Los Angeles · United States
May
June Gloom begins — marine layer clouds roll in overnight and often linger until early afternoon.
Strong option
#9 of 12 months
There are better months for Los Angeles — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
22.8°C
Low
14.2°C
Rain
6mm
Sun
8.4hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How May scores in Los Angeles
Weather
Good
Value
Good
Crowds
Good
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Good
What you gain in May
- ↑Despite the cloud, May temperatures are still comfortable at 22°C with essentially no rainfall. Midweek particularly, the marine layer burns off by noon and afternoons are warm. Beach days work perfectly on clear-sky May days when the light is golden and the crowds are lighter than July–August.
- ↑Memorial Day weekend (last weekend of May) marks the official start of pool season across the city. Hotel pools at places like the Viceroy Santa Monica, The Line, and Ace Hotel Downtown open their summer programming.
- ↑Restaurants and cultural venues are fully operational with moderate tourism levels — easier to book than June–August without the January–February quiet.
What you sacrifice
- ↓June Gloom arrives in May. The marine layer — a low fog driven by the cool California Current — rolls in over the coast from around 7pm and typically takes until 11am–1pm to burn off. Beach days frequently start overcast, and some days never fully clear, particularly in Santa Monica and Venice. The further east you go, the more sun you get.
- ↓Prices are solidly at moderate levels. Mid-range hotels in Santa Monica and West Hollywood run $260–$340/night. Summer pricing has effectively started despite the cloud cover.
How May compares to April (best month)
| Factor | May | April ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 6 | 9 |
| Value | 6 | 6 |
| Crowds | 6 | 6 |
May in other destinations
Lisbon (20.7°C)Barcelona (20.8°C)Tokyo (23.8°C)Bali (31.2°C)Santorini (19.8°C)Paris (18.1°C)New York (20.4°C)Marrakech (26.4°C)Amsterdam (16.4°C)Maldives (31.5°C)Rome (21.7°C)Bangkok (32.6°C)Istanbul (20.7°C)Vienna (19.7°C)Seoul (21.4°C)Dubrovnik (20.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (26.2°C)Kyoto (25.2°C)Phuket (32.6°C)Cape Town (18.9°C)Prague (21°C)Amalfi Coast (23°C)Mexico City (27°C)Medellín (27°C)Fiji (28°C)London (18°C)Sydney (19°C)Iceland (10°C)Tulum (32°C)Dubai (38°C)Singapore (33°C)Hoi An (33°C)Chiang Mai (33°C)Miami (30.6°C)Florence (23.1°C)Queenstown (11°C)Madrid (21.7°C)Porto (21°C)Edinburgh (15°C)Copenhagen (16°C)Budapest (22°C)Kraków (20°C)Tbilisi (23°C)Palawan (32°C)Hanoi (31°C)Osaka (25°C)Goa (33°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (19°C)Mykonos (23°C)Zanzibar (28°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (27°C)Cancun (32°C)Krabi (33°C)Athens (25°C)Seville (27°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (34°C)Havana (30°C)Split (22°C)Taipei (30°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (24°C)Ho Chi Minh City (34°C)Hawaii (29°C)Cappadocia (22°C)Dominican Republic (31°C)Jamaica (31°C)Tanzania (23°C)Seychelles (28°C)Nepal (28°C)Jordan (28°C)Azores (21°C)Bora Bora (28°C)Cairo (34.8°C)Kenya (26.1°C)Jaipur (40.2°C)Las Vegas (33.8°C)San Francisco (17.5°C)Madeira (23°C)Vancouver (17.8°C)Muscat (40.1°C)Lima (20.5°C)Cinque Terre (21°C)Kotor (22°C)Tel Aviv (27°C)Santiago (17°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (17.8°C)Penang (33.2°C)Lombok (31.5°C)Cape Verde (27.8°C)Fez (27.8°C)Kerala (33°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (28°C)Oslo (17°C)Auckland (17°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Los Angeles, not across destinations. Methodology →