Amherst weather in May: Amherst, Massachusetts: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Amherst in May has a normal high of 70°F and a normal low of 45°F, a daily mean of 58°F, rising from 65°F on the 1st to 74°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 3.71 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 7°C, 94 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationAmherst
- Station IDUSC00190120
- Location42.39°N 72.54°W
- Elevation145 ft (44 m)
- Population40,989
- Jan 34° 14°
- Feb 37° 15°
- Mar 45° 24°
- Apr 58° 34°
- May 70° 45°
- Jun 78° 55°
- Jul 83° 60°
- Aug 82° 58°
- Sep 74° 50°
- Oct 62° 39°
- Nov 50° 29°
- Dec 39° 21°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Amherst in May?
The normal high is 70°F and the normal low 45°F, for a daily mean of 57.5°F. May is 11.2°F warmer than April and 9.0°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Amherst and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 9°F, from 65°F on May 1 to 74°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.8°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 55°F and 60°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 40%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 65°F | 40°F | 40% | 24% |
| May 8 | 67°F | 43°F | 40% | 24% |
| May 15 | 69°F | 45°F | 40% | 24% |
| May 22 | 71°F | 48°F | 40% | 24% |
| May 31 | 74°F | 50°F | 39% | 25% |
Every day of May: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon May 31, coldest night May 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 65°F | 40°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 65°F | 41°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 66°F | 41°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 4 | 66°F | 41°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 67°F | 42°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 67°F | 42°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 67°F | 42°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 8 | 67°F | 43°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 9 | 68°F | 43°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 68°F | 43°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 68°F | 44°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 12 | 69°F | 44°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 13 | 69°F | 44°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 69°F | 45°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 15 | 69°F | 45°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 70°F | 46°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 17 | 70°F | 46°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 18 | 70°F | 46°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 70°F | 47°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 20 | 71°F | 47°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 21 | 71°F | 47°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 22 | 71°F | 48°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 23 | 71°F | 48°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 72°F | 48°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 25 | 72°F | 49°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 26 | 72°F | 49°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 72°F | 49°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 28 | 73°F | 49°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 29 | 73°F | 50°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 30 | 73°F | 50°F | 39% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 31 | 74°F | 50°F | 39% | 25% | 15 h |
- Normal high
- 70°FMay average
- Normal low
- 45°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.71 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 2
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 hMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 16
- Days at 80°F or more
- 6
- Sunshine
- 68%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USC00190120; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Amherst in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 40% on average, highest around May 16 (40%). In all, 3.71 in falls on 13 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Amherst, 1 days reach 90°F and 2 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USC00190120.
What are the records for May in Amherst?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1893) is 98°F, on May 27, 2010; the coldest is 24°F, on May 3, 1966. The wettest May brought 11.95 in (1984); the snowiest, 1.0 inches (1945).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 57.5°F: 2021 57.9°F (+0.4), 2022 60.3°F (+2.8), 2023 55.9°F (−1.6), 2024 61.8°F (+4.3), 2025 59.3°F (+1.8), 2026 57.1°F (−0.4). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57.9°F | +0.4°F | 5.29 in |
| 2022 | 60.3°F | +2.8°F | 3.05 in |
| 2023 | 55.9°F | −1.6°F | 3.94 in |
| 2024 | 61.8°F | +4.3°F | 3.91 in |
| 2025 | 59.3°F | +1.8°F | 9.12 in |
| 2026 | 57.1°F | −0.4°F | 3.31 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USC00190120; recent months: ACIS, station USC00190120. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Amherst compare across Massachusetts?
Across the 35 places PlainClimate covers in Massachusetts, May normal highs run from 61°F in Nantucket to 73°F in Maynard; Amherst's is 70°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.