Month guide · Seattle · United States
Seattle in May
What May is really like in Seattle: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Waqcku at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Quick answer
May is a shoulder-season month. Expect average highs of 19°C (66°F), lows of 9°C (48°F), about 11 rainy days and roughly 15.1 hours of daylight. Longer, drier days and gardens in bloom; the cruise season to Alaska is under way and fills downtown on weekends.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 19°C (66°F) / 9°C (48°F)
- Rainy days
- About 11
- Daylight
- About 15.1 hours
- Sea temperature
- 10°C (50°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in May
May is the 5th-warmest month in Seattle: days average 19°C (66°F) against a yearly average high of 16°C (61°F), and nights fall to about 9°C (48°F). Rain falls on roughly 11 of its 31 days. Compared with April (15°C (59°F)), May is warmer; by June highs climb to around 22°C (72°F).
- Sunrise (15 May)
- About 05:32
- Sunset (15 May)
- About 20:39
- Daylight
- About 15.1 hours
- Sea
- 10°C (50°F)
Spring (March–May). Showery and cool with cherry blossoms, tulip fields in the Skagit Valley and gardens in bloom; it dries out by late May.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, May rates 3 for crowds (the peak is July at 5) and 3 for hotel prices (highest in July). Prices sit in the middle of the year's range.
Events in May
- Opening Day of boating season on the Montlake Cut (first Saturday in May)
- Seattle International Film Festival (usually May)
- Northwest Folklife Festival at Seattle Center (Memorial Day weekend)
Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser’s site before booking travel around an event.
What to do in May
With frequent rain, plan around indoor sights and keep outdoor time flexible.
Aquarium · Downtown and Pike Place
Seattle Aquarium
Check the day's feeding and talk times at the entrance and plan around the otters.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Museum · Downtown and Pike Place
Seattle Art Museum
SAM's downtown building, marked by Jonathan Borofsky's giant Hammering Man outside, has strong collections of Northwest Coast Native art, African art, European paintings and contemporary work.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
Historic site · Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square and the Underground Tour
Do the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park museum first; it is free and gives useful context.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Tukwila
Museum of Flight
Beside Boeing Field south of downtown, this large air and space museum displays more than 150 aircraft, including a Concorde, an early Air Force One, a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and a full-size Space Shuttle trainer, plus Boeing's original 'Red Barn' factory building.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
What to pack
For highs near 19°C, lows near 9°C and 11 wet days: layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings; a packable rain jacket for showers; comfortable walking shoes.
Is May a good time to visit Seattle?
A shoulder-season month, with 3 notable events on the calendar. If your dates are flexible, June–September are better overall. Compare every month.
Seattle in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is May a good time to visit Seattle?
It is a shoulder-season month. Longer, drier days and gardens in bloom; the cruise season to Alaska is under way and fills downtown on weekends.
+How warm is Seattle in May?
Average highs are around 19°C (66°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Seattle in May?
Expect rain on about 11 days of the month.