Milwaukee May weather outlook, chance of above-average temps

Hello May!

This starts the third meteorological month to spring. May is typically the time when temperatures start to become more favorable, flowers appear and humans immerse outside again. This is also a time when severe weather can become more active due to changes in temperature swings as warmer air pushes farther north and allergy season begins. 

The normal high temperatures in May range from 61 degrees on May 1, and typically warm approximately 10 degrees by the end of the month. Normal low temperatures finally start to warm out of the 30s making it a better month to plant spring flowers. That being said, the latest frost recorded in Milwaukee was on May 27, 1961 – so it is important to view the forecast prior to planting. The easiest solution is the longer you wait in the month to plant, the better likelihood you won't have to do the labor of taking plants inside and outside. 

As warmer air pushes farther north again, storms become more active in spring. In 2022, Wisconsin experienced five tornadoes in May. Four of them were on May 9 in the western portions of the state. The fifth was in Rock County on May 19.

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We are only a few days into May 2023, and below average temperatures and cloudy days have welcomed us. The Climate Prediction Center (CPS) issues various temperature and precipitation outlooks. The 6-10 day outlook, which goes from May 8-12 has high chances of above-average temperatures across Wisconsin.

The 8-14 day outlook, which goes form May 10-16, still has moderate chances of temperatures being above average as well, but not as high as the upcoming six to ten days. 

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Just because there are warmer-than-average days expected, we can also see a mix of near- or cooler-than-average temperatures as well.