 20°1.25.43.69.50.0
Feb41° / 23°1.76.13.110.40.3
Mar53° / 33°3.091.911.73.1
Apr64° / 44°4.511.10.6135.5
May74° / 55°5.612.50.114.26.4
Jun83° / 65°4.511.1014.85.7
Jul87° / 69°4.49.1014.55.0
Aug85° / 67°3.69013.65.5
Sep78° / 58°3.38.2012.37.2
Oct65° / 46°3.27.90.210.96.4
Nov52° / 34°2.16.51.19.83.0
Dec40° / 24°1.85.42.69.20.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14258
24357
34357
44357
54357
64456
74555
84456
94555
104654
114555
124555
134555
144456
154456
164456
174555
184456
194456
204555
214357
224357
234456
244357
254456
264456
274555
284555
294555
304654
314654

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Saint Joseph gets around 5.6 in of rain and snow over 12.5 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 40% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
141
241
341
441
541
640
740
839
939
1038
1138
1238
1338
1438
1538
1638
1738
1839
1939
2039
2140
2241
2341
2442
2542
2643
2743
2843
2943
3043
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 55% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 9% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
17913620
27615720
37416820
47217920
57018930
668191030
766201130
864201240
962211340
1061211440
1160211450
1259211550
1358211560
1457211660
1555211770
1656201770
1755191880
1853191990
19521820100
20501821110
21491822110
22481822120
23461823130
24441823140
25431924141
26411924151
27391924161
28382024171
29362024181
30352124192
31332124202

Wind in May

Winds average 9 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
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light 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 36 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 5:27 AM to 4:59 AM, and sunset from 7:06 PM to 7:34 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.75:277:06
213.75:267:07
313.75:247:08
413.85:237:09
513.85:227:10
613.85:217:11
713.95:207:12
813.95:187:13
914.05:177:14
1014.05:167:15
1114.05:157:16
1214.15:147:17
1314.15:137:18
1414.15:127:19
1514.25:117:20
1614.25:107:21
1714.25:097:22
1814.25:087:23
1914.35:077:24
2014.35:077:25
2114.35:067:26
2214.45:057:27
2314.45:047:28
2414.45:047:28
2514.45:037:29
2614.55:027:30
2714.55:027:31
2814.55:017:32
2914.55:007:33
3014.65:007:33
3114.64:597:34

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.8 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.01 kWh/m² to a high of 6.56 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.8 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.5Bright
75.6Bright
85.6Bright
95.6Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
195.9Bright
205.9Bright
215.9Bright
226.0Bright
236.0Bright
246.0Bright
256.0Bright
266.0Intense
276.0Intense
286.0Intense
296.0Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Saint Joseph?

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

6.4
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
4.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Saint Joseph for sightseeing.

What to pack for Saint Joseph in May

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

In May, Saint Joseph sees daytime highs around 74°F and nights near 55°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph peaks around June 22 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 10Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May7High
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (October, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodJul 1815 µg/m³Oct 227 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr11Good
May12Good
Jun13Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov7Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Saint Joseph?

Saint Joseph sits at 39.8°N, 94.8°W, 886 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Leavenworth, 32 mi away.

Topography around Saint Joseph

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Saint Joseph has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 308 ft around an average of 909 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 397 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 640 ft.

The land around Saint Joseph is covered by trees (48%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 2 miles, cropland (42%) and trees (33%) within 10 miles, and cropland (48%), grassland (26%) and trees (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
308 ft
10 miles
397 ft
50 miles
640 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Leavenworth 32 mi · Gladstone 42 mi · Liberty 43 mi · Kansas City 47 mi · Kansas City 48 mi · Shawnee 51 mi · Independence 52 mi · East Independence 53 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 Saint Joseph (39.7686°, -94.8466°, elevation 886 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).