Lancaster weather in May: Lancaster, Pennsylvania: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Lancaster in May has a normal high of 74°F and a normal low of 50°F, a daily mean of 62°F, rising from 69°F on the 1st to 78°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 14 days in a normal May, 3.44 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 23°C and low of 10°C, 87 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationLancaster Airport
- Station IDUSW00054737
- Location40.12°N 76.29°W
- Elevation403 ft (123 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population58,441
- Jan 40° 22°
- Feb 42° 23°
- Mar 52° 31°
- Apr 64° 40°
- May 74° 50°
- Jun 82° 60°
- Jul 86° 65°
- Aug 85° 63°
- Sep 78° 56°
- Oct 66° 44°
- Nov 54° 34°
- Dec 44° 27°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Lancaster in May?
The normal high is 74°F and the normal low 50°F, for a daily mean of 62.0°F. May is 10.2°F warmer than April and 9.2°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Lancaster and the 6th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 9°F, from 69°F on May 1 to 78°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 59°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 45%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 69°F | 45°F | 42% | 24% |
| May 8 | 71°F | 48°F | 44% | 24% |
| May 15 | 74°F | 50°F | 45% | 25% |
| May 22 | 75°F | 53°F | 44% | 25% |
| May 31 | 78°F | 56°F | 44% | 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 | 69°F | 45°F | 42% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 2 | 70°F | 46°F | 42% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 3 | 70°F | 46°F | 43% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 4 | 70°F | 46°F | 43% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 5 | 71°F | 47°F | 43% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 6 | 71°F | 47°F | 43% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 7 | 71°F | 47°F | 43% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 8 | 71°F | 48°F | 44% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 9 | 72°F | 48°F | 44% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 10 | 72°F | 48°F | 44% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 11 | 72°F | 49°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 12 | 73°F | 49°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 13 | 73°F | 49°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 14 | 73°F | 50°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 15 | 74°F | 50°F | 45% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 16 | 74°F | 50°F | 45% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 17 | 74°F | 51°F | 45% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 18 | 74°F | 51°F | 45% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 19 | 75°F | 51°F | 45% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 20 | 75°F | 52°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 21 | 75°F | 52°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 22 | 75°F | 53°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 23 | 76°F | 53°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 24 | 76°F | 53°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 25 | 76°F | 54°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 26 | 77°F | 54°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 27 | 77°F | 54°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 28 | 77°F | 55°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 29 | 77°F | 55°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 30 | 78°F | 55°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 31 | 78°F | 56°F | 44% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 74°FMay average
- Normal low
- 50°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.44 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 140.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Daylight
- 13 h 50 min to 14 h 50 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 19
- Days at 80°F or more
- 8
- Sunshine
- 69%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00054737; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Lancaster in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 44% on average, highest around May 16 (45%). In all, 3.44 in falls on 14 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Lancaster, 1 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00054737.
What are the records for May in Lancaster?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1999) is 95°F, on May 31, 2022; the coldest is 31°F, on May 9, 2020. The wettest May brought 8.57 in (2025).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 62.0°F: 2021 61.8°F (−0.2), 2022 65.5°F (+3.5), 2023 60.9°F (−1.1), 2024 65.3°F (+3.3), 2025 62.2°F (+0.2), 2026 60.7°F (−1.3). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 61.8°F | −0.2°F | 2.84 in |
| 2022 | 65.5°F | +3.5°F | 5.55 in |
| 2023 | 60.9°F | −1.1°F | 0.25 in |
| 2024 | 65.3°F | +3.3°F | 2.56 in |
| 2025 | 62.2°F | +0.2°F | 8.57 in |
| 2026 | 60.7°F | −1.3°F | 2.83 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00054737; recent months: ACIS, station USW00054737. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Lancaster compare across Pennsylvania?
Across the 108 places PlainClimate covers in Pennsylvania, May normal highs run from 65°F in Laporte to 75°F in Phoenixville; Lancaster's is 74°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.