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May Weather in Arches National Park Utah, United States

Daily high temperatures increase by 11°F, from 73°F to 85°F, rarely falling below 60°F or exceeding 94°F.

Daily low temperatures increase by 10°F, from 47°F to 57°F, rarely falling below 38°F or exceeding 66°F.

For reference, on July 7, the hottest day of the year, temperatures in Arches National Park typically range from 68°F to 95°F, while on January 4, the coldest day of the year, they range from 20°F to 38°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in May in Arches National Park

The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the hourly average temperatures for the quarter of the year centered on May. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in May in Arches National Park

Average Hourly Temperature in May in Arches National ParkMay112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313112 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMAprJunvery coldcoldcoldcoolcomfortablewarmhotwarm
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.
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The month of May in Arches National Park experiences gradually decreasing cloud cover, with the percentage of time that the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy decreasing from 37% to 29%.

The clearest day of the month is May 31, with clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy conditions 71% of the time.

For reference, on March 2, the cloudiest day of the year, the chance of overcast or mostly cloudy conditions is 45%, while on September 18, the clearest day of the year, the chance of clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy skies is 80%.

Cloud Cover Categories in May in Arches National Park

Cloud Cover Categories in May in Arches National ParkMay11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%AprJunMay 163%May 163%May 3171%May 3171%May 1164%May 1164%May 2167%May 2167%clearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercast
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. In Arches National Park, the chance of a wet day over the course of May is decreasing, starting the month at 12% and ending it at 8%.

For reference, the year's highest daily chance of a wet day is 18% on July 31, and its lowest chance is 5% on June 13.

Probability of Precipitation in May in Arches National Park

The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).

Rainfall

To show variation within the month and not just the monthly total, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day.

The average sliding 31-day rainfall during May in Arches National Park is essentially constant, remaining about 0.5 inches throughout, and rarely exceeding 1.3 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in May in Arches National Park

Average Monthly Rainfall in May in Arches National ParkMay11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310.0 in0.0 in0.2 in0.2 in0.4 in0.4 in0.6 in0.6 in0.8 in0.8 in1.0 in1.0 in1.2 in1.2 in1.4 in1.4 inAprJunMay 10.6 inMay 10.6 inMay 310.4 inMay 310.4 inMay 110.6 inMay 110.6 inMay 210.5 inMay 210.5 in
The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.

Over the course of May in Arches National Park, the length of the day is increasing. From the start to the end of the month, the length of the day increases by 50 minutes, implying an average daily increase of 1 minute, 41 seconds, and weekly increase of 11 minutes, 46 seconds.

The shortest day of the month is May 1, with 13 hours, 51 minutes of daylight and the longest day is May 31, with 14 hours, 42 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in May in Arches National Park

The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.

The latest sunrise of the month in Arches National Park is 6:20 AM on May 1 and the earliest sunrise is 25 minutes earlier at 5:55 AM on May 31.

The earliest sunset is 8:11 PM on May 1 and the latest sunset is 26 minutes later at 8:37 PM on May 31.

Daylight saving time is observed in Arches National Park during 2024, but it neither starts nor ends during May, so the entire month is in daylight saving time.

For reference, on June 20, the longest day of the year, the Sun rises at 5:53 AM and sets 14 hours, 53 minutes later, at 8:46 PM, while on December 21, the shortest day of the year, it rises at 7:33 AM and sets 9 hours, 27 minutes later, at 5:00 PM.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight in May in Arches National Park

The solar day over the course of May. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in May in Arches National Park

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in May in Arches National ParkMay112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313112 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMAprJun001010202020303040405050506060700001010202030303040405050606070
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of May 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for May 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases. The label associated with each bar indicates the date and time that the phase is obtained, and the companion time labels indicate the rise and set times of the Moon for the nearest time interval in which the moon is above the horizon.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in May in Arches National Park

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in May in Arches National ParkMay112233445566778899101011111212131314141515161617171818191920202121222223232424252526262727282829293030313112 AM12 AM4 AM4 AM8 AM8 AM12 PM12 PM4 PM4 PM8 PM8 PM12 AM12 AMAprJunApr 812:22 PMApr 812:22 PMApr 235:50 PMApr 235:50 PMMay 79:23 PMMay 79:23 PMMay 237:54 AMMay 237:54 AMJun 66:38 AMJun 66:38 AMJun 217:09 PMJun 217:09 PM6:47 AM6:47 AM8:08 PM8:08 PM8:07 PM8:07 PM6:39 AM6:39 AM5:42 AM5:42 AM8:15 PM8:15 PM8:06 PM8:06 PM5:42 AM5:42 AM5:35 AM5:35 AM9:32 PM9:32 PM9:07 PM9:07 PM6:04 AM6:04 AM
The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.
May 2024IlluminationMoonriseMoonsetMoonriseMeridian PassingDistance
1
50%2:51 AMESE12:47 PMWSW-7:49 AMS231,930 mi
2
37%3:25 AMESE2:01 PMWSW-8:42 AMS229,626 mi
3
26%3:54 AMESE3:15 PMW-9:33 AMS227,680 mi
4
16%4:20 AME4:28 PMW-10:23 AMS226,298 mi
5
8%4:46 AME5:43 PMW-11:11 AMS225,678 mi
6
3%5:13 AMENE6:58 PMWNW-12:01 PMS225,969 mi
7
0%5:42 AMENE8:15 PMWNW-12:54 PMS227,234 mi
8
1%6:17 AMENE9:32 PMWNW-1:50 PMS229,423 mi
9
4%6:58 AMNE10:45 PMNW-2:48 PMS232,371 mi
10
10%7:47 AMNE11:50 PMNW-3:47 PMS235,819 mi
11
17%8:45 AMNE--4:46 PMS239,455 mi
12
26%-12:44 AMNW9:48 AMNE5:41 PMS242,965 mi
13
36%-1:28 AMWNW10:53 AMENE6:32 PMS246,074 mi
14
46%-2:03 AMWNW11:57 AMENE7:18 PMS248,572 mi
15
50%-2:31 AMWNW1:00 PMENE8:01 PMS250,321 mi
16
65%-2:55 AMWNW2:00 PMENE8:41 PMS251,258 mi
17
74%-3:17 AMW2:58 PME9:20 PMS251,387 mi
18
82%-3:37 AMW3:57 PME9:58 PMS250,770 mi
19
89%-3:57 AMW4:56 PME10:38 PMS249,516 mi
20
95%-4:18 AMWSW5:56 PMESE11:19 PMS247,766 mi
21
97%-4:42 AMWSW7:00 PMESE--
22
98%-5:09 AMWSW8:06 PMESE12:04 AMS245,673 mi
23
100%-5:42 AMWSW9:13 PMSE12:54 AMS243,392 mi
24
99%-6:24 AMSW10:18 PMSE1:48 AMS241,065 mi
25
96%-7:15 AMSW11:18 PMSE2:46 AMS238,805 mi
26
91%-8:16 AMSW-3:47 AMS236,690 mi
27
84%12:09 AMSE9:25 AMWSW-4:47 AMS234,767 mi
28
74%12:52 AMESE10:38 AMWSW-5:45 AMS233,055 mi
29
64%1:27 AMESE11:51 AMWSW-6:39 AMS231,568 mi
30
50%1:57 AMESE1:04 PMWSW-7:29 AMS230,332 mi
31
40%2:23 AME2:15 PMW-8:18 AMS229,396 mi

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

The chance that a given day will be muggy in Arches National Park is essentially constant during May, remaining around 0% throughout.

For reference, on July 30, the muggiest day of the year, there are muggy conditions 0% of the time, while on January 1, the least muggy day of the year, there are muggy conditions 0% of the time.

Humidity Comfort Levels in May in Arches National Park

Humidity Comfort Levels in May in Arches National ParkMay11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%AprJunMay 160%May 160%May 10%May 10%May 310%May 310%drydrycomfortablecomfortable
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Arches National Park is essentially constant during May, remaining within 0.1 miles per hour of 8.5 miles per hour throughout.

For reference, on April 10, the windiest day of the year, the daily average wind speed is 8.8 miles per hour, while on January 7, the calmest day of the year, the daily average wind speed is 6.1 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in May in Arches National Park

Average Wind Speed in May in Arches National ParkMay11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310 mph0 mph2 mph2 mph4 mph4 mph6 mph6 mph8 mph8 mph10 mph10 mph12 mph12 mph14 mph14 mph16 mph16 mphAprJunMay 18.6 mphMay 18.6 mphMay 318.5 mphMay 318.5 mphMay 118.4 mphMay 118.4 mphMay 218.4 mphMay 218.4 mph
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

The hourly average wind direction in Arches National Park throughout May is predominantly from the south, with a peak proportion of 40% on May 31.

Wind Direction in May in Arches National Park

Wind Direction in May in Arches National ParkMay11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%AprJunwestsouthnortheast
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

The growing season in Arches National Park typically lasts for 6.5 months (201 days), from around April 11 to around October 28, rarely starting before March 19 or after May 1, and rarely ending before October 10 or after November 14.

The month of May in Arches National Park is very likely fully within the growing season, with the chance that a given day is in the growing season gradually increasing from 90% to 100% over the course of the month.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in May in Arches National Park

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in May in Arches National Parkgrowing seasonMay11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%AprJun90%May 190%May 1100%May 31100%May 3197%May 1197%May 11100%May 21100%May 2150%Apr 1150%Apr 11very coldcoldcoolcomfortablewarmhotswelteringfreezing
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

The average accumulated growing degree days in Arches National Park are rapidly increasing during May, increasing by 466°F, from 354°F to 820°F, over the course of the month.

Growing Degree Days in May in Arches National Park

Growing Degree Days in May in Arches National ParkMay1122334455667788991010111112121313141415151616171718181919202021212222232324242525262627272828292930303131300°F300°F400°F400°F500°F500°F600°F600°F700°F700°F800°F800°F900°F900°FAprJunMay 1354°FMay 1354°FMay 31820°FMay 31820°FMay 11478°FMay 11478°FMay 21633°FMay 21633°F
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of May, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy in Arches National Park is increasing during May, rising by 1.0 kWh, from 7.2 kWh to 8.2 kWh, over the course of the month.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in May in Arches National Park

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in May in Arches National ParkMay11223344556677889910101111121213131414151516161717181819192020212122222323242425252626272728282929303031310 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWh10 kWh10 kWhAprJunMay 17.2 kWhMay 17.2 kWhMay 318.2 kWhMay 318.2 kWhMay 117.6 kWhMay 117.6 kWhMay 217.9 kWhMay 217.9 kWh
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Arches National Park are 38.723 deg latitude, -109.586 deg longitude, and 4,022 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Arches National Park contains significant variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 771 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 4,808 feet. Within 10 miles contains significant variations in elevation (2,149 feet). Within 50 miles contains large variations in elevation (8,921 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Arches National Park is covered by shrubs (100%), within 10 miles by shrubs (99%), and within 50 miles by shrubs (82%) and trees (10%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Arches National Park, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

The details of the data sources used for this report can be found on the Moab page.

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The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

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