May is close to Salinas's year-round average, with average highs near 16.6°C and lows around 10.2°C (mean 13.4°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 14 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
May is close to Salinas's year-round average. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Salinas was 1997 — when the month averaged 15.6°C — while the coldest was 1999 at 11.3°C. Typical May days reach 16.6°C with nights near 10.2°C. The long-term May temperature trend is broadly flat.
May is one of the drier months in Salinas, averaging 14 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1998 with 79 mm, while the driest was 1992 at 0 mm.
Relative humidity in Salinas during May averages 83%. The most humid May was 1995 at 87%, and the least humid was 1984 at 76%.
May receives about 7.2 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Salinas. The sunniest May was 2022 at 8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1995 at 6.
Average wind speed in Salinas during May is 2.6 m/s. The windiest Mays were 1989, 1998 and 1999, among others at 3.1 m/s, while the calmest was 1992 at 2 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 13.5°C | 13.4°C | 13.4°C | 13.3°C | 13.4°C | -0.1°C |
| Avg High | 16.9°C | 16.3°C | 16.6°C | 16.3°C | 16.7°C | -0.2°C |
| Avg Low | 10.1°C | 10.4°C | 10.2°C | 10.3°C | 10.2°C | +0.1°C |
| Avg Rain | 5 mm | 25 mm | 14 mm | 15 mm | 8 mm | +3 mm |
May temperatures in Salinas have fallen by about 0.3°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 6.7°C (1999) to a record high of 30.7°C (2008).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 14 mm, with a wettest year of 79 mm.
A good time to visit Salinas
May is a good time to visit Salinas, with days averaging 16.6°C and nights around 10.2°C (mean 13.4°C, close to Salinas's yearly average) and low rainfall. September and August are marginally more temperate, but May still suits most travellers.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17.0°C | 13.7°C | 10.5°C | 21.6°C | 9.6°C | 4 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 7.7 |
| 2024 | 16.5°C | 13.2°C | 9.9°C | 21.0°C | 8.2°C | 14 mm | 83% | 2.3 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2023 | 15.3°C | 12.8°C | 10.3°C | 19.9°C | 8.8°C | 20 mm | 87% | 2.4 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2022 | 16.9°C | 13.2°C | 9.5°C | 24.2°C | 7.5°C | 1 mm | 79% | 2.8 m/s | 8 |
| 2021 | 16.1°C | 12.8°C | 9.5°C | 20.8°C | 8.4°C | 0 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 7.9 |
| 2020 | 18.5°C | 14.9°C | 11.4°C | 25.0°C | 8.7°C | 9 mm | 81% | 2.4 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2019 | 16.4°C | 13.7°C | 10.9°C | 18.6°C | 8.8°C | 69 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2018 | 16.3°C | 13.4°C | 10.6°C | 21.1°C | 9.4°C | 7 mm | 82% | 2.7 m/s | 7 |
| 2017 | 17.0°C | 13.8°C | 10.6°C | 22.8°C | 8.7°C | 5 mm | 83% | 2.4 m/s | 7.4 |
| 2016 | 17.0°C | 14.1°C | 11.2°C | 21.8°C | 10.2°C | 9 mm | 83% | 2.2 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2015 | 15.6°C | 13.1°C | 10.5°C | 20.3°C | 8.6°C | 11 mm | 82% | 2.5 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2014 | 18.5°C | 14.8°C | 11.0°C | 30.1°C | 8.9°C | 1 mm | 77% | 2.4 m/s | 7.7 |
| 2013 | 17.0°C | 13.7°C | 10.5°C | 22.9°C | 8.4°C | 2 mm | 81% | 2.7 m/s | 7.6 |
| 2012 | 15.6°C | 12.4°C | 9.2°C | 20.0°C | 8.1°C | 2 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 7.8 |
| 2011 | 14.9°C | 12.1°C | 9.3°C | 23.5°C | 8.1°C | 27 mm | 84% | 3 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2010 | 14.7°C | 11.8°C | 8.9°C | 18.3°C | 7.3°C | 19 mm | 85% | 2.9 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2009 | 16.5°C | 13.2°C | 10.0°C | 23.1°C | 8.4°C | 15 mm | 85% | 2.1 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2008 | 16.3°C | 12.9°C | 9.5°C | 30.7°C | 7.0°C | 1 mm | 81% | 2.5 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2007 | 16.4°C | 13.0°C | 9.5°C | 26.0°C | 7.6°C | 4 mm | 80% | 2.5 m/s | 7.6 |
| 2006 | 16.4°C | 13.4°C | 10.3°C | 22.3°C | 9.2°C | 24 mm | 87% | 2.3 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2005 | 17.0°C | 14.3°C | 11.6°C | 19.5°C | 10.4°C | 27 mm | 87% | 2.6 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2004 | 16.6°C | 13.6°C | 10.7°C | 21.3°C | 9.4°C | 2 mm | 83% | 2.7 m/s | 7.8 |
| 2003 | 16.5°C | 13.2°C | 9.9°C | 25.6°C | 8.1°C | 30 mm | 83% | 2.7 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2002 | 15.4°C | 12.2°C | 9.1°C | 20.6°C | 7.6°C | 18 mm | 84% | 2.6 m/s | 7.6 |
| 2001 | 18.5°C | 14.6°C | 10.8°C | 28.5°C | 8.8°C | 3 mm | 80% | 2.1 m/s | 7.9 |
| 2000 | 16.8°C | 13.6°C | 10.5°C | 22.4°C | 8.6°C | 17 mm | 84% | 2.8 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1999 ❄️ | 14.1°C | 11.3°C | 8.5°C | 18.0°C | 6.7°C | 2 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | 7.5 |
| 1998 🌧️ | 14.8°C | 12.7°C | 10.5°C | 17.3°C | 8.8°C | 79 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1997 🔥 | 19.4°C | 15.6°C | 11.8°C | 23.6°C | 8.0°C | 2 mm | 82% | 2.1 m/s | 7.9 |
| 1996 | 16.7°C | 13.5°C | 10.3°C | 23.2°C | 8.4°C | 43 mm | 84% | 2.6 m/s | 7.3 |
| 1995 | 14.8°C | 12.5°C | 10.2°C | 18.2°C | 9.0°C | 20 mm | 87% | 2.4 m/s | 6 |
| 1994 | 15.9°C | 13.1°C | 10.2°C | 23.3°C | 8.7°C | 29 mm | 84% | 2.5 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1993 | 17.3°C | 14.2°C | 11.2°C | 25.3°C | 8.6°C | 21 mm | 84% | 2.4 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1992 | 18.9°C | 15.4°C | 11.9°C | 21.6°C | 10.5°C | 0 mm | 84% | 2 m/s | 7.5 |
| 1991 | 14.7°C | 11.7°C | 8.8°C | 17.8°C | 7.7°C | 5 mm | 84% | 2.8 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1990 | 16.6°C | 13.5°C | 10.5°C | 23.3°C | 9.0°C | 45 mm | 81% | 2.6 m/s | 7 |
| 1989 | 16.7°C | 13.6°C | 10.5°C | 22.6°C | 8.7°C | 4 mm | 82% | 3.1 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1988 | 16.7°C | 13.3°C | 9.8°C | 25.4°C | 7.9°C | 16 mm | 78% | 3 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1987 | 18.3°C | 14.7°C | 11.1°C | 25.5°C | 9.5°C | 3 mm | 78% | 2.7 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1986 | 16.5°C | 13.0°C | 9.5°C | 19.4°C | 7.7°C | 6 mm | 83% | 2.4 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1985 | 16.1°C | 12.7°C | 9.3°C | 19.7°C | 7.5°C | 4 mm | 81% | 2.8 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1984 | 18.3°C | 14.3°C | 10.2°C | 24.1°C | 7.6°C | 1 mm | 76% | 3.1 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1983 | 16.7°C | 13.6°C | 10.5°C | 22.8°C | 8.5°C | 6 mm | 83% | 2.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 16.1°C | 12.8°C | 9.5°C | 22.2°C | 8.1°C | 2 mm | 85% | 2.3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 17.1°C | 13.6°C | 10.1°C | 21.4°C | 8.1°C | 2 mm | 81% | 3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 16.6°C with lows near 10.2°C (mean 13.4°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 14 mm of rainfall in Salinas, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 79 mm in 1998.
The hottest May reached 30.7°C in 2008. The coldest dipped to 6.7°C in 1999.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have fallen by about 0.3°C. Daytime highs moved from 16.9°C to 16.4°C and overnight lows from 9.9°C to 9.9°C over the same span.
May is close to Salinas's year-round average and one of the drier months, so plan for around 16.6°C daytime highs and 10.2°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 6th coolest month in Salinas, averaging 13.4°C.
For May in Salinas, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 16.6°C and lows of 10.2°C.
Relative humidity in May averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 2.6 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.1 m/s (1984).
The wettest May on record was 1998 with 79 mm. On average, May sees 14 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 Salinas 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.
