May in Duck Creek Village brings 60 to 63F afternoons and nights near freezing, with the village bare of snow while the Highway 14 summit still holds about three feet on May 1. Here is the station data on frost, late snow and the road to Cedar Breaks.
What Is the Weather Like in Duck Creek Village in May?
May in Duck Creek Village runs 60 to 63F in the afternoon and 29 to 36F at night, measured at three mountain stations near village elevation. The village is bare of snow by early May in almost every year, while the summit of Highway 14, 1,400 feet higher, still holds about three feet of snow on May 1. Pack for a cool spring day and a freezing dawn.
May splits the mountain in two. Down in the village it feels like spring, and up near Cedar Breaks the snowbanks are still winning.
| May in Duck Creek Village | Number |
|---|---|
| Average daytime high | 60 to 63F |
| Average overnight low | 36F on slopes, 29F in meadow bottoms |
| Freezing nights | About 8 to 10 on slopes, 23 in meadows |
| Precipitation | About 0.9 in |
| Daylight | 13 h 48 m on May 1, 14 h 37 m on May 31 |
Three stations near the village agree on May afternoons
Duck Creek Village has no working weather station, so the numbers here come from three neighbors. The Assay fire weather station sits at 8,100 feet, six miles east. Panguitch Lake reports from 8,300 feet, and the Harris Flat snow site from 7,800 feet in a meadow five miles southeast. Their May afternoons land within three degrees of each other: 63.2, 60.7 and 61.5F.
Nights split by terrain, the same pattern our June weather post found. Assay and Panguitch Lake both average 36F. Harris Flat averages 29.3F and freezes on about 23 of 31 May nights, because cold air drains off the slopes after dark and pools in flat ground. On about six of those nights it drops to 25F or lower.
The month warms as it goes. At Harris Flat, the first week of May averages 58.6F in the afternoon, and the last ten days average 65.0F. The extremes run wide. On May 18, 2017, Harris Flat fell to 11.5F and Assay to 15F. On May 29, 2020, Assay reached 83F and Harris Flat 80.6F on the same afternoon. Expect about 6 to 8 days of 70F or warmer in a typical May, about half of them in the last ten days.
Snow stays on the summit after it leaves the village
The snow line runs straight through May. The Harris Flat meadow had bare ground on May 1 in 14 of the last 16 years, and by May 15 it was bare in all 16. Near the Highway 14 summit, the Midway Valley station at 9,830 feet tells a different story.
Snow depth at NRCS SNOTEL station 626, Midway Valley, 2011 to 2026. Chart by Duck Creek Village Inn from public data.
| Snow near the summit in May | Record, 2011 to 2026 |
|---|---|
| Median depth on May 1 | 35 in |
| Range on May 1 | 19 in (2026) to 98 in (2011) |
| Snow left on Memorial Day | 5 of 16 years |
| Mays with fresh snow | 11 of 16 |
| Coldest May night | 8.1F on May 1, 2011 |
The summit also picks up new snow in most Mays. Its snow depth rose during the month in 11 of the last 16 years, while Harris Flat saw new snow on the ground in only 2 of them.
That snowpack decides the road to Cedar Breaks. The National Park Service says SR-148 closes each year due to snow, from mid November to mid May on average. An early May trip should plan on Cedar Breaks staying closed, and a late May trip has a fair chance of finding it open. Check our road conditions page before you drive up, and see how Cedar Breaks compares with the other big park in Cedar Breaks or Bryce Canyon.
Rain is light, and it comes in bursts
May averages about 0.9 inches of precipitation at Harris Flat and Panguitch Lake. Averaged over 2015 to 2025, April, May and June were the three driest months of the year at both stations. Midway Valley, higher up, averages 1.67 inches in May.
The average hides a wide spread. Harris Flat recorded no measurable precipitation in May 2012, 2020 and 2022, and 3.3 inches in May 2019. In 2019, the wettest May in that record, the summit still held 72 inches of snow on Memorial Day.
The valley towns below run 10 to 30 degrees warmer
| May normal, 1991 to 2020 | High and low |
|---|---|
| Cedar City, 5,590 ft | 73.1F and 39.7F |
| Kanab, 4,900 ft | 78.7F and 44.7F |
| St. George, 2,857 ft | 85.4F and 55.5F |
| Las Vegas | 88.5F and 66.1F |
| Phoenix | 94.5F and 69.5F |
The Las Vegas May normal low of 66.1F sits above the average May afternoon at all three mountain stations. Phoenix, at 69.5F, sits higher still. Drive up from either city in May and you leave behind nights warmer than our days.
One valley runs the other way. Panguitch, at 6,615 feet on the Bryce road, averages a May low of 31.4F, five degrees colder than Panguitch Lake 1,700 feet higher. Cold air pools in valleys in spring too. For the full climb and what the altitude changes, see how high Duck Creek Village sits, and for live readings, our weather page.
Memorial Day falls on May 31 in 2027, the last day of the month and the warmest stretch of it. If May is your month, our cabins and rooms sit at 8,464 feet on Highway 14, 12 miles east of the turn to Cedar Breaks.
Quick answers about May in Duck Creek Village
Is there snow in Duck Creek Village in May? Not in the village in most years. The Harris Flat meadow had bare ground on May 1 in 14 of the last 16 years. Near the Highway 14 summit, the median depth on May 1 was 35 inches.
How cold does it get in Duck Creek Village in May? Nights average 36F on the slopes and 29F in the meadows, where it freezes on about 23 nights. The coldest May reading in the record was 11.5F at Harris Flat on May 18, 2017.
Is Cedar Breaks open in May? Often not until the second half of the month. The National Park Service says SR-148 through the monument stays closed from mid November to mid May on average, because of snowpack.
Does it rain in Duck Creek Village in May? A little. May averages about 0.9 inches near the village, and April, May and June are the three driest months of the year there.
Is May a good time to visit Duck Creek Village? Yes, if you pack for cold mornings. Afternoons average 60 to 63F, the village is free of snow, and the high country around Cedar Breaks opens up toward the end of the month.
