Charlotte weather in May: Charlotte, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Charlotte in May has a normal high of 80°F and a normal low of 58°F, a daily mean of 69°F, rising from 77°F on the 1st to 83°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal May, 3.36 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 27°C and low of 14°C, 85 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationCharlotte Douglas Airport
- Station IDUSW00013881
- Location35.22°N 80.96°W
- Elevation728 ft (222 m)
- From the center7 miles
- Population943,476
- Jan 52° 32°
- Feb 57° 35°
- Mar 64° 41°
- Apr 73° 49°
- May 80° 58°
- Jun 87° 66°
- Jul 90° 70°
- Aug 89° 69°
- Sep 83° 63°
- Oct 73° 50°
- Nov 63° 40°
- Dec 55° 35°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Charlotte in May?
The normal high is 80°F and the normal low 58°F, for a daily mean of 69.0°F. May is 7.9°F warmer than April and 7.6°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Charlotte and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 6°F, from 77°F on May 1 to 83°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 66°F and 72°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 33%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 77°F | 54°F | 30% | 20% |
| May 8 | 79°F | 56°F | 31% | 20% |
| May 15 | 80°F | 58°F | 31% | 20% |
| May 22 | 81°F | 60°F | 32% | 20% |
| May 31 | 83°F | 62°F | 33% | 21% |
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 | 77°F | 54°F | 30% | 20% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 2 | 77°F | 54°F | 30% | 20% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 3 | 78°F | 54°F | 30% | 20% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 4 | 78°F | 54°F | 30% | 20% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 5 | 78°F | 55°F | 31% | 20% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 6 | 78°F | 55°F | 31% | 20% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 7 | 78°F | 55°F | 31% | 20% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 8 | 79°F | 56°F | 31% | 20% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 9 | 79°F | 56°F | 31% | 20% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 79°F | 56°F | 31% | 20% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 79°F | 57°F | 31% | 20% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 79°F | 57°F | 31% | 20% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 13 | 79°F | 57°F | 31% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 14 | 80°F | 57°F | 31% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 15 | 80°F | 58°F | 31% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 16 | 80°F | 58°F | 31% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 17 | 80°F | 58°F | 31% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 18 | 80°F | 59°F | 31% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 19 | 81°F | 59°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 20 | 81°F | 59°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 21 | 81°F | 60°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 22 | 81°F | 60°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 23 | 82°F | 60°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 24 | 82°F | 60°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 25 | 82°F | 61°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 82°F | 61°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 27 | 82°F | 61°F | 33% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 28 | 83°F | 62°F | 33% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 29 | 83°F | 62°F | 33% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 30 | 83°F | 62°F | 33% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 31 | 83°F | 62°F | 33% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 80°FMay average
- Normal low
- 58°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.36 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 2
- Daylight
- 13 h 30 min to 14 h 20 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 28
- Days at 80°F or more
- 18
- Sunshine
- 77%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013881; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Charlotte in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 31% on average, highest around May 31 (33%). In all, 3.36 in falls on 10 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Charlotte, 2 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013881.
How humid and windy is Charlotte in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 82°F with 49% relative humidity and a dew point of 61°F; at 6 a.m. it is 65°F with 87% humidity. The wind averages 6.1 mph, most often from the southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 65°F | 61°F | 87% | 4.2 mph | 29% |
| 9 a.m. | 73°F | 62°F | 68% | 6.7 mph | 29% |
| noon | 79°F | 62°F | 55% | 7.4 mph | 19% |
| 3 p.m. | 82°F | 61°F | 49% | 8.2 mph | 16% |
| 6 p.m. | 79°F | 61°F | 54% | 7.4 mph | 22% |
| 9 p.m. | 73°F | 62°F | 69% | 5.5 mph | 32% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013881. 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 Charlotte?
The warmest May temperature on Charlotte's official record (since 1878) is 98°F, on May 29, 1941; the coldest is 32°F, on May 2, 1963. The wettest May brought 12.48 in (1975).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 69.0°F: 2021 68.3°F (−0.7), 2022 71.8°F (+2.8), 2023 67.7°F (−1.3), 2024 72.2°F (+3.2), 2025 69.8°F (+0.8), 2026 68.8°F (−0.2). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 68.3°F | −0.7°F | 1.81 in |
| 2022 | 71.8°F | +2.8°F | 2.91 in |
| 2023 | 67.7°F | −1.3°F | 2.78 in |
| 2024 | 72.2°F | +3.2°F | 7.34 in |
| 2025 | 69.8°F | +0.8°F | 5.07 in |
| 2026 | 68.8°F | −0.2°F | 5.87 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CLTthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013881. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Charlotte compare across North Carolina?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in North Carolina, May normal highs run from 61°F in Beech Mountain to 83°F in Laurinburg; Charlotte's is 80°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.