Cincinnati weather in May: Cincinnati, Ohio: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Cincinnati in May has a normal high of 75°F and a normal low of 54°F, a daily mean of 64°F, rising from 71°F on the 1st to 79°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 14 days in a normal May, 4.67 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 24°C and low of 12°C, 119 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
- Station IDUSW00093814
- Location39.04°N 84.67°W
- Elevation869 ft (265 m)
- From the center11 miles
- Population314,915
- Jan 40° 23°
- Feb 44° 26°
- Mar 54° 34°
- Apr 66° 44°
- May 75° 54°
- Jun 83° 62°
- Jul 86° 66°
- Aug 85° 65°
- Sep 79° 57°
- Oct 67° 46°
- Nov 54° 35°
- Dec 43° 28°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Cincinnati in May?
The normal high is 75°F and the normal low 54°F, for a daily mean of 64.1°F. May is 9.5°F warmer than April and 8.2°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Cincinnati and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 8°F, from 71°F on May 1 to 79°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 61°F and 68°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 45%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 71°F | 49°F | 45% | 30% |
| May 8 | 72°F | 51°F | 45% | 30% |
| May 15 | 74°F | 54°F | 44% | 29% |
| May 22 | 76°F | 56°F | 42% | 28% |
| May 31 | 79°F | 58°F | 41% | 27% |
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 | 71°F | 49°F | 45% | 30% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 2 | 71°F | 50°F | 45% | 30% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 3 | 71°F | 50°F | 45% | 30% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 4 | 71°F | 50°F | 45% | 30% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 5 | 72°F | 51°F | 45% | 30% | 14 h |
| May 6 | 72°F | 51°F | 45% | 30% | 14 h |
| May 7 | 72°F | 51°F | 45% | 30% | 14 h |
| May 8 | 72°F | 51°F | 45% | 30% | 14 h |
| May 9 | 73°F | 52°F | 45% | 30% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 10 | 73°F | 52°F | 45% | 30% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 11 | 73°F | 52°F | 44% | 30% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 12 | 73°F | 53°F | 44% | 30% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 13 | 74°F | 53°F | 44% | 29% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 14 | 74°F | 53°F | 44% | 29% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 15 | 74°F | 54°F | 44% | 29% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 16 | 74°F | 54°F | 44% | 29% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 17 | 75°F | 54°F | 43% | 29% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 18 | 75°F | 54°F | 43% | 29% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 19 | 75°F | 55°F | 43% | 29% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 20 | 76°F | 55°F | 43% | 28% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 21 | 76°F | 55°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 22 | 76°F | 56°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 23 | 76°F | 56°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 24 | 77°F | 56°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 25 | 77°F | 56°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 26 | 77°F | 57°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 27 | 77°F | 57°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 28 | 78°F | 57°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 29 | 78°F | 58°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 30 | 78°F | 58°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 31 | 79°F | 58°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 75°FMay average
- Normal low
- 54°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.67 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 140.01 inch or more
- Daylight
- 13 h 50 min to 14 h 40 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 22
- Days at 80°F or more
- 11
- Sunshine
- 72%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093814; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Cincinnati in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 43% on average, highest around May 1 (45%). In all, 4.67 in falls on 14 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093814.
How humid and windy is Cincinnati in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 76°F with 53% relative humidity and a dew point of 58°F; at 6 a.m. it is 61°F with 86% humidity. The wind averages 7.3 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 61°F | 56°F | 86% | 5.6 mph | 26% |
| 9 a.m. | 68°F | 58°F | 70% | 8.1 mph | 28% |
| noon | 74°F | 58°F | 58% | 9.1 mph | 15% |
| 3 p.m. | 76°F | 58°F | 53% | 9.8 mph | 15% |
| 6 p.m. | 75°F | 58°F | 56% | 8.5 mph | 18% |
| 9 p.m. | 68°F | 58°F | 71% | 5.9 mph | 29% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093814. 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 Cincinnati?
The warmest May temperature on Cincinnati's official record (since 1872) is 95°F, on May 28, 1911; the coldest is 27°F, on May 1, 1963. The wettest May brought 9.52 in (1905); the snowiest, 1.5 inches (1897).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 64.1°F: 2021 61.8°F (−2.3), 2022 67.2°F (+3.1), 2023 63.4°F (−0.7), 2024 68.1°F (+4.0), 2025 62.5°F (−1.6), 2026 62.7°F (−1.4). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 61.8°F | −2.3°F | 4.79 in |
| 2022 | 67.2°F | +3.1°F | 9.08 in |
| 2023 | 63.4°F | −0.7°F | 2.16 in |
| 2024 | 68.1°F | +4.0°F | 5.56 in |
| 2025 | 62.5°F | −1.6°F | 5.30 in |
| 2026 | 62.7°F | −1.4°F | 6.35 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CVGthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093814. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Cincinnati compare across Ohio?
Across the 99 places PlainClimate covers in Ohio, May normal highs run from 69°F in Sandusky to 76°F in Milford; Cincinnati's is 75°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.