Cleveland weather in May: Cleveland, Ohio: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Cleveland in May has a normal high of 71°F and a normal low of 51°F, a daily mean of 61°F, rising from 66°F on the 1st to 76°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 3.79 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 22°C and low of 11°C, 96 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationCleveland-Hopkins International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014820
- Location41.41°N 81.86°W
- Elevation763 ft (233 m)
- From the center10 miles
- Population365,379
- Jan 36° 22°
- Feb 39° 24°
- Mar 47° 31°
- Apr 60° 41°
- May 71° 51°
- Jun 80° 61°
- Jul 84° 65°
- Aug 82° 64°
- Sep 76° 57°
- Oct 64° 47°
- Nov 51° 37°
- Dec 40° 28°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Cleveland in May?
The normal high is 71°F and the normal low 51°F, for a daily mean of 61.2°F. May is 10.8°F warmer than April and 9.2°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Cleveland and the 3rd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 10°F, from 66°F on May 1 to 76°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 58°F and 65°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 46%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 66°F | 46°F | 46% | 27% |
| May 8 | 69°F | 49°F | 45% | 27% |
| May 15 | 71°F | 51°F | 44% | 26% |
| May 22 | 73°F | 53°F | 42% | 25% |
| May 31 | 76°F | 56°F | 40% | 24% |
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 | 66°F | 46°F | 46% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 67°F | 47°F | 46% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 67°F | 47°F | 45% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 4 | 68°F | 47°F | 45% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 5 | 68°F | 48°F | 45% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 68°F | 48°F | 45% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 69°F | 48°F | 45% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 8 | 69°F | 49°F | 45% | 27% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 9 | 69°F | 49°F | 44% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 69°F | 49°F | 44% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 70°F | 50°F | 44% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 12 | 70°F | 50°F | 44% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 13 | 70°F | 50°F | 44% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 14 | 71°F | 51°F | 44% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 15 | 71°F | 51°F | 44% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 71°F | 51°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 17 | 71°F | 52°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 18 | 72°F | 52°F | 43% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 19 | 72°F | 52°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 20 | 72°F | 53°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 21 | 73°F | 53°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 22 | 73°F | 53°F | 42% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 23 | 73°F | 54°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 24 | 74°F | 54°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 25 | 74°F | 54°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 26 | 74°F | 55°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 74°F | 55°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 75°F | 55°F | 41% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 29 | 75°F | 56°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 30 | 75°F | 56°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 31 | 76°F | 56°F | 40% | 24% | 15 h |
- Normal high
- 71°FMay average
- Normal low
- 51°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.79 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 hMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 16
- Days at 80°F or more
- 7
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014820; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Cleveland in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 43% on average, highest around May 1 (46%). In all, 3.79 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 USW00014820.
How humid and windy is Cleveland in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 72°F with 54% relative humidity and a dew point of 55°F; at 6 a.m. it is 59°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 8.6 mph, most often from the northwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 59°F | 53°F | 82% | 6.8 mph | 28% |
| 9 a.m. | 66°F | 55°F | 66% | 8.9 mph | 29% |
| noon | 71°F | 55°F | 58% | 10.4 mph | 25% |
| 3 p.m. | 72°F | 55°F | 54% | 11.6 mph | 25% |
| 6 p.m. | 70°F | 53°F | 55% | 10.0 mph | 25% |
| 9 p.m. | 65°F | 54°F | 66% | 7.1 mph | 34% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014820. 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 Cleveland?
The warmest May temperature on Cleveland's official record (since 1871) is 93°F, on May 28, 2018; the coldest is 25°F, on May 10, 1966. The wettest May brought 9.14 in (1989); the snowiest, 2.1 inches (1974).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 61.2°F: 2021 58.3°F (−2.9), 2022 63.9°F (+2.6), 2023 58.5°F (−2.7), 2024 65.1°F (+3.9), 2025 57.9°F (−3.3), 2026 58.0°F (−3.2). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 58.3°F | −2.9°F | 3.12 in |
| 2022 | 63.9°F | +2.6°F | 4.36 in |
| 2023 | 58.5°F | −2.7°F | 2.55 in |
| 2024 | 65.1°F | +3.9°F | 2.03 in |
| 2025 | 57.9°F | −3.3°F | 5.30 in |
| 2026 | 58.0°F | −3.2°F | 3.96 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CLEthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014820. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Cleveland 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; Cleveland's is 71°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.