San Clemente weather in May

In May, San Clemente sees average daytime highs of 71°F and overnight lows near 56°F, with 0.4 in of rain across 2 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 71°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% 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 San Clemente's 7th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Clemente's year-round climate.

Daytime high
71°
6th warmest
Overnight low
56°
7th coldest
Rainfall
0.4 in
2 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
4:55 AM – 6:38 PM
Cloud cover
36%
7th clearest
Wind
5 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.21 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.2
out of 10

San Clemente is city in Orange County, California, United States.

Density
1,300/km²
people per km²
Founded
1928

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 71°F through the month.

A typical May day in San Clemente reaches about 71°F in the afternoon and slips back to 56°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 63°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°F warmer than April and about 5°F cooler than June.

50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17055
27055
37055
47055
57056
67056
77056
87056
97056
107056
117056
127056
137056
147056
157056
167056
177056
187056
197057
207057
217057
227157
237157
247157
257157
267157
277157
287157
297158
307258
317258

San Clemente 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
Jan63° / 47°3.15.9106.4
Feb63° / 48°3.76.810.86.2
Mar65° / 50°2.16.211.76.7
Apr68° / 53°0.93.312.87.6
May71° / 56°0.4213.78.2
Jun75° / 60°0.10.414.29.2
Jul80° / 65°0.10.4148.8
Aug82° / 66°0.10.213.28.4
Sep81° / 64°0.20.812.28.7
Oct76° / 59°0.72.611.28.7
Nov69° / 52°1.03.210.37.9
Dec63° / 47°2.24.99.86.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% 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 (%)
17426
27426
37327
47228
57228
67228
77228
87327
97327
107327
117327
127327
137426
147426
157525
167525
177525
187624
197624
207723
217723
227723
237822
247921
257921
267921
277921
288020
298119
308119
318119

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

San Clemente gets around 0.4 in of rain over 2 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 10% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
110
210
310
49
59
69
79
89
99
109
118
128
138
147
157
167
177
186
196
206
216
225
235
245
254
264
274
283
293
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 63% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
176222
276231
375241
474251
573261
672271
771281
870291
970291
1069301
1168311
1267312
1366322
1466322
1564333
1664333
1763343
1863343
1961354
2061354
2160364
2259374
2357385
2456395
2555405
2654415
2753425
2852435
2950446
3049466
3147476

Wind in May

Winds average 5 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 5 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
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
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 4:47 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
213.35:076:28
313.45:066:29
413.45:056:29
513.45:046:30
613.55:036:31
713.55:026:32
813.55:026:32
913.55:016:33
1013.65:006:34
1113.64:596:35
1213.64:586:35
1313.64:576:36
1413.74:566:37
1513.74:566:38
1613.74:556:38
1713.74:546:39
1813.84:546:40
1913.84:536:41
2013.84:526:41
2113.84:526:42
2213.94:516:43
2313.94:516:43
2413.94:506:44
2513.94:496:45
2613.94:496:46
2714.04:496:46
2814.04:486:47
2914.04:486:47
3014.04:476:48
3114.04:476:49

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.21 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.01 kWh/m² to a high of 7.82 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 7.21 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.0Intense
27.0Intense
37.0Intense
47.0Intense
57.1Intense
67.1Intense
77.1Intense
87.1Intense
97.1Intense
107.1Intense
117.1Intense
127.1Intense
137.2Intense
147.2Intense
157.2Intense
167.2Intense
177.2Intense
187.2Intense
197.2Intense
207.2Intense
217.3Intense
227.3Intense
237.3Intense
247.3Intense
257.3Intense
267.4Intense
277.4Intense
287.4Intense
297.5Intense
307.5Intense
317.5Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit San Clemente?

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

8.2
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
5.3
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is one of the better times to visit San Clemente for general sightseeing.

What to pack for San Clemente in May

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

In May, San Clemente sees daytime highs around 71°F and nights near 56°F. Pack sun protection.

sun protection

Sea temperature near San Clemente 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 offshore is warmest in August at about 70°F and coldest in January near 59°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 6 to Oct 6 — about 3.1 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°65°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan59Cool
Feb59Cool
Mar60Cool
Apr61Cool
May63Cool
Jun66Cool
Jul69Refreshing
Aug70Refreshing
Sep70Refreshing
Oct67Cool
Nov64Cool
Dec61Cool

UV index in San Clemente 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 San Clemente 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 San Clemente 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 San Clemente 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 San Clemente?

San Clemente sits at 33.4°N, 117.6°W, 233 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Dana Point, 5.6 mi away.

Topography around San Clemente

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around San Clemente has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 886 ft around an average of 236 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,280 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,109 ft.

The land around San Clemente is covered by artificial surfaces (35%), water (27%) and trees (21%) within 2 miles, water (44%) within 10 miles, and water (36%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
886 ft
10 miles
2,280 ft
50 miles
6,109 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Dana Point 5.6 mi · San Juan Capistrano 6.2 mi · Laguna Niguel 8.7 mi · Ladera Ranch 9.9 mi · Aliso Viejo 12 mi · Mission Viejo 12 mi · Laguna Beach 12 mi · Laguna Hills 14 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 San Clemente (33.427°, -117.612°, elevation 233 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).