Sault Ste. Marie weather in May

In May, Sault Ste. Marie sees average daytime highs of 58°F and overnight lows near 42°F, with 2.9 in of precipitation across 9.9 wet days and about 14.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 53°F in the first days to 63°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 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 Sault Ste. Marie's 5th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sault Ste. Marie's year-round climate.

Daytime high
58°
5th warmest
Overnight low
42°
8th coldest
Precipitation
2.9 in
9.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 48 min
5:10 AM – 7:57 PM
Cloud cover
61%
5th clearest
Wind
8 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.97 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.4
out of 10

Sault Ste. Marie is city in Michigan, United States.

Density
265/km²
people per km²
Founded
1668

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 53°F in the first days to 63°F by the end.

A typical May day in Sault Ste. Marie reaches about 58°F in the afternoon and slips back to 42°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 47°F and 69°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 12°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15337
25337
35338
45438
55438
65439
75539
85539
95540
105640
115640
125641
135741
145741
155842
165842
175842
185943
195943
206044
216044
226144
236145
246245
256246
266246
276346
286347
296347
306447
316448

How May really feels in Sault Ste. Marie

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 3 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
3
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Sault Ste. Marie weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 1.810.112.18.80.0
Feb23° / 1.57.88.5100.0
Mar33° / 17°1.88.6711.60.0
Apr46° / 30°2.610.2413.31.2
May58° / 42°2.99.90.314.84.4
Jun69° / 53°3.310.2015.56.3
Jul73° / 58°3.911.3015.26.7
Aug72° / 58°3.811.10146.6
Sep65° / 51°4.111.8012.45.6
Oct52° / 40°4.013.60.410.72.5
Nov39° / 29°2.6116.39.20.2
Dec28° / 17°2.21110.98.50.0

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 13% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 57%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14555
24555
34456
44456
54357
64456
74357
84258
94258
104159
114159
124159
134159
144159
154159
164159
174159
184258
194357
204357
214357
224456
234456
244555
254555
264555
274555
284456
294456
304456
314555

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Sault Ste. Marie gets around 2.9 in of rain and snow over 9.9 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 32% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1295
2295
3294
4293
5293
6292
7292
8292
9291
10301
11301
12311
13311
14321
15321
16331
17330
18330
19340
20340
21340
22340
23340
24340
25340
26340
27340
28340
29340
30340
31340

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19910
29910
39910
49910
59910
69910
79910
89910
99910
109820
119820
129820
139820
149730
159730
169730
179730
189541
199541
209451
219451
229262
239262
249172
259073
269073
279073
288884
298884
308884
318794

Wind in May

Winds average 8 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
247light breeze
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

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 5:31 AM to 4:56 AM, and sunset from 7:38 PM to 8:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.15:317:38
214.25:307:39
314.25:287:41
414.35:277:42
514.35:257:43
614.35:247:45
714.45:227:46
814.45:217:47
914.55:197:48
1014.55:187:50
1114.65:167:51
1214.65:157:52
1314.75:147:54
1414.75:127:55
1514.75:117:56
1614.85:107:57
1714.85:097:59
1814.95:088:00
1914.95:068:01
2014.95:058:02
2115.05:048:03
2215.05:038:04
2315.15:028:06
2415.15:018:07
2515.15:008:08
2615.24:598:09
2715.24:598:10
2815.24:588:11
2915.24:578:12
3015.34:568:13
3115.34:568:14

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.97 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.1 kWh/m² to a high of 6.48 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.97 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.9Bright
125.9Bright
135.9Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
176.0Bright
186.0Bright
196.0Bright
206.0Intense
216.0Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Sault Ste. Marie?

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

4.4
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
0.5
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Sault Ste. Marie for sightseeing.

What to pack for Sault Ste. Marie in May

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

In May, Sault Ste. Marie sees daytime highs around 58°F and nights near 42°F. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Sault Ste. Marie in May

The nearest coast averages about 41°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 9 mi away) is warmest in August at about 66°F and coldest in February near 33°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan35Bracing
Feb33Bracing
Mar33Bracing
Apr35Bracing
May41Bracing
Jun51Bracing
Jul63Cool
Aug66Cool
Sep61Cool
Oct53Bracing
Nov44Bracing
Dec38Bracing

UV index in Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Ste. Marie peaks around June 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 18UV 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun8Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug7High
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Sault Ste. Marie?

Sault Ste. Marie sits at 46.5°N, 84.3°W, 0 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Sault Ste. Marie, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Sault Ste. Marie

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Sault Ste. Marie has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 197 ft around an average of 627 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 807 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,611 ft.

The land around Sault Ste. Marie is covered by trees (31%), artificial surfaces (25%) and water (25%) within 2 miles, trees (60%) within 10 miles, and trees (64%) and water (31%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
197 ft
10 miles
807 ft
50 miles
1,611 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Sault Ste. Marie 1.9 mi · Mackinac Island 47 mi · Traverse City 135 mi · Marquette 145 mi · Valley East 159 mi · Greater Sudbury 160 mi · Timmins 196 mi · Midland 199 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 Sault Ste. Marie (46.4953°, -84.3453°, elevation 0 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).