Greenland weather in May

Thinking about venturing to Greenland this May and curious about the weather conditions to expect? This page holds all the key information you seek, responding to your question:

What is the weather like in Greenland in May?

In May, Greenland experiences a range of weather conditions, with temperatures that range from very cold to cold and precipitation levels ranging from low to high.

The average maximum daytime temperatures vary from very cold in Nord at -7°C to cold in Kangerlussuaq at 7°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to -2°C in Kangerlussuaq and -12°C in Nord. In numerous regions in Greenland, May is marked by its cold weather conditions. If you're heading to these areas during this month, it's vital to be well-prepared. Dressing in layered and insulated outfits will ensure you stay warm.

In May, precipitation varies across different areas. From low snowfall in Danmarkshavn with an average of 21 mm to high snowfall in PrChristianSund with 151 mm.

For specific regional insights in Greenland for May, refer to the map provided below. For an in-depth overview of the yearly weather conditions, do visit our Greenland climate page.

Where to go in Greenland in May

Find the average weather conditions in May for the most popular destinations in Greenland on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailed information.

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Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Popular destinations in Greenland

What is the weather like in May for the 5 most popular destinations in Greenland?

Average weather in Ilulissat

In May Ilulissat generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 5°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -3°C and low monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Ilulissat
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
-4°C 
-12°C 
21 mm 
9 days 
poor 
5°C 
-3°C 
26 mm 
7 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
12°C 
4°C 
28 mm 
7 days 
Climate in Ilulissat

Average weather in Kangerlussuaq

In May Kangerlussuaq generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 7°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C and low monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Kangerlussuaq
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
-2°C 
-12°C 
17 mm 
8 days 
poor 
7°C 
-2°C 
25 mm 
8 days 
June   >> June
>>  
14°C 
5°C 
38 mm 
9 days 
Climate in Kangerlussuaq

Average weather in Narsaq

In May Narsaq generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 7°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 0°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Narsaq
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
3°C 
-4°C 
84 mm 
11 days 
poor 
7°C 
0°C 
71 mm 
10 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
12°C 
4°C 
95 mm 
11 days 
Climate in Narsaq

Average weather in Kulusuk

In May Kulusuk generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 3°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C and moderate monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Kulusuk
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
-1°C 
-6°C 
163 hours 
117 mm 
14 days 
poor 
3°C 
-2°C 
189 hours 
90 mm 
12 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
6°C 
1°C 
233 hours 
68 mm 
11 days 
poor 
Climate in Kulusuk

Average weather in Tasiilaq

In May Tasiilaq generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 3°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -2°C and moderate monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Tasiilaq
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
-0°C 
-6°C 
163 hours 
109 mm 
14 days 
poor 
3°C 
-2°C 
189 hours 
85 mm 
12 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
7°C 
1°C 
233 hours 
64 mm 
11 days 
poor 
Climate in Tasiilaq

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Greenland.

Is May the best time to visit Greenland?

In our view, May might not be the best time to travel to Greenland with often poor weather in Ilulissat.

Generally speaking, the best visiting conditions can be found in June and July offering mostly tolerable weather in Ilulissat. On the other hand, the weather in January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November and December tend to be poor.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Greenland. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

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  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to Greenland? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in Greenland.

    Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.