San Francisco · United States
May
Clearest skies of the year, warmest days before summer fog — the sweet spot.
Best match
#4 of 12 months
There are better months for San Francisco — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
17.5°C
Low
10.8°C
Rain
18mm
Sun
8.2hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How May scores in San Francisco
Weather
Excellent
Value
Good
Crowds
Good
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in May
- ↑May is arguably the most reliable weather month in San Francisco. Rainfall is minimal (18mm, about two light showers all month), sunshine averages over 8 hours daily, and the Karl the Fog marine layer that blankets the city in summer hasn't yet established its pattern. Days are warm and clear in a way that July and August — the city's peak tourist months — almost never are. This is the month where the California postcard finally matches reality.
- ↑Cinco de Mayo (May 5) brings the Mission District to life with street food, music, and community events. The Mission is one of the city's most vibrant and authentic neighbourhoods year-round, but in early May it has an energy that rewards an afternoon wandering Valencia Street, Dolores Park, and the murals of Clarion Alley.
- ↑Dolores Park in the Mission is at its very best in May — sunny afternoons fill the terraced hillside lawn with locals, the view of the downtown skyline is exceptional, and the food trucks on the perimeter offer some of the city's best casual eating. This is the San Francisco experience that locals actually live.
What you sacrifice
- ↓Prices and crowds are rising noticeably from the spring low. Memorial Day weekend (late May) triggers a significant surge in both hotel rates and visitor numbers — booking well in advance for that specific weekend is essential.
- ↓The hills' grass is drying from spring green to California golden-brown by late May, which changes the visual character of areas like Twin Peaks and the Marin Headlands significantly.
How May compares to October (best month)
| Factor | May | October ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 8 | 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)Los Angeles (22.8°C)Cairo (34.8°C)Kenya (26.1°C)Jaipur (40.2°C)Las Vegas (33.8°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 San Francisco, not across destinations. Methodology →