Here’s the May 2026 Climate Summary for Joplin, Missouri.
The city of Joplin finished the month with slightly above-normal temperatures and much below-normal precipitation.
The highest temperature for the month was 89°F, recorded on May 31, with 13 days reaching 80°F or higher. The lowest temperature was 41°F, recorded three times: May 2, May 7, and May 11. The mean temperature for the entire month was 66.8°F, ranking as the 44th warmest May out of 99 years of record-keeping.
The total precipitation for the month was 3.39 inches, which is 52% of the monthly normal of 6.56 inches. The wettest day occurred on May 19, when 1.82 inches of rainfall was recorded.
The month brought 6 thunderstorm days, 3 days of heavy rain, and 12 days of light rain. The sky conditions included 16 fair days, 10 partly cloudy days, and 5 cloudy days. There was one day of haze and ten days of fog, including three days of dense fog. The average wind speed for the month was 8.4 mph, with a peak thunderstorm wind gust recorded at the airport of 48 mph from the north on May 30.
Note: All data is sourced from the Joplin Regional Airport (JLN).