Urbandale weather in May

In May, Urbandale sees average daytime highs of 71°F and overnight lows near 52°F, with 5.5 in of precipitation across 13.7 wet days and about 14.3 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 66°F in the first days to 75°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Urbandale's 9th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Urbandale's year-round climate.

Daytime high
71°
5th warmest
Overnight low
52°
8th coldest
Precipitation
5.5 in
13.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 18 min
5:01 AM – 7:21 PM
Cloud cover
63%
9th clearest
Wind
9 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.64 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Urbandale is city in Polk and Dallas counties, Iowa, United States.

Density
775/km²
people per km²
Founded
1917

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 66°F in the first days to 75°F by the end.

A typical May day in Urbandale reaches about 71°F in the afternoon and slips back to 52°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 59°F and 83°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)
16646
26647
36747
46748
56748
66848
76849
86949
96950
106950
117050
127051
137051
147151
157152
167152
177152
187253
197253
207254
217354
227354
237355
247455
257455
267456
277556
287556
297557
307657
317658

How May really feels in Urbandale

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.

Urbandale 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
Jan29° / 13°1.26.24.99.30.0
Feb34° / 17°1.46.54.810.30.0
Mar48° / 29°2.68.82.811.71.7
Apr61° / 40°4.311.1113.14.7
May71° / 52°5.513.70.114.36.0
Jun80° / 62°5.012.10156.1
Jul84° / 66°3.79.5014.75.8
Aug82° / 63°3.99.2013.76.6
Sep75° / 55°3.48.6012.37.2
Oct62° / 42°2.980.410.95.7
Nov47° / 30°2.16.51.39.71.8
Dec35° / 19°1.664.190.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14159
24159
34159
44159
54159
64159
74258
84258
94258
104357
114357
124456
134456
144456
154456
164456
174555
184555
194555
204456
214555
224555
234555
244555
254555
264555
274456
284555
294555
304555
314654

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Urbandale gets around 5.5 in of rain and snow over 13.7 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 44% and peaks near 47% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
141
241
342
442
543
643
743
843
943
1043
1143
1242
1342
1442
1541
1642
1742
1842
1943
2043
2144
2244
2345
2445
2546
2646
2747
2847
2947
3047
3147

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 68% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1888400
2869410
38410510
48211610
58211610
68012710
77813810
87813810
97614910
1075141010
1173151020
1273151020
1371161120
1471161120
1570161130
1669161230
1768161240
1868161240
1966161350
2064171450
2163171460
2261171570
2360181570
2458181680
2557181690
2655191790
27541917100
28521918110
29502018120
30482118120
31462119131

Wind in May

Winds average 9 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
210light breeze
310light breeze
410light breeze
510light breeze
610light breeze
710light breeze
810light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 60 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:19 AM to 4:49 AM, and sunset from 7:05 PM to 7:35 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:197:05
213.85:187:06
313.95:167:07
413.95:157:08
513.95:147:10
614.05:127:11
714.05:117:12
814.05:107:13
914.15:097:14
1014.15:077:15
1114.25:067:16
1214.25:057:17
1314.25:047:18
1414.35:037:19
1514.35:027:20
1614.35:017:21
1714.45:007:22
1814.44:597:23
1914.44:587:24
2014.54:577:25
2114.54:567:26
2214.54:567:27
2314.64:557:28
2414.64:547:29
2514.64:537:30
2614.64:527:31
2714.74:527:32
2814.74:517:33
2914.74:517:33
3014.74:507:34
3114.84:497:35

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.64 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.8 kWh/m² to a high of 6.47 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.64 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.4Bright
75.4Bright
85.4Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Urbandale?

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

6.0
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
4.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Urbandale for sightseeing.

What to pack for Urbandale in May

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

In May, Urbandale sees daytime highs around 71°F and nights near 52°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 14 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Urbandale 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 Urbandale peaks around June 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 20UV 9Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Urbandale 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 Urbandale is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateGoodJul 2016 µg/m³Oct 217 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr11Good
May11Good
Jun12Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct7Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Urbandale?

Urbandale sits at 41.6°N, 93.7°W, 945 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Clive, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around Urbandale

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Urbandale has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 200 ft around an average of 928 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 315 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 827 ft.

The land around Urbandale is covered by trees (54%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 2 miles, trees (32%), grassland (24%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 10 miles, and cropland (63%) and grassland (20%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
200 ft
10 miles
315 ft
50 miles
827 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Clive 1.9 mi · Johnston 3.1 mi · West Des Moines 3.7 mi · Des Moines 5.6 mi · Ankeny 8.7 mi · Waukee 8.7 mi · Altoona 13 mi · Indianola 21 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 Urbandale (41.6267°, -93.7122°, elevation 945 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).