May is one of the warmer months of the year in Tacoma, with average highs near 16.2°C and lows around 6.6°C (mean 11.4°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 86 mm of rainfall and 82% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Tacoma. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Tacoma was 2023 — when the month averaged 14°C — while the coldest were 1999 and 2011 at 8.9°C. Typical May days reach 16.2°C with nights near 6.6°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Tacoma, averaging 86 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1984 with 160 mm, while the driest was 1992 at 20 mm.
Relative humidity in Tacoma during May averages 82%. The most humid May was 1998 at 87%, and the least humid was 1992 at 76%.
May receives about 5.1 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Tacoma. The sunniest May was 2023 at 6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1988 and 1991 at 4.3.
Average wind speed in Tacoma during May is 0.3 m/s. The windiest Mays were 2022, 2023 and 2024, among others at 0.3 m/s, while the calmest was 2025 at 0.2 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.0°C | 11.5°C | 11.2°C | 11.8°C | 11.4°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg High | 15.8°C | 16.2°C | 16.0°C | 16.5°C | 16.3°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg Low | 6.1°C | 6.7°C | 6.4°C | 7.0°C | 6.6°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg Rain | 89 mm | 86 mm | 81 mm | 85 mm | 90 mm | +1 mm |
May temperatures in Tacoma have risen by about 0.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of -0.8°C (2002) to a record high of 34.5°C (1983).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 86 mm, with a wettest year of 160 mm.
A good time to visit Tacoma
May is a good time to visit Tacoma, with days averaging 16.2°C and nights around 6.6°C (mean 11.4°C, warmer than Tacoma's yearly average) and higher rainfall. August and July 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 | 16.0°C | 10.8°C | 5.6°C | 25.4°C | 0.4°C | 61 mm | 83% | 0.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2024 | 15.3°C | 10.7°C | 6.1°C | 26.8°C | 2.5°C | 92 mm | 84% | 0.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2023 🔥 | 19.2°C | 14.0°C | 8.8°C | 28.4°C | 5.0°C | 45 mm | 81% | 0.3 m/s | 6 |
| 2022 | 13.6°C | 9.5°C | 5.4°C | 20.2°C | 1.5°C | 154 mm | 85% | 0.3 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2021 | 16.2°C | 11.3°C | 6.5°C | 23.6°C | 3.2°C | 65 mm | 82% | 0.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2020 | 17.3°C | 12.3°C | 7.2°C | 29.2°C | 1.6°C | 124 mm | 82% | 0.3 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2019 | 18.3°C | 13.2°C | 8.0°C | 27.7°C | 3.4°C | 43 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2018 | 18.5°C | 13.6°C | 8.6°C | 26.9°C | 5.2°C | 24 mm | 81% | 0.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2017 | 17.3°C | 12.2°C | 7.2°C | 27.4°C | 2.9°C | 90 mm | 81% | 0.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2016 | 17.5°C | 12.8°C | 8.0°C | 26.3°C | 5.7°C | 54 mm | 81% | 0.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2015 | 17.5°C | 12.8°C | 8.2°C | 24.7°C | 3.4°C | 37 mm | 82% | 0.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2014 | 17.3°C | 12.6°C | 8.0°C | 26.5°C | 4.4°C | 112 mm | 83% | 0.3 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2013 | 16.9°C | 12.0°C | 7.1°C | 27.4°C | 0.6°C | 113 mm | 83% | 0.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2012 | 15.3°C | 10.4°C | 5.5°C | 24.6°C | 1.0°C | 104 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2011 | 13.2°C | 8.9°C | 4.7°C | 18.8°C | 1.6°C | 129 mm | 84% | 0.3 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2010 | 13.4°C | 9.2°C | 5.1°C | 20.2°C | 1.5°C | 145 mm | 85% | 0.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2009 | 16.2°C | 11.2°C | 6.1°C | 24.2°C | 2.2°C | 119 mm | 81% | 0.3 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2008 | 15.8°C | 11.1°C | 6.4°C | 30.5°C | 1.8°C | 57 mm | 83% | 0.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2007 | 16.7°C | 11.2°C | 5.8°C | 27.3°C | 0.6°C | 45 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2006 | 16.9°C | 11.8°C | 6.7°C | 25.1°C | 1.1°C | 84 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2005 | 17.6°C | 12.8°C | 8.1°C | 32.5°C | 4.8°C | 128 mm | 83% | 0.3 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2004 | 16.0°C | 11.8°C | 7.6°C | 20.6°C | 5.5°C | 102 mm | 84% | 0.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2003 | 15.0°C | 10.5°C | 5.9°C | 27.2°C | 1.8°C | 49 mm | 82% | 0.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2002 | 14.4°C | 10.0°C | 5.5°C | 24.2°C | -0.8°C | 65 mm | 82% | 0.3 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2001 | 16.8°C | 11.5°C | 6.3°C | 31.6°C | 1.9°C | 61 mm | 78% | 0.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2000 | 14.3°C | 10.2°C | 6.0°C | 21.3°C | 1.4°C | 96 mm | 85% | 0.3 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1999 ❄️ | 13.5°C | 8.9°C | 4.4°C | 26.3°C | -0.1°C | 96 mm | 82% | 0.3 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1998 | 14.6°C | 10.8°C | 6.9°C | 26.6°C | 3.0°C | 97 mm | 87% | 0.3 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1997 | 18.1°C | 13.2°C | 8.3°C | 29.7°C | 2.0°C | 97 mm | 82% | 0.3 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1996 | 13.6°C | 9.4°C | 5.1°C | 21.1°C | 0.8°C | 124 mm | 84% | 0.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1995 | 17.9°C | 12.8°C | 7.7°C | 25.3°C | 3.0°C | 49 mm | 79% | 0.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1994 | 16.9°C | 12.1°C | 7.2°C | 23.7°C | 2.3°C | 70 mm | 81% | 0.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1993 | 18.5°C | 13.4°C | 8.2°C | 26.6°C | 1.7°C | 126 mm | 83% | 0.3 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1992 | 19.7°C | 13.5°C | 7.3°C | 30.9°C | 2.1°C | 20 mm | 76% | 0.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1991 | 14.3°C | 10.0°C | 5.8°C | 18.8°C | 2.5°C | 87 mm | 84% | 0.3 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1990 | 15.1°C | 10.5°C | 6.0°C | 24.6°C | 3.0°C | 96 mm | 84% | 0.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1989 | 15.9°C | 11.1°C | 6.3°C | 23.9°C | 3.4°C | 78 mm | 82% | 0.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1988 | 15.3°C | 10.5°C | 5.6°C | 28.0°C | 1.7°C | 130 mm | 83% | 0.3 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1987 | 17.3°C | 12.2°C | 7.0°C | 29.3°C | 3.8°C | 92 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1986 | 15.4°C | 10.9°C | 6.4°C | 28.5°C | 2.4°C | 105 mm | 84% | 0.3 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1985 | 15.9°C | 11.0°C | 6.0°C | 24.8°C | 0.5°C | 57 mm | 81% | 0.3 m/s | 5 |
| 1984 🌧️ | 13.5°C | 9.3°C | 5.0°C | 28.8°C | 1.1°C | 160 mm | 84% | 0.3 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1983 | 18.0°C | 12.7°C | 7.4°C | 34.5°C | 3.7°C | 72 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 15.8°C | 10.7°C | 5.6°C | 23.9°C | 2.0°C | 31 mm | 78% | 0.3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 15.0°C | 10.4°C | 5.8°C | 23.3°C | 1.7°C | 79 mm | 83% | 0.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 16.2°C with lows near 6.6°C (mean 11.4°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 86 mm of rainfall in Tacoma, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 160 mm in 1984.
The hottest May reached 34.5°C in 1983. The coldest dipped to -0.8°C in 2002.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 0.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 15.6°C to 16.1°C and overnight lows from 6°C to 6.5°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Tacoma and one of the drier months, so plan for around 16.2°C daytime highs and 6.6°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Tacoma, averaging 11.4°C.
For May in Tacoma, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 16.2°C and lows of 6.6°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 82% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 0.3 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 0.3 m/s (1981).
The wettest May on record was 1984 with 160 mm. On average, May sees 86 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 Tacoma 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.
