San Francisco weather in May
Temperature, sea and sunshine in May: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in May
Excellent
Best time to visit: April – October
What is the weather like in San Francisco in May?
In May, San Francisco is mild: daytime highs average 19 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 11.7 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. With around 10 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is rare: about 3 days bring 16 mm in total. All in all, May is an excellent month for a holiday in San Francisco.
May compared
How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.
More details for May
- Daylight
- 14 h 11 min06:00 – 20:11
- UV index
- 10 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 19 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 42 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC−7America/Los_Angeles
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %100 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %100 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in May
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- A jumper for the evenings
San Francisco in May: quick answers
Is San Francisco hot in May?
No. In May, San Francisco is mild: daytime highs average 19 °C and nights drop to about 10 °C.
Can you swim in San Francisco in May?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 11.7 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in San Francisco in May?
Rain is rare: about 3 days bring 16 mm in total.
San Francisco month by month
The whole year in San FranciscoAll destinations: USAWhere to go in MaySea temperature in May
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)