Wausau weather in May

In May, Wausau sees average daytime highs of 65°F and overnight lows near 46°F, with 3.7 in of precipitation across 12.5 wet days and about 14.6 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 61°F in the first days to 70°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% 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 Wausau's 7th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wausau's year-round climate.

Daytime high
65°
5th warmest
Overnight low
46°
8th coldest
Precipitation
3.7 in
12.5 wet days
Daylight
14 h 36 min
4:36 AM – 7:14 PM
Cloud cover
67%
7th clearest
Wind
8 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

Wausau is city in and county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States.

Density
753/km²
people per km²

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 61°F in the first days to 70°F by the end.

A typical May day in Wausau reaches about 65°F in the afternoon and slips back to 46°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 78°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 12°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16040
26041
36141
46142
56142
66243
76243
86243
96344
106344
116444
126445
136445
146545
156546
166546
176646
186647
196647
206747
216748
226748
236848
246849
256949
266949
276950
286950
297051
307051
317051

How May really feels in Wausau

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.

Wausau weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 1.27.17.690.0
Feb28° / 10°1.15.45.110.10.0
Mar40° / 21°2.18.25.511.60.3
Apr53° / 34°3.211.33.513.23.0
May65° / 46°3.712.50.214.65.5
Jun74° / 56°4.111.8015.36.4
Jul78° / 60°3.611.4015.16.6
Aug76° / 57°3.710.5013.96.9
Sep68° / 49°3.210.1012.36.3
Oct54° / 38°3.09.60.810.73.4
Nov39° / 26°2.07.53.89.40.3
Dec28° / 14°1.67.16.88.60.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13367
23367
33268
43268
53268
63268
73268
83268
93268
103268
113268
123466
133466
143466
153565
163565
173664
183664
193763
203862
213862
223862
233961
243961
253961
264060
274159
284159
294159
304159
314159

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Wausau gets around 3.7 in of rain and snow over 12.5 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 40% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1383
2393
3393
4403
5402
6402
7412
8412
9411
10411
11411
12401
13401
14401
15401
16391
17390
18390
19390
20390
21400
22400
23400
24400
25410
26410
27410
28410
29410
30420
31420

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 88% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
197210
297210
396310
496310
596310
695410
795410
895410
993520
1093520
1193520
1292620
1392620
1492620
1590730
1690730
1788831
1887841
1986941
2085951
21841051
22841051
23831061
24821161
25801172
26791272
27791272
28791272
29771382
30761482
31761482

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
307light breeze
317calm

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 4:56 AM to 4:22 AM, and sunset from 6:56 PM to 7:30 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.04:566:56
214.04:546:57
314.14:536:58
414.14:516:59
514.24:507:01
614.24:487:02
714.34:477:03
814.34:467:04
914.44:447:06
1014.44:437:07
1114.44:427:08
1214.54:407:09
1314.54:397:10
1414.64:387:12
1514.64:377:13
1614.64:367:14
1714.74:357:15
1814.74:337:16
1914.74:327:17
2014.84:317:18
2114.84:307:20
2214.94:297:21
2314.94:287:22
2414.94:287:23
2515.04:277:24
2615.04:267:25
2715.04:257:26
2815.04:247:27
2915.14:247:28
3015.14:237:29
3115.14:227:30

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 1.37 kWh/m² to a high of 6.08 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.65 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.4Bright
85.4Bright
95.4Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
275.9Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
316.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Wausau?

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

5.5
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.1
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Wausau for sightseeing.

What to pack for Wausau in May

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

In May, Wausau sees daytime highs around 65°F and nights near 46°F. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

UV index in Wausau 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 Wausau peaks around June 17 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 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 17UV 9Jan 11UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Wausau?

Wausau sits at 45.0°N, 89.6°W, 1,204 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Weston, 6.2 mi away.

Topography around Wausau

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Wausau has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 338 ft around an average of 1,250 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 1,168 ft.

The land around Wausau is covered by trees (45%) and artificial surfaces (32%) within 2 miles, trees (59%) and cropland (22%) within 10 miles, and trees (67%) and cropland (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
338 ft
10 miles
807 ft
50 miles
1,168 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Weston 6.2 mi · Stevens Point 30 mi · Marshfield 34 mi · Wisconsin Rapids 41 mi · Appleton 77 mi · Menasha 78 mi · Neenah 78 mi · Howard 81 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 Wausau (44.9591°, -89.6301°, elevation 1,204 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).