The weather in Denver is known to be quite variable throughout the year. The month of May seems to feature the most dramatic of these changes, from day to day or hour to hour. In May, the weather over Denver can feature almost any type possible throughout the remainder of the year.
Late-season frosts have been known to stunt plant growth. While the average date of the last frost for Denver is May 5, frosty mornings have been experienced as late as early June.
On average, May is Denver’s wettest month of the year. Precipitation normally falls once every three days.
The month of May is also tied with November for the lowest percentage of possible sunshine.
May is the beginning of severe-weather season . Strong thunderstorms with large hail and potential tornadoes are possible.
These severe thunderstorms occur when moisture from the Gulf of Mexico moves into Colorado and collides with cold fronts that slide down from either Canada or the Pacific Northwest.
Denver’s high elevation can intensify late-season cold-air masses, and on average, snow falls in May about two out of every five years, with an average of 1.3 inches.
