May is one of the warmer months of the year in Denver, with average highs near 20.4°C and lows around 4.5°C (mean 12.5°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 64 mm of rainfall and 49% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Denver. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Denver was 2018 — when the month averaged 15.3°C — while the coldest was 1995 at 8.7°C. Typical May days reach 20.4°C with nights near 4.5°C. The long-term May temperature trend is broadly flat.
May is a relatively wet time of year in Denver, averaging 64 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2015 with 148 mm, while the driest was 1984 at 22 mm.
Relative humidity in Denver during May averages 49%. The most humid May was 2015 at 68%, and the least humid was 2002 at 37%.
May receives about 6.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Denver. The sunniest May was 1998 at 7.4 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2015 at 5.2.
Average wind speed in Denver during May is 2.6 m/s. The windiest May was 1988 at 3.3 m/s, while the calmest was 2015 at 2 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.9°C | 12.5°C | 13.4°C | 11.6°C | 12.8°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg High | 19.6°C | 20.4°C | 21.7°C | 19.4°C | 20.8°C | +1.2°C |
| Avg Low | 4.3°C | 4.6°C | 5.2°C | 3.7°C | 4.8°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg Rain | 71 mm | 62 mm | 47 mm | 69 mm | 79 mm | +7 mm |
May temperatures in Denver have risen by about 1.1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of -8.1°C (2013) to a record high of 33.3°C (2000).
Rainfall in May is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 64 mm, with a wettest year of 148 mm.
A good time to visit Denver
May is a good time to visit Denver, with days averaging 20.4°C and nights around 4.5°C (mean 12.5°C, warmer than Denver's yearly average) and moderate rainfall. July 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 | 20.5°C | 12.8°C | 5.1°C | 28.0°C | -0.2°C | 87 mm | 50% | 2.6 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2024 | 20.2°C | 12.1°C | 4.0°C | 29.0°C | -2.5°C | 38 mm | 49% | 2.8 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2023 | 20.6°C | 13.4°C | 6.2°C | 26.4°C | 3.0°C | 139 mm | 57% | 2.2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2022 | 21.1°C | 12.5°C | 3.8°C | 30.3°C | -4.8°C | 72 mm | 43% | 3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2021 | 19.4°C | 11.8°C | 4.2°C | 27.2°C | -2.8°C | 96 mm | 55% | 2.4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2020 | 23.0°C | 14.1°C | 5.3°C | 31.3°C | -2.2°C | 39 mm | 45% | 2.6 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2019 | 16.8°C | 9.2°C | 1.6°C | 26.3°C | -4.2°C | 68 mm | 55% | 2.4 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2018 🔥 | 23.7°C | 15.3°C | 7.0°C | 32.0°C | 0.2°C | 50 mm | 45% | 2.4 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2017 | 19.4°C | 11.5°C | 3.6°C | 27.9°C | -6.1°C | 89 mm | 53% | 2.7 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2016 | 19.0°C | 11.0°C | 3.0°C | 26.8°C | -6.3°C | 54 mm | 53% | 2.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2015 🌧️ | 16.3°C | 9.8°C | 3.2°C | 24.6°C | -4.8°C | 148 mm | 68% | 2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2014 | 19.7°C | 11.9°C | 4.1°C | 28.8°C | -6.1°C | 74 mm | 52% | 2.6 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2013 | 19.1°C | 11.6°C | 4.1°C | 28.8°C | -8.1°C | 57 mm | 48% | 2.4 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2012 | 22.9°C | 14.2°C | 5.6°C | 31.1°C | 0.5°C | 39 mm | 39% | 2.6 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2011 | 18.1°C | 10.2°C | 2.3°C | 27.9°C | -4.8°C | 76 mm | 50% | 2.7 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2010 | 19.3°C | 10.8°C | 2.4°C | 30.9°C | -4.4°C | 39 mm | 50% | 3.2 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2009 | 21.2°C | 13.5°C | 5.8°C | 29.3°C | 1.2°C | 64 mm | 52% | 2.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2008 | 19.7°C | 11.5°C | 3.3°C | 27.9°C | -5.2°C | 48 mm | 47% | 2.9 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2007 | 20.3°C | 12.5°C | 4.7°C | 27.9°C | -1.1°C | 70 mm | 53% | 2.3 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2006 | 23.2°C | 14.5°C | 5.9°C | 30.3°C | -2.4°C | 24 mm | 39% | 2.5 m/s | 7 |
| 2005 | 21.5°C | 13.4°C | 5.3°C | 31.9°C | -4.9°C | 25 mm | 47% | 2.3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2004 | 23.5°C | 14.6°C | 5.6°C | 29.6°C | -3.0°C | 25 mm | 38% | 2.6 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2003 | 21.4°C | 13.5°C | 5.5°C | 32.4°C | -3.6°C | 42 mm | 49% | 2.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2002 | 21.9°C | 13.1°C | 4.3°C | 33.0°C | -3.6°C | 38 mm | 37% | 2.5 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2001 | 20.3°C | 12.6°C | 4.9°C | 27.8°C | -3.6°C | 88 mm | 52% | 2.8 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2000 | 23.7°C | 14.9°C | 6.2°C | 33.3°C | -3.2°C | 46 mm | 40% | 2.6 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1999 | 18.7°C | 10.9°C | 3.1°C | 26.3°C | -4.7°C | 65 mm | 55% | 2.5 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1998 | 22.2°C | 13.6°C | 5.0°C | 29.2°C | -0.7°C | 37 mm | 46% | 2.6 m/s | 7.4 |
| 1997 | 20.1°C | 12.3°C | 4.5°C | 27.4°C | -3.7°C | 44 mm | 50% | 2.4 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1996 | 23.1°C | 14.4°C | 5.6°C | 31.1°C | -1.2°C | 74 mm | 47% | 2.5 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1995 ❄️ | 15.7°C | 8.7°C | 1.7°C | 26.5°C | -4.3°C | 134 mm | 64% | 2.6 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1994 | 22.1°C | 14.2°C | 6.3°C | 29.9°C | 0.1°C | 56 mm | 49% | 2.7 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1993 | 19.7°C | 12.4°C | 5.0°C | 27.2°C | -2.9°C | 40 mm | 55% | 2.3 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1992 | 21.0°C | 13.7°C | 6.4°C | 27.6°C | 2.0°C | 47 mm | 50% | 2.5 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1991 | 21.5°C | 13.2°C | 4.9°C | 27.4°C | -4.1°C | 72 mm | 46% | 3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1990 | 20.0°C | 11.6°C | 3.1°C | 28.8°C | -4.9°C | 51 mm | 46% | 2.8 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1989 | 22.2°C | 13.6°C | 5.1°C | 30.1°C | -5.5°C | 54 mm | 42% | 2.8 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1988 | 19.9°C | 12.1°C | 4.4°C | 29.0°C | -3.8°C | 84 mm | 47% | 3.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1987 | 19.1°C | 12.3°C | 5.6°C | 25.6°C | -0.8°C | 109 mm | 59% | 2.4 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1986 | 19.9°C | 11.8°C | 3.7°C | 27.8°C | -2.2°C | 43 mm | 46% | 2.5 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1985 | 20.2°C | 12.7°C | 5.3°C | 27.2°C | -1.3°C | 51 mm | 49% | 2.5 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1984 | 22.0°C | 13.5°C | 5.1°C | 30.9°C | -3.6°C | 22 mm | 48% | 2.7 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1983 | 15.9°C | 8.9°C | 1.8°C | 25.5°C | -3.3°C | 83 mm | 58% | 2.8 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 18.1°C | 10.7°C | 3.4°C | 26.9°C | -3.7°C | 100 mm | 54% | 2.4 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 18.7°C | 11.4°C | 4.2°C | 26.5°C | -2.2°C | 96 mm | 53% | 2.8 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 20.4°C with lows near 4.5°C (mean 12.5°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 64 mm of rainfall in Denver, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 148 mm in 2015.
The hottest May reached 33.3°C in 2000. The coldest dipped to -8.1°C in 2013.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.1°C. Daytime highs moved from 19°C to 20.4°C and overnight lows from 4°C to 4.7°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Denver and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 20.4°C daytime highs and 4.5°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Denver, averaging 12.5°C.
For May in Denver, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 20.4°C and lows of 4.5°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 49% — relatively dry.
Average wind speed in May is 2.6 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.3 m/s (1988).
The wettest May on record was 2015 with 148 mm. On average, May sees 64 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 Denver 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.
