Denver Weather in May
May's weather is the rainiest and cloudiest of the year for Denver, Colorado. Although in this dry climate, only one in three days during May gets any precipitation.
This page gives detailed information on the typical May temperature, precipitation, snow, sun, humidity, wind and storms for Denver. The numbers here are historical averages based on climate data gathered in the Denver community of Stapleton.
Temperature
72 °F | May average high | 22 °C |
43 °F | May average low | 6 °C |
18 days | 70 °F max. or more (21 °C) |
9 days | 40 °F min. or less (4 °C) |
Nearly every day in May warms to over 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) in Denver. The city averages 8 days this month when the thermometer reaches into the 80s °F (over 26 °C). Some years briefly experience 90-degree F (over 32 °C) temperatures during May.
The thermometer dips to freezing or below on one or two nights. But May does not normally get as cold as 20 °F (-8 °C).
Precipitation
2.3 in | total precipitation | 58 mm |
11 days | of rain or snowfall |
Half the time, Denver receives 1.3 to 3.1 inches (33 to 78 mm) of precipitation in May. One in four years has drier weather, while another one in four is wetter.
Snow
1.4 in | total snowfall | 4 cm |
1 day | with new snow |
Often Denver receives no fresh snow in May. In one out of four years, May gets 2.1 inches (5 cm) or more of fresh snow.
Sun
64 % | sunshine |
6 days | clear skies |
The sun's rays reach the ground in Denver during 64 percent of daylight hours on average in May, for a total of 285 hours in the month. Typically on 6 days this month the sky is mainly clear, with at most 30 percent cloud cover. May is Denver's cloudiest month.
Sunlight in May at Denver lasts for 14 hours and 23 minutes a day on average. The shortest day of the month is the 1st with 13 hours and 54 minutes of daylight. By the end of the month, the days have lengthened to 14:47 from sunrise to sunset. These durations can vary by a minute or two from year to year.
Humidity
52 % | May average humidity |
The relative humidity in Denver during May usually peaks at 70 percent in the morning then drops to 35 percent by early afternoon.
Local Time | 2 am | 5 am | 8 am | 11 am | 2 pm | 5 pm | 8 pm | 11 pm |
Humidity % | 67 | 70 | 53 | 39 | 35 | 38 | 51 | 61 |
Wind
9.3 mph | May wind speed average | 15.0 kph |
May is a little windier than most other months in Denver.
Storms
1 day | rainfall of 0.5 inches (13 mm) or more |
6 days | with thunderstorms in May |
Reference
The weather data here are long-term averages provided by the US National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Temperature and precipitation are 1991-2020 normals while humidity and thunderstorms are 1961-1990 normals.