Early May 1 May
56°F
Typical afternoon high
22% historical wet-day frequency
Norway · Countryside
Southern Norway
in May.
Is May a good time?
Mild days.
More overnight stays than April.
May averages 62°F afternoons and 51°F seas, with about 8 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.
- Afternoons
- 62°F
- Sea
- 51°F
- Visitor demand
- 27%of July peak
Historical Agder og Sør-Østlandet regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Kristiansand; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
6.9/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#3 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather7.2/10Very good
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostExpensivefor Europe
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your May
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 62°F (16°C): light layers; nights around 44°F (7°C): a warm coat. About 17 hours of daylight. About 8 rain days in a typical May.
Can I swim in May?
The sea averages 51°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 17 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 04:57 and sets about 21:49 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 44°F (7°C); afternoons reach about 62°F (16°C). Expect rain on about 8 days in a typical May.
Typical afternoon
62°F (16°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
44°F (7°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
51°F (10°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
16h 52m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late May?
Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 56°F on the 1st, versus 67°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 22% to 30% between those dates.
Mid May 15 May
62°F
Typical afternoon high
30% historical wet-day frequency
Late May 31 May
67°F
Typical afternoon high
30% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Daily calendar & holiday datesMay 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
May 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 156° | 256° | |||||
| 356° | 457° | 557° | 658° | 758° | 858° | 959° |
| 1059° | 1160° | 1260° | 1361° | 1461° | 1562° | 1662° |
| 1762° | 1863° | 1963° | 2064° | 2164° | 2264° | 2365° |
| 2465° | 2565° | 2666° | 2766° | 2866° | 2966° | 3066° |
| 3167° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
School-holiday dates for May 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open.
Afternoons warm from about 57°F (14°C) in the first week to 66°F (19°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 22–33%.
Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 13%, Greece 29%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Low season. May averages 27% of July's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than April.
Overnight stays across Agder og Sør-Østlandet do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
About usual. Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €114 per occupied room-night. An average, not a booking quote.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Historical hotel average
€114
2024–2025 monthly average; hotel revenue per occupied room-night; not a current booking quote. +1% vs this region's usual month.
Norway as a whole
Well above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 140 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
The historical regional amount comes from Statistics Norway (SSB), table 14168: hotel accommodation revenue per occupied room; the country price level is national. Hotel averages are not live booking quotes.
Year-to-year variation
How much does May vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 57°F (14°C) and 69°F (20°C); in 11 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 62°F (16°C). Rain days ranged from 3 to 17; half the years had 5–12.
Rain days in each May
Rain days
8
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 14 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
7 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no May in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
19 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MayHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 59°F | 12 |
| 2012 | 62°F | 8 |
| 2013 | 61°F | 17 |
| 2014 | 62°F | 9 |
| 2015 | 57°F | 13 |
| 2016 | 62°F | 8 |
| 2017 | 62°F | 8 |
| 2018 | 69°F | 3 |
| 2019 | 59°F | 10 |
| 2020 | 60°F | 4 |
| 2021 | 58°F | 15 |
| 2022 | 61°F | 7 |
| 2023 | 62°F | 5 |
| 2024 | 68°F | 7 |
| 2025 | 64°F | 4 |
Checked against 55 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
April, May
or June?
| Typical conditions | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 52°F | 62°F | 68°F |
| Sea | 44°F | 51°F | 58°F |
| Rain days | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Overnight demand | 15% | 27% | 45% |
April: Cooler afternoons, cooler sea and fewer rain days than May. Less overnight demand. April guide →
June: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than May. More overnight demand. June guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with May Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. May stays as your reference.
June to August have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than May, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
May or April?
Overnight stays are 15% of the busiest month.
Historical regional hotel revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €103 per occupied room-night. An average, not a booking quote.
Read the April guide →| Typical conditions | May | April |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 62°F | 52°F |
| Nights | 44°F | 36°F |
| Sea | 51°F | 44°F |
| Rain days | 8 | 6 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 6.9 | 6.7 |
| Month rank | #3 | #5 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.6 | #11 | 35°F | 26°F | 42°F | 13 | 3.3 | Off season |
| February | 5.5 | #9 | 38°F | 27°F | 39°F | 10 | 3.7 | Low season |
| March | 6.1 | #7 | 44°F | 30°F | 40°F | 9 | 4.8 | Low season |
| April | 6.7 | #5 | 52°F | 36°F | 44°F | 6 | 6.1 | Low season |
| May | 6.9 | #3 | 62°F | 44°F | 51°F | 8 | 7.2 | Low season |
| June | 7.0 | #2 | 68°F | 52°F | 58°F | 9 | 8.5 | Moderate season |
| July | 6.0 | #8 | 71°F | 55°F | 62°F | 11 | 8.9 | Peak season |
| August | 7.0 | #1 | 69°F | 54°F | 64°F | 10 | 8.6 | Moderate season |
| September | 6.9 | #4 | 63°F | 49°F | 60°F | 11 | 6.9 | Low season |
| October | 6.1 | #6 | 53°F | 42°F | 55°F | 12 | 4.9 | Low season |
| November | 5.4 | #10 | 44°F | 35°F | 50°F | 13 | 3.8 | Low season |
| December | 4.6 | #12 | 39°F | 30°F | 45°F | 14 | 3.3 | Off season |
Near here
Nearby places in May
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Oslo & aroundNorway · about 90 miles
Balanced Overall 6.7 · Very good weather, 63°F (17°C) · Busy season · Cost expensive
Western Norway & the fjordsNorway · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 5.8 · Good weather, 57°F (14°C) · Moderate season · Cost expensive
North JutlandDenmark · about 150 miles
Balanced Overall 5.3 · Fair weather, 62°F (16°C) · Moderate season · Cost expensive
InnlandetNorway · about 180 miles
Balanced Overall 7.1 · Good weather, 61°F (16°C) · Low season · Cost pricey
Gothenburg & West Swedenabout 180 miles
Balanced Overall 7.2 · Very good weather, 64°F (18°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Better May weather than Southern Norway
Southern Norway's weather ranks 114 of 117 countryside regions this month. These countryside regions outside Norway have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Southern Norway.
HanoverLower Saxony · Germany · about 470 miles
Very good weather (8.2): 5°F warmer afternoons, busier for its season (peak season), cheaper
BrandenburgGermany · about 500 miles
Very good weather (8.6): 7°F warmer afternoons, busier for its season (busy season), cheaper
Saxony-AnhaltGermany · about 510 miles
Very good weather (8.4): 6°F warmer afternoons, busier for its season (peak season), cheaper
LubuszPoland · about 550 miles
Very good weather (8.5): 7°F warmer afternoons, busier for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Maastricht & LimburgNetherlands · about 550 miles
Very good weather (8.2): 6°F warmer afternoons, busier for its season (busy season)
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's low season, 27% of the busiest month and about average for the year. That means about 13,000 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 86% of them from Norway itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 1,500 more: 12 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 71 |
| How our weather was checked | 55 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.2°C), night lows within 1°F (0.8°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 17 |
| Busiest month here | July · 64 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.7% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 63rd percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 86% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 12 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.9% |
| Population used | 758,000 |
| Statistical region | NO09 · Agder og Sør-Østlandet |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national; the first figure is regional (Statistics Norway (SSB), table 14168: hotel accommodation revenue per occupied room). Full method · this region's data.