May is one of the warmer months of the year in Fresno, with average highs near 28.3°C and lows around 12.4°C (mean 20.4°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 17 mm of rainfall and 50% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Fresno. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Fresno was 2001 — when the month averaged 24.8°C — while the coldest was 1998 at 14.3°C. Typical May days reach 28.3°C with nights near 12.4°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Fresno, averaging 17 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1998 with 79 mm, while the driest was 2022 at 0 mm.
Relative humidity in Fresno during May averages 50%. The most humid May was 1998 at 75%, and the least humid was 2021 at 35%.
May receives about 7.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Fresno. The sunniest Mays were 2012 and 2021 at 8.3 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1998 at 6.5.
Average wind speed in Fresno during May is 2.3 m/s. The windiest May was 1984 at 2.9 m/s, while the calmest were 1998, 2006 and 2023, among others at 2 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 20.1°C | 19.4°C | 21.4°C | 20.0°C | 21.6°C | +1.5°C |
| Avg High | 28.2°C | 26.9°C | 29.7°C | 27.8°C | 29.9°C | +1.7°C |
| Avg Low | 12.0°C | 11.9°C | 13.2°C | 12.1°C | 13.2°C | +1.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 8 mm | 30 mm | 19 mm | 16 mm | 8 mm | +1 mm |
May temperatures in Fresno have risen by about 1.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 3.7°C (1986) to a record high of 44°C (2001).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 17 mm, with a wettest year of 79 mm.
One of the best times to visit Fresno
May is one of the best times to visit Fresno. Expect days averaging 28.3°C and nights around 12.4°C (mean 20.4°C) — warmer than Fresno's yearly average — with low rainfall (17 mm), so conditions are generally comfortable for sightseeing and outdoor plans.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30.9°C | 22.3°C | 13.6°C | 42.8°C | 9.2°C | 1 mm | 46% | 2.5 m/s | 7.8 |
| 2024 | 29.5°C | 21.0°C | 12.6°C | 37.0°C | 5.8°C | 15 mm | 51% | 2.4 m/s | 8 |
| 2023 | 26.7°C | 19.7°C | 12.7°C | 34.6°C | 6.8°C | 15 mm | 63% | 2 m/s | 7.4 |
| 2022 | 30.0°C | 21.5°C | 13.0°C | 40.8°C | 4.4°C | 0 mm | 38% | 2.8 m/s | 8.2 |
| 2021 | 31.8°C | 22.6°C | 13.4°C | 41.1°C | 7.7°C | 1 mm | 35% | 2.6 m/s | 8.3 |
| 2020 | 30.5°C | 22.3°C | 14.1°C | 41.7°C | 8.4°C | 18 mm | 46% | 2.1 m/s | 7.9 |
| 2019 | 24.9°C | 18.3°C | 11.7°C | 31.3°C | 6.7°C | 72 mm | 62% | 2.1 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2018 | 28.4°C | 20.5°C | 12.6°C | 38.5°C | 8.3°C | 2 mm | 54% | 2.4 m/s | 7.6 |
| 2017 | 28.3°C | 20.8°C | 13.2°C | 37.6°C | 6.7°C | 4 mm | 57% | 2.2 m/s | 7.4 |
| 2016 | 28.0°C | 20.5°C | 12.9°C | 38.3°C | 8.6°C | 13 mm | 55% | 2.1 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2015 | 28.2°C | 20.2°C | 12.2°C | 38.4°C | 8.2°C | 14 mm | 46% | 2.3 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2014 | 31.1°C | 22.5°C | 13.9°C | 39.1°C | 7.7°C | 4 mm | 37% | 2.5 m/s | 7.9 |
| 2013 | 30.6°C | 21.9°C | 13.3°C | 38.2°C | 7.6°C | 6 mm | 38% | 2.8 m/s | 7.8 |
| 2012 | 30.1°C | 21.2°C | 12.3°C | 39.1°C | 7.1°C | 0 mm | 44% | 2.4 m/s | 8.3 |
| 2011 | 24.0°C | 16.7°C | 9.5°C | 33.2°C | 5.8°C | 30 mm | 60% | 2.3 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2010 | 24.0°C | 16.9°C | 9.8°C | 32.5°C | 6.1°C | 12 mm | 59% | 2.3 m/s | 7.6 |
| 2009 | 31.9°C | 23.4°C | 14.8°C | 41.9°C | 10.1°C | 24 mm | 47% | 2.3 m/s | 7.7 |
| 2008 | 29.2°C | 20.9°C | 12.6°C | 40.8°C | 6.9°C | 13 mm | 43% | 2.5 m/s | 7.6 |
| 2007 | 30.9°C | 21.7°C | 12.6°C | 36.3°C | 6.5°C | 3 mm | 38% | 2.5 m/s | 8.1 |
| 2006 | 28.1°C | 20.8°C | 13.5°C | 35.9°C | 8.2°C | 25 mm | 59% | 2 m/s | 7.6 |
| 2005 | 26.6°C | 19.7°C | 12.7°C | 35.4°C | 6.3°C | 56 mm | 62% | 2.1 m/s | 7.4 |
| 2004 | 30.5°C | 21.7°C | 13.0°C | 37.9°C | 9.1°C | 5 mm | 39% | 2.6 m/s | 8.1 |
| 2003 | 27.7°C | 19.9°C | 12.2°C | 40.2°C | 4.0°C | 34 mm | 54% | 2.2 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2002 | 29.1°C | 20.4°C | 11.8°C | 39.7°C | 6.8°C | 16 mm | 47% | 2.4 m/s | 8.1 |
| 2001 🔥 | 34.1°C | 24.8°C | 15.6°C | 44.0°C | 8.4°C | 1 mm | 39% | 2.2 m/s | 8.1 |
| 2000 | 28.5°C | 20.7°C | 12.8°C | 38.7°C | 4.5°C | 18 mm | 52% | 2.3 m/s | 7.6 |
| 1999 | 26.4°C | 18.1°C | 9.8°C | 33.8°C | 4.4°C | 32 mm | 57% | 2.5 m/s | 7.9 |
| 1998 ❄️ 🌧️ | 19.7°C | 14.3°C | 9.0°C | 27.1°C | 5.5°C | 79 mm | 75% | 2 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1997 | 33.0°C | 24.4°C | 15.9°C | 39.0°C | 9.6°C | 2 mm | 40% | 2.7 m/s | 8.1 |
| 1996 | 27.7°C | 20.1°C | 12.6°C | 36.1°C | 8.7°C | 33 mm | 53% | 2.4 m/s | 7.4 |
| 1995 | 22.4°C | 16.6°C | 10.8°C | 32.0°C | 6.4°C | 44 mm | 72% | 2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1994 | 26.9°C | 19.4°C | 11.9°C | 36.8°C | 8.4°C | 37 mm | 56% | 2.1 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1993 | 27.4°C | 19.9°C | 12.4°C | 34.4°C | 7.0°C | 17 mm | 56% | 2.1 m/s | 7.3 |
| 1992 | 32.3°C | 23.8°C | 15.3°C | 38.6°C | 11.0°C | 2 mm | 46% | 2.3 m/s | 7.4 |
| 1991 | 25.3°C | 17.5°C | 9.7°C | 32.9°C | 4.7°C | 8 mm | 54% | 2.4 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1990 | 27.4°C | 19.4°C | 11.5°C | 36.0°C | 7.7°C | 46 mm | 46% | 2.1 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1989 | 27.5°C | 19.7°C | 11.9°C | 34.6°C | 7.7°C | 17 mm | 49% | 2.5 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1988 | 27.4°C | 19.3°C | 11.2°C | 37.3°C | 3.9°C | 15 mm | 46% | 2.5 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1987 | 30.6°C | 22.4°C | 14.1°C | 39.0°C | 7.0°C | 12 mm | 43% | 2.3 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1986 | 27.8°C | 19.8°C | 11.7°C | 36.6°C | 3.7°C | 6 mm | 52% | 2.2 m/s | 7.4 |
| 1985 | 28.3°C | 19.6°C | 10.9°C | 34.0°C | 6.6°C | 2 mm | 42% | 2.4 m/s | 7.4 |
| 1984 | 31.6°C | 22.7°C | 13.9°C | 42.9°C | 6.9°C | 2 mm | 40% | 2.9 m/s | 7.3 |
| 1983 | 24.8°C | 17.8°C | 10.8°C | 34.5°C | 4.0°C | 7 mm | 66% | 2.3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 27.1°C | 19.4°C | 11.7°C | 36.8°C | 5.5°C | 2 mm | 59% | 2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 28.3°C | 20.0°C | 11.8°C | 35.0°C | 6.7°C | 7 mm | 49% | 2.5 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 28.3°C with lows near 12.4°C (mean 20.4°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 17 mm of rainfall in Fresno, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 79 mm in 1998.
The hottest May reached 44°C in 2001. The coldest dipped to 3.7°C in 1986.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 28°C to 29.8°C and overnight lows from 11.8°C to 13.1°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Fresno and one of the drier months, so plan for around 28.3°C daytime highs and 12.4°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 7th coolest month in Fresno, averaging 20.4°C.
For May in Fresno, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 28.3°C and lows of 12.4°C.
Relative humidity in May averages 50% — relatively dry.
Average wind speed in May is 2.3 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 2.9 m/s (1984).
The wettest May on record was 1998 with 79 mm. On average, May sees 17 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Fresno behaves each May, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for May specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
