Nature escape

Tromsø weather in May

Temperature, sea and sunshine in May: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.

20

Holiday weather in May

Poor

Best time to visit: July

What is the weather like in Tromsø in May?

In May, Tromsø is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sea averages 5.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. It rains often – on about 16 days, adding up to 90 mm. Snow falls on about 4 days. All in all, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in Tromsø.

May compared

How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.

AprilAprMayMayJuneJun
Score182046
Day2°8°12°
Night−3°2°7°
Sea4°6°8°
Sun7 h8 h8 h
Rain days161615

More details for May

Daylight
21 h 42 min01:49 – 23:31
UV index
3 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
Muggy days
0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
Wind
15 km/haverage daily peak
Cloud cover
73 %on average
Hot days
0 days30 °C or more
Snow days
4 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
Time zone
UTC+2Europe/Oslo

How the score comes together

  • Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
  • Sunshineweight 20 %78 %
  • Few rainy daysweight 30 %15 %

Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Nature escape”.

What to pack in May

  • Warm jacket
  • Hat, scarf & gloves
  • Rain jacket or umbrella

Tromsø in May: quick answers

Is Tromsø hot in May?

No. In May, Tromsø is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C and nights drop to about 2 °C.

Can you swim in Tromsø in May?

Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 5.8 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.

Does it rain much in Tromsø in May?

It rains often – on about 16 days, adding up to 90 mm.

Tromsø month by month

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)