May sunrises are the coldest of the year. “Huh? That makes no sense.” Just hear me out. As winter approaches and the temperatures start to drop, I am well prepareed. I begin to start layering up. As below zero windchills come around in January and February, I am well prepared to dress for it.

As the temperature begins to warm in the spring, I start to take a layer off. Then a second layer. One afternoon I’m talking a long walk in just a t-shirt, nearly feeling hot. The next morning there’s a windchill below freezing and I’m suddenly underdressed.

There is a 50º difference between the sunrises of May and the coldest sunrises of the year. But it’s easy to dress for 20-below.

If May sunrises are the coldest, are November sunrises the warmest? Yes, sometimes. An overdressed sunrise in winter is hotter and more miserable than the hottest sunrise of summer.

May is finicky. It brings the hope of the scenery turning from brown to green, but the process is never as quick as you think it’s going to be.

Along these shores, it’s not until May when the average temperature at sunrise begins to creep above freezing. There is still a near-guarantee of snowfall during May, whether it happens at sunrise or another time. With a little luck, by the end of May, trees will begin to turn green, buds will take shape, and you’ll start to smell the fragrance of lilac trees.

It’s just that in the Spring, the changing of seasons that no photograph can capture, the change of fragrances and the very energetic morning birds. It’s further evidence that no photograph of a sunrise is as good as the sunrise experienced.

Weather

Coldest Sunrise
18ºF
Avg. temp
42ºF
Hottest Sunrise
64ºF

The sun was visible for 60% of May sunrises.


2019

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Sunrise from Bum's Beach
1
Sunrise from Clark Lambros Park
2
Sunrise from Presque Isle
3
Sunrise from Clark Lambros Park
4
Sunrise from Wetmore Landing
5
Sunrise from Marquette Harbor Lighthouse
6
Sunrise from Lake Street Bluff
7
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
8
Sunrise from Lakeshore Boulevard
9
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
10
Sunrise from Sugarloaf Mountain
11
Sunrise from US 41
12
Sunrise from Sand Point
13
Sunrise from Wetmore Landing
14
Sunrise from Little Presque Isle
15
Sunrise from Enger Tower
16
Sunrise from Split Rock Lighthouse
17
Sunrise from 12th Street Beach
18
Sunrise from Dead River
19
Sunrise from Pebble Beach
20
Sunrise from Lower Harbor Breakwall
21
Sunrise from Clark Lambros Park
22
Sunrise from Presque Isle
23
Sunrise from Pebble Beach
24
Sunrise from Black Rocks
25
Sunrise from Presque Isle
26
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
27
Sunrise from Lower Harbor Ore Dock
28
Sunrise from Thomas Rock
29
Sunrise from Presque Isle
30
Sunrise from Black Rocks
31

2020

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Sunrise from Plimpton Point
1
Sunrise from Bum's Beach
2
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
3
Sunrise from Little Presque Isle
4
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
5
Sunrise from Lakeshore Boulevard
6
Sunrise from Presque Isle
7
Sunrise from Picnic Rocks
8
Sunrise from Mouth of the Carp
9
Sunrise from Wetmore Landing
10
Sunrise from Shiras Park
11
Sunrise from Shiras Park
12
Sunrise from Marquette Harbor Lighthouse
13
Sunrise from Mount Marquette
14
Sunrise from Shiras Park
15
Sunrise from Shiras Park
16
Sunrise from Shiras Park
17
Sunrise from Shiras Park
18
Sunrise from Shiras Park
19
Sunrise from Shiras Park
20
Sunrise from Shiras Park
21
Sunrise from Whetstone Brook
22
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
23
Sunrise from Pebble Beach
24
Sunrise from Presque Isle
25
Sunrise from Picnic Rocks
26
Sunrise from Little Presque Isle
27
Sunrise from Presque Isle Breakwall
28
Sunrise from Shiras Park
29
Sunrise from Presque Isle Breakwall
30
Sunrise from Lakeshore Boulevard
31

2021

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Sunrise from Harlow Creek
1
Sunrise from Shiras Park
2
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
3
Sunrise from Wetmore Landing
🍅
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
5
Sunrise from Bum's Beach
6
Sunrise from Lakeshore Boulevard
7
Sunrise from Presque Isle
8
Sunrise from Little Lake Road
9
Sunrise from Sand Point
10
Sunrise from Shiras Park
11
Sunrise from Wetmore Landing
12
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
13
Sunrise from Clark Lambros Park
14
Sunrise from Little Presque Isle
15
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
16
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
17
Sunrise from Burns Landing
18
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
19
Sunrise from Marquette Harbor Lighthouse
20
Sunrise from Presque Isle Breakwall
21
Sunrise from Lakeshore Boulevard
22
Sunrise from Bugsy's Perch
23
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
24
Sunrise from Clark Lambros Park
25
Sunrise from Pebble Beach
26
Sunrise from McCarty's Playground
27
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
28
Sunrise from Leila Arboretum
29
Sunrise from Lost Pines Lodge
30
Sunrise from Lakeshore Bike Path
31

2022

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Sunrise from Whetstone Brook
2
Sunrise from Windmill Island
5
Sunrise from Blue Bridge
6
Sunrise from South Breakwater
7
Sunrise from Lower Harbor Breakwall
11
Sunrise from Shiras Park
13
Sunrise from Little Presque Isle
15
Sunrise from Shiras Park
16
Sunrise from Little Presque Isle
18
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
21
Sunrise from Shiras Park
23
Sunrise from Shiras Park
25
Sunrise from Shiras Park
29

2023

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Sunrise from Black Rocks
2
Sunrise from Shiras Park
6
Sunrise from Presque Isle
7
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
11
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
16
Sunrise from Shiras Park
21
Sunrise from Shiras Park
23
Sunrise from McCarty's Playground
25
Sunrise from Shiras Park
29
Sunrise from Shiras Park
30

2024

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
2
Sunrise from Wetmore Landing
6
Sunrise from McCarty's Cove
7
Sunrise from Black Rocks
16
Sunrise from Gaines Rock
17
Sunrise from Presque Isle
23
Sunrise from Lower Harbor Breakwall
25
Sunrise from Clark Lambros Park
29