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Weather in May in California

Are you planning a trip a to California in May and wondering what kind of weather to expect? This page has all the details you need.

What is the weather like in California in May?

California is a region in the United States of America. California offers a broad spectrum of weather patterns. In May, one might encounter temperatures that range from cold to very hot, and precipitation levels ranging from almost none to moderate.

Temperatures

Based on our climate data spanning from 1990-2020, the average maximum temperature is cold in Sequoia National Park at 10°C to very hot in Furnace Creek at 37°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 22°C in Furnace Creek and -3°C in Sequoia National Park.

Precipitation

In May, precipitation varies across different areas. From almost no rainfall in Palm Desert with an average of 0.2 mm to moderate rainfall in Kirkwood with 65 mm.

Average sunshine

Meanwhile, Los Angeles enjoys close to 276 hours of sunlight. This means it's a great month if you prefer bright and sunny days.

For a closer look at May's conditions in California, see the map below. For a more detailed look at California's yearly weather, check out our California climate page.

Where to go in California in May

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

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).

Popular destinations

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

Los Angeles

In May Los Angeles generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 21°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 14°C and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

Los Angeles
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
20°C 
12°C 
305 hours 
14 mm 
3 days 
21°C 
14°C 
276 hours 
6.2 mm 
2 days 
June   >> June
>>  
22°C 
16°C 
275 hours 
0.4 mm 
0 days 
Climate in Los Angeles

Big Bear Lake

In May Big Bear Lake generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 19°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

Big Bear Lake
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
<<  
15°C 
-2°C 
32 mm 
5 days 
19°C 
1°C 
7.9 mm 
3 days 
June   >> June
>>  
25°C 
5°C 
2.3 mm 
a single day 
Climate in Big Bear Lake

San Francisco

In May San Francisco generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 19°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 11°C and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

San Francisco
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
18°C 
10°C 
310 hours 
45 mm 
7 days 
19°C 
11°C 
324 hours 
7.1 mm 
2 days 
June   >> June
>>  
21°C 
12°C 
312 hours 
5.2 mm 
a single day 
Climate in San Francisco

San Diego

In May San Diego generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 21°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 15°C and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

San Diego
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
21°C 
13°C 
280 hours 
15 mm 
4 days 
21°C 
15°C 
260 hours 
9 mm 
2 days 
June   >> June
>>  
22°C 
16°C 
242 hours 
0.4 mm 
a single day 
Climate in San Diego

Anaheim

In May Anaheim generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 25°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 14°C and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

Anaheim
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
24°C 
12°C 
312 hours 
15 mm 
4 days 
25°C 
14°C 
311 hours 
7.2 mm 
2 days 
June   >> June
>>  
27°C 
16°C 
301 hours 
0.5 mm 
a single day 
Climate in Anaheim

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in California, in the United States of America.

Is May the best time to visit California?

We believe that May is one of the best times to visit California with overall perfect weather in Los Angeles. However, the weather conditions may vary depending on your destination.

Generally speaking, the best visiting conditions can be found in January, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November offering mostly perfect weather in Los Angeles.

Interested in more climate information?

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

  • January      
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  • May      
  • June      
  • July      
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  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to the United States of America? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in the United States of America.

    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.