Buffalo weather in May: Buffalo, New York: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Buffalo in May has a normal high of 67°F and a normal low of 48°F, a daily mean of 58°F, rising from 62°F on the 1st to 72°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 3.37 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 20°C and low of 9°C, 86 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationBuffalo Niagara International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014733
- Location42.95°N 78.74°W
- Elevation693 ft (211 m)
- From the center7 miles
- Population276,617
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 33° 20°
- Mar 42° 26°
- Apr 55° 37°
- May 67° 48°
- Jun 76° 58°
- Jul 80° 63°
- Aug 79° 62°
- Sep 72° 55°
- Oct 60° 44°
- Nov 48° 34°
- Dec 37° 26°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Buffalo in May?
The normal high is 67°F and the normal low 48°F, for a daily mean of 57.9°F. May is 12.3°F warmer than April and 9.0°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Buffalo and the 5th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 10°F, from 62°F on May 1 to 72°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 54°F and 62°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 43%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 62°F | 43°F | 43% | 26% |
| May 8 | 65°F | 45°F | 43% | 25% |
| May 15 | 67°F | 48°F | 42% | 25% |
| May 22 | 70°F | 51°F | 40% | 25% |
| May 31 | 72°F | 54°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 | 62°F | 43°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 62°F | 43°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 3 | 63°F | 44°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 4 | 63°F | 44°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 64°F | 44°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 64°F | 45°F | 43% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 7 | 65°F | 45°F | 43% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 8 | 65°F | 45°F | 43% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 9 | 65°F | 46°F | 43% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 66°F | 46°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 11 | 66°F | 47°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 12 | 66°F | 47°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 13 | 67°F | 47°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 67°F | 48°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 15 | 67°F | 48°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 16 | 68°F | 48°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 17 | 68°F | 49°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 18 | 68°F | 49°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 69°F | 50°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 20 | 69°F | 50°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 21 | 69°F | 50°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 22 | 70°F | 51°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 23 | 70°F | 51°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 70°F | 51°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 25 | 70°F | 52°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 26 | 71°F | 52°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 27 | 71°F | 52°F | 40% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 28 | 71°F | 53°F | 39% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 29 | 71°F | 53°F | 39% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 30 | 72°F | 53°F | 39% | 25% | 15 h |
| May 31 | 72°F | 54°F | 39% | 25% | 15 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 67°FMay average
- Normal low
- 48°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.37 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 h 10 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 13
- Days at 80°F or more
- 4
- Sunshine
- 69%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014733; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Buffalo in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 41% on average, highest around May 1 (43%). In all, 3.37 in falls on 13 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014733.
How humid and windy is Buffalo in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 69°F with 53% relative humidity and a dew point of 51°F; at 6 a.m. it is 57°F with 81% humidity. The wind averages 9.4 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 57°F | 51°F | 81% | 7.4 mph | 33% |
| 9 a.m. | 64°F | 52°F | 65% | 10.0 mph | – |
| noon | 68°F | 51°F | 56% | 12.1 mph | 26% |
| 3 p.m. | 69°F | 51°F | 53% | 12.6 mph | 24% |
| 6 p.m. | 67°F | 51°F | 57% | 10.6 mph | 29% |
| 9 p.m. | 62°F | 51°F | 69% | 7.8 mph | 35% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014733. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for May in Buffalo?
The warmest May temperature on Buffalo's official record (since 1873) is 94°F, on May 22, 1911; the coldest is 25°F, on May 4, 1926. The wettest May brought 8.09 in (2011); the snowiest, 7.9 inches (1989).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 57.9°F: 2021 57.2°F (−0.7), 2022 61.3°F (+3.4), 2023 56.6°F (−1.3), 2024 63.7°F (+5.8), 2025 56.1°F (−1.8), 2026 55.1°F (−2.8). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57.2°F | −0.7°F | 1.63 in |
| 2022 | 61.3°F | +3.4°F | 3.02 in |
| 2023 | 56.6°F | −1.3°F | 1.15 in |
| 2024 | 63.7°F | +5.8°F | 2.61 in |
| 2025 | 56.1°F | −1.8°F | 3.06 in |
| 2026 | 55.1°F | −2.8°F | 4.29 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record BUFthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014733. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Buffalo compare across New York?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in New York, May normal highs run from 60°F in Cooperstown to 74°F in Hudson; Buffalo's is 67°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.