May is one of the warmer months of the year in Champaign, with average highs near 22.6°C and lows around 10.9°C (mean 16.8°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 112 mm of rainfall and 76% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Champaign. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Champaign was 2018 — when the month averaged 21.4°C — while the coldest were 1983 and 1997 at 13.7°C. Typical May days reach 22.6°C with nights near 10.9°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.5°C per decade.
May is a relatively wet time of year in Champaign, averaging 112 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1996 with 220 mm, while the driest was 1992 at 32 mm.
Relative humidity in Champaign during May averages 76%. The most humid May was 1991 at 84%, and the least humid was 1988 at 67%.
May receives about 5.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Champaign. The sunniest Mays were 1988 and 1994 at 6.7 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1995 and 1996 at 4.5.
Average wind speed in Champaign during May is 3.2 m/s. The windiest Mays were 1990 and 1997 at 3.7 m/s, while the calmest was 2009 at 2.6 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 16.1°C | 16.1°C | 16.7°C | 17.8°C | 17.1°C | +1°C |
| Avg High | 22.2°C | 21.9°C | 22.6°C | 23.4°C | 23.0°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg Low | 9.9°C | 10.3°C | 10.8°C | 12.3°C | 11.3°C | +1.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 105 mm | 125 mm | 114 mm | 112 mm | 99 mm | -5 mm |
May temperatures in Champaign have risen by about 2.1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of -2.9°C (1989) to a record high of 33.3°C (2018).
Rainfall in May is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 112 mm, with a wettest year of 220 mm.
A good time to visit Champaign
May is a good time to visit Champaign, with days averaging 22.6°C and nights around 10.9°C (mean 16.8°C, warmer than Champaign's yearly average) and higher rainfall. June 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 | 22.3°C | 16.4°C | 10.5°C | 29.4°C | 5.4°C | 90 mm | 74% | 3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2024 | 25.1°C | 19.3°C | 13.5°C | 30.0°C | 8.3°C | 101 mm | 75% | 2.9 m/s | 6 |
| 2023 | 24.4°C | 17.9°C | 11.5°C | 31.2°C | 2.0°C | 58 mm | 68% | 2.7 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2022 | 23.8°C | 18.2°C | 12.6°C | 30.5°C | 4.6°C | 93 mm | 79% | 3.4 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2021 | 21.5°C | 15.7°C | 9.9°C | 29.3°C | 0.7°C | 122 mm | 73% | 3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2020 | 20.9°C | 15.4°C | 9.8°C | 29.3°C | -0.5°C | 133 mm | 80% | 3.1 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2019 | 22.8°C | 17.6°C | 12.3°C | 29.2°C | 4.3°C | 149 mm | 81% | 3.2 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2018 🔥 | 26.8°C | 21.4°C | 15.9°C | 33.3°C | 8.4°C | 72 mm | 78% | 2.8 m/s | 6 |
| 2017 | 22.0°C | 16.3°C | 10.5°C | 29.4°C | 3.0°C | 131 mm | 77% | 3.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2016 | 21.8°C | 16.1°C | 10.5°C | 28.7°C | 1.9°C | 92 mm | 76% | 3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2015 | 23.9°C | 18.4°C | 12.9°C | 28.5°C | 1.7°C | 131 mm | 76% | 3.4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2014 | 22.9°C | 17.2°C | 11.5°C | 29.0°C | 2.2°C | 91 mm | 76% | 3.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2013 | 22.8°C | 17.6°C | 12.5°C | 28.4°C | 1.6°C | 150 mm | 81% | 3.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2012 | 26.0°C | 19.7°C | 13.4°C | 33.0°C | 7.0°C | 58 mm | 70% | 3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2011 | 21.8°C | 16.6°C | 11.5°C | 30.2°C | 2.0°C | 126 mm | 83% | 3.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2010 | 23.1°C | 17.5°C | 11.9°C | 30.3°C | 1.4°C | 124 mm | 80% | 3.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2009 | 21.9°C | 16.3°C | 10.6°C | 27.5°C | 2.3°C | 140 mm | 77% | 2.6 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2008 | 20.1°C | 14.5°C | 8.8°C | 28.3°C | 2.5°C | 138 mm | 78% | 3.6 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2007 | 24.8°C | 19.0°C | 13.3°C | 29.7°C | 4.3°C | 47 mm | 76% | 3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2006 | 21.5°C | 16.1°C | 10.7°C | 30.9°C | 4.6°C | 96 mm | 77% | 3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2005 | 22.1°C | 15.6°C | 9.1°C | 28.5°C | -1.8°C | 43 mm | 72% | 3.1 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2004 | 24.3°C | 18.9°C | 13.4°C | 29.1°C | 0.1°C | 149 mm | 80% | 3.6 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2003 | 22.4°C | 16.2°C | 10.0°C | 30.3°C | 2.9°C | 124 mm | 74% | 3.6 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2002 | 20.3°C | 14.0°C | 7.7°C | 30.3°C | -1.1°C | 206 mm | 80% | 3.4 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2001 | 23.6°C | 17.7°C | 11.9°C | 30.5°C | 4.8°C | 89 mm | 73% | 3.3 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2000 | 24.5°C | 18.4°C | 12.2°C | 29.6°C | 4.1°C | 104 mm | 73% | 3.6 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1999 | 23.5°C | 17.3°C | 11.1°C | 27.4°C | 5.9°C | 89 mm | 75% | 3.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1998 | 24.5°C | 19.0°C | 13.5°C | 29.9°C | 6.3°C | 155 mm | 80% | 2.8 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1997 | 19.8°C | 13.7°C | 7.6°C | 28.3°C | 2.3°C | 106 mm | 72% | 3.7 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1996 🌧️ | 22.2°C | 16.4°C | 10.6°C | 30.1°C | 1.7°C | 220 mm | 79% | 3.4 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1995 | 21.0°C | 15.4°C | 9.7°C | 25.6°C | 4.6°C | 205 mm | 78% | 3.3 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1994 | 20.7°C | 14.3°C | 8.0°C | 28.4°C | 1.3°C | 67 mm | 76% | 2.7 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1993 | 21.7°C | 16.1°C | 10.6°C | 27.1°C | 4.0°C | 64 mm | 79% | 3.2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1992 | 20.9°C | 14.5°C | 8.2°C | 27.7°C | -0.1°C | 32 mm | 74% | 3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1991 | 24.7°C | 19.8°C | 15.0°C | 30.8°C | 4.0°C | 122 mm | 84% | 2.7 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1990 | 20.4°C | 14.8°C | 9.1°C | 26.0°C | 2.0°C | 185 mm | 78% | 3.7 m/s | 5 |
| 1989 | 20.5°C | 14.4°C | 8.2°C | 29.0°C | -2.9°C | 127 mm | 74% | 3.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1988 | 24.0°C | 16.7°C | 9.4°C | 30.6°C | 2.4°C | 43 mm | 67% | 3.1 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1987 | 25.4°C | 19.3°C | 13.2°C | 30.2°C | 3.0°C | 56 mm | 73% | 2.9 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1986 | 22.7°C | 17.0°C | 11.3°C | 27.6°C | 3.3°C | 99 mm | 77% | 2.9 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1985 | 22.8°C | 16.8°C | 10.8°C | 28.1°C | 4.6°C | 72 mm | 76% | 3.6 m/s | 6 |
| 1984 | 19.6°C | 13.8°C | 8.0°C | 26.0°C | 0.6°C | 137 mm | 78% | 3.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1983 ❄️ | 19.6°C | 13.7°C | 7.8°C | 25.2°C | -1.6°C | 112 mm | 79% | 3.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 24.9°C | 19.0°C | 13.2°C | 27.8°C | 7.4°C | 130 mm | 78% | 2.8 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 20.2°C | 13.8°C | 7.5°C | 26.7°C | -0.9°C | 168 mm | 75% | 3.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 22.6°C with lows near 10.9°C (mean 16.8°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 112 mm of rainfall in Champaign, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 220 mm in 1996.
The hottest May reached 33.3°C in 2018. The coldest dipped to -2.9°C in 1989.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 2.1°C. Daytime highs moved from 21.4°C to 23.4°C and overnight lows from 9.5°C to 11.6°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Champaign and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 22.6°C daytime highs and 10.9°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Champaign, averaging 16.8°C.
For May in Champaign, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 22.6°C and lows of 10.9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 76% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3.2 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 3.7 m/s (1990).
The wettest May on record was 1996 with 220 mm. On average, May sees 112 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 Champaign 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.
