Month guide · Salt Lake City · United States
Salt Lake City in May
What May is really like in Salt Lake City: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Intothewoods29 ( talk ), Public domain
Quick answer
May is a shoulder-season month. Expect average highs of 22°C (72°F), lows of 9°C (48°F), about 8 rainy days and roughly 14.4 hours of daylight. Green foothills, gardens in bloom and pleasant hiking weather; higher trails are still snowy.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 22°C (72°F) / 9°C (48°F)
- Rainy days
- About 8
- Daylight
- About 14.4 hours
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in May
May is the 5th-warmest month in Salt Lake City: days average 22°C (72°F) against a yearly average high of 18°C (64°F), and nights fall to about 9°C (48°F). Rain falls on roughly 8 of its 31 days. Compared with April (16°C (61°F)), May is warmer; by June highs climb to around 29°C (84°F).
- Sunrise (15 May)
- About 06:10
- Sunset (15 May)
- About 20:37
- Daylight
- About 14.4 hours
Winter (December–March). Powder skiing within 40 minutes of the city; cold, sometimes smoggy valley days and busy holiday weeks.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, May rates 3 for crowds (the peak is January at 4) and 3 for hotel prices (highest in January). Prices sit in the middle of the year's range.
Events in May
- Living Traditions Festival — food and folk arts (usually May)
Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser’s site before booking travel around an event.
What to do in May
Mild, settled days suit walking, viewpoints and time outdoors.
Viewpoint · Capitol Hill and Marmalade
Ensign Peak
Go at sunset in summer or on a clear winter morning; bring water, as there is no shade.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Active
- History
- Photo spot
Zoo · 9th and 9th
Tracy Aviary
One of the oldest public aviaries in the United States, in Liberty Park, with hundreds of birds from flamingos and Andean condors to owls and birds of prey, plus free-flight bird shows in summer.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Zoo · University and East Bench
Utah's Hogle Zoo
Visit in the morning in summer, when animals are more active and the hillside is cooler.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Garden · Central City
Gilgal Sculpture Garden
A small, eccentric garden hidden behind houses east of downtown, created by stonemason Thomas Child in the mid-20th century, with a sphinx bearing Joseph Smith's face and stones carved with scripture.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
What to pack
For highs near 22°C, lows near 9°C and 8 wet days: light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening; a packable rain jacket for showers; comfortable walking shoes.
Is May a good time to visit Salt Lake City?
A shoulder-season month, with a notable event on the calendar. If your dates are flexible, January–March, June and September are better overall. Compare every month.
Salt Lake City in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is May a good time to visit Salt Lake City?
It is a shoulder-season month. Green foothills, gardens in bloom and pleasant hiking weather; higher trails are still snowy.
+How warm is Salt Lake City in May?
Average highs are around 22°C (72°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Salt Lake City in May?
Expect rain on about 8 days of the month.