AntarcticaCountries Antarctica May
AntarcticaCountries Antarctica
Antarctica Antarctica  
Weather in May
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Weather in May in Antarctica

Planning a trip to Antarctica this May? Here's what you need to know about the weather:

What is the weather like in Antarctica in May?

May in Antarctica generally has very cold temperatures, with low precipitation.

Temperatures

You can expect very cold maximum daytime temperatures of around -4°C and nighttime temperatures around -8°C in Vostok Station. To learn more about the conditions in specific areas of Antarctica in May, check out the map below. In many regions in Antarctica, May is characterized by its biting cold temperatures. If you're venturing into these areas during this time, it's crucial to be adequately prepared. Ensure you layer up with warm clothing to fight off the chill and stay comfortable.

For specific regional insights in Antarctica, refer to the map provided below.

Precipitation

May is a dry month with an average snowfall of around 24 mm in Vostok Station.

Average sunshine

Vostok Station experiences limited sunny days, amounting to roughly 0 hours of sunshine. This makes it perfect for those who prefer dimmer, cloudier settings rather than intense sunlit days

For more details on the yearly climate, visit our Antarctica climate page.

Where to go in Antarctica in May

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the Antarctica on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more details.

Weather conditions Weather
Temperatures
Precipitation
Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
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).

Select a Month of Interest

Check the conditions for any month of the year.

For a detailed overview over the year and the best time to visit Antarctica, check out our Antarctica's climate page.

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in May for the most popular destinonation in Antarctica?

Vostok Station

In May Vostok Station generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -4°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -8°C and low monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Vostok Station
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
-12°C 
-17°C 
77 hours 
19 mm 
2 days 
poor 
May May
-4°C 
-8°C 
0 hours 
24 mm 
3 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
2°C 
-1°C 
0 hours 
32 mm 
2 days 
poor 
Climate in Vostok Station

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

Is May the best time to visit Antarctica?

Given the typically poor weather conditions in Vostok Station, May may not be the ideal time to visit Antarctica.

Generally speaking, provide poor weather in Vostok Station.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Antarctica.

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

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