Valparaiso weather in May

In May, Valparaiso sees average daytime highs of 68°F and overnight lows near 52°F, with 4.5 in of rain across 12.9 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 64°F in the first days to 73°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% 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 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Valparaiso's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Valparaiso's year-round climate.

Daytime high
68°
5th warmest
Overnight low
52°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.5 in
12.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 18 min
4:35 AM – 6:54 PM
Cloud cover
62%
6th clearest
Wind
9 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.96 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Valparaiso is city in Porter County, Indiana, United States.

Density
809/km²
people per km²
Founded
1836

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 64°F in the first days to 73°F by the end.

A typical May day in Valparaiso reaches about 68°F in the afternoon and slips back to 52°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 81°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 11°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16346
26347
36447
46447
56448
66548
76549
86649
96649
106650
116750
126750
136751
146851
156851
166851
176952
186952
196953
207053
217053
227154
237154
247155
257255
267255
277256
287356
297356
307357
317457

How May really feels in Valparaiso

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.

Valparaiso 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
Jan32° / 20°2.710.47.29.30.0
Feb35° / 22°2.185.310.30.0
Mar46° / 30°3.010.53.411.71.1
Apr58° / 41°4.212.41.113.13.9
May68° / 52°4.512.9014.35.9
Jun78° / 62°4.111.9014.96.3
Jul82° / 66°3.911.9014.76.2
Aug80° / 64°3.911.1013.76.5
Sep74° / 57°3.29.1012.37.0
Oct62° / 46°3.3100.210.95.2
Nov48° / 35°2.99.61.79.71.8
Dec37° / 26°2.49.34.99.10.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 57%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14159
24060
34060
44060
54060
64159
74159
84159
94159
104258
114258
124258
134357
144357
154357
164456
174456
184357
194456
204456
214456
224357
234357
244357
254357
264456
274456
284456
294456
304456
314555

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Valparaiso gets around 4.5 in of rain over 12.9 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 rain averages around 42% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
142
242
342
442
543
643
742
842
942
1042
1142
1242
1342
1442
1542
1642
1741
1841
1941
2041
2141
2241
2341
2441
2541
2641
2741
2841
2941
3041
3141

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 70% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1908200
2879310
3879310
48510410
58510410
68311510
78311510
88012620
97913620
107813720
117714720
127614820
137415830
147415830
157316830
167116940
177017940
186917950
1967181050
2067181050
2164191160
2263191170
2361191271
2459191381
2558201381
2656201491
2756201491
28542015101
29542015101
30532015111
31512116111

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
239light breeze
249light 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 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 42 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 4:53 AM to 4:23 AM, and sunset from 6:38 PM to 7:08 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.84:536:38
213.84:516:39
313.84:506:40
413.94:496:42
513.94:476:43
614.04:466:44
714.04:456:45
814.04:446:46
914.14:426:47
1014.14:416:48
1114.14:406:49
1214.24:396:50
1314.24:386:51
1414.34:376:52
1514.34:366:53
1614.34:356:54
1714.44:346:55
1814.44:336:56
1914.44:326:57
2014.54:316:58
2114.54:306:59
2214.54:297:00
2314.54:297:01
2414.64:287:02
2514.64:277:03
2614.64:267:04
2714.74:267:05
2814.74:257:06
2914.74:247:06
3014.74:247:07
3114.74:237:08

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.96 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.58 kWh/m² to a high of 6.55 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.96 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.9Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
166.0Bright
176.0Bright
186.0Intense
196.0Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.3Intense
306.3Intense
316.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Valparaiso?

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

5.9
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
3.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Valparaiso for sightseeing.

What to pack for Valparaiso in May

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

In May, Valparaiso sees daytime highs around 68°F and nights near 52°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Valparaiso in May

The nearest coast averages about 46°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 19 mi away) is warmest in August at about 73°F and coldest in February near 35°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 10 to Sep 16 — about 2.3 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan38Bracing
Feb35Bracing
Mar35Bracing
Apr39Bracing
May46Bracing
Jun59Cool
Jul70Refreshing
Aug73Refreshing
Sep68Refreshing
Oct58Bracing
Nov49Bracing
Dec42Bracing

UV index in Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso peaks around June 21 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 21UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1516 µg/m³Oct 228 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Valparaiso?

Valparaiso sits at 41.5°N, 87.1°W, 794 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Portage, 9.3 mi away.

Topography around Valparaiso

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Valparaiso has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 217 ft around an average of 774 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 315 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 689 ft.

The land around Valparaiso is covered by trees (46%), artificial surfaces (28%) and grassland (22%) within 2 miles, cropland (46%) and trees (30%) within 10 miles, and cropland (45%) and water (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
217 ft
10 miles
315 ft
50 miles
689 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Portage 9.3 mi · Hobart 11 mi · Merrillville 14 mi · Crown Point 16 mi · Gary 17 mi · Michigan City 18 mi · Griffith 19 mi · La Porte 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 Valparaiso (41.4731°, -87.0611°, elevation 794 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).