Stillwater weather in May

In May, Stillwater sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 49°F, with 4.3 in of precipitation across 12.2 wet days and about 14.6 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 62°F in the first days to 72°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 hours at the start of May to 15 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Stillwater's 7th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Stillwater's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
5th warmest
Overnight low
49°
8th coldest
Precipitation
4.3 in
12.2 wet days
Daylight
14 h 36 min
4:48 AM – 7:27 PM
Cloud cover
65%
7th clearest
Wind
8 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.8
out of 10

Stillwater is city in and county seat of Washington County, Minnesota, United States.

Density
915/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 62°F in the first days to 72°F by the end.

A typical May day in Stillwater reaches about 67°F in the afternoon and slips back to 49°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 79°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 12°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16243
26243
36244
46344
56345
66445
76446
86446
96546
106547
116547
126647
136648
146648
156749
166749
176749
186850
196850
206950
216951
226951
237052
247052
257152
267153
277153
287154
297254
307254
317355

How May really feels in Stillwater

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.

Stillwater weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 1.06690.0
Feb28° / 11°1.05.24.910.10.0
Mar40° / 24°2.07.84.311.60.4
Apr55° / 37°3.210.72.513.23.4
May67° / 49°4.312.20.114.65.8
Jun77° / 59°4.412015.46.4
Jul81° / 63°3.410.3015.16.6
Aug78° / 61°3.810.1013.96.8
Sep71° / 52°3.49.4012.36.7
Oct56° / 40°2.79.10.810.73.9
Nov40° / 27°2.06.73.79.30.4
Dec27° / 14°1.46.46.28.60.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% 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 60%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14060
23961
33862
43862
53862
63862
73862
83763
93862
103862
113862
123862
133862
143862
153961
164060
174060
184060
194060
204159
214159
224159
234159
244258
254159
264159
274159
284159
294159
304258
314258

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Stillwater gets around 4.3 in of rain and snow over 12.2 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 39% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1372
2382
3382
4391
5391
6401
7401
8401
9391
10390
11390
12390
13380
14380
15380
16380
17370
18370
19380
20380
21380
22390
23390
24390
25400
26400
27400
28400
29400
30400
31400

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 85% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
197210
296310
396310
496310
595410
694420
793520
893520
993520
1091630
1191630
1290730
1390730
1488840
1587841
1686941
1785951
18841051
19831061
20811162
21811162
22801172
23791272
24771283
25761383
26761383
27751483
28721594
29721594
307016104
316917104

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.

051015151015202531
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
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
317light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 hours at the start of May to 15 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 66 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:08 AM to 4:35 AM, and sunset from 7:09 PM to 7:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.05:087:09
214.05:077:10
314.15:057:11
414.15:047:12
514.25:027:14
614.25:017:15
714.35:007:16
814.34:587:17
914.44:577:18
1014.44:557:20
1114.44:547:21
1214.54:537:22
1314.54:527:23
1414.64:507:25
1514.64:497:26
1614.64:487:27
1714.74:477:28
1814.74:467:29
1914.84:457:30
2014.84:447:31
2114.84:437:33
2214.94:427:34
2314.94:417:35
2414.94:407:36
2515.04:397:37
2615.04:387:38
2715.04:377:39
2815.14:377:40
2915.14:367:41
3015.14:357:42
3115.14:357:43

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.65 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.39 kWh/m² to a high of 6.27 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.65 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.6Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.9Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Stillwater?

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

5.8
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.8
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Stillwater for sightseeing.

What to pack for Stillwater in May

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

In May, Stillwater sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 49°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Stillwater 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 Stillwater peaks around June 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 18UV 8Jan 12UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Stillwater?

Stillwater sits at 45.1°N, 92.8°W, 696 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Oakdale, 9.9 mi away.

Topography around Stillwater

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Stillwater has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 312 ft around an average of 850 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 463 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 830 ft.

The land around Stillwater is covered by trees (46%) within 2 miles, trees (49%) and grassland (27%) within 10 miles, and trees (43%) and cropland (32%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
312 ft
10 miles
463 ft
50 miles
830 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Oakdale 9.9 mi · White Bear Lake 9.9 mi · Maplewood 12 mi · Woodbury 12 mi · Lino Lakes 16 mi · South Saint Paul 16 mi · Saint Paul 16 mi · River Falls 16 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 Stillwater (45.0564°, -92.806°, elevation 696 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).