Lexington weather in May: Lexington, Kentucky: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Lexington in May has a normal high of 76°F and a normal low of 55°F, a daily mean of 65°F, rising from 72°F on the 1st to 80°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 5.44 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 24°C and low of 13°C, 138 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationLexington Bluegrass Airport
- Station IDUSW00093820
- Location38.04°N 84.61°W
- Elevation980 ft (299 m)
- From the center8 miles
- Population329,437
- Jan 42° 25°
- Feb 47° 28°
- Mar 56° 36°
- Apr 67° 45°
- May 76° 55°
- Jun 84° 63°
- Jul 87° 67°
- Aug 86° 65°
- Sep 80° 58°
- Oct 69° 47°
- Nov 56° 36°
- Dec 46° 30°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Lexington in May?
The normal high is 76°F and the normal low 55°F, for a daily mean of 65.4°F. May is 9.2°F warmer than April and 7.9°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Lexington and the wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 8°F, from 72°F on May 1 to 80°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 62°F and 69°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 44%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 72°F | 51°F | 44% | 28% |
| May 8 | 74°F | 53°F | 43% | 28% |
| May 15 | 76°F | 55°F | 41% | 28% |
| May 22 | 77°F | 57°F | 40% | 27% |
| May 31 | 80°F | 59°F | 39% | 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 | 72°F | 51°F | 44% | 28% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 2 | 72°F | 51°F | 44% | 28% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 3 | 73°F | 51°F | 43% | 28% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 4 | 73°F | 52°F | 43% | 28% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 5 | 73°F | 52°F | 43% | 28% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 6 | 73°F | 52°F | 43% | 28% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 7 | 74°F | 53°F | 43% | 28% | 14 h |
| May 8 | 74°F | 53°F | 43% | 28% | 14 h |
| May 9 | 74°F | 53°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h |
| May 10 | 74°F | 53°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h |
| May 11 | 75°F | 54°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h |
| May 12 | 75°F | 54°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 13 | 75°F | 54°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 14 | 75°F | 55°F | 42% | 28% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 15 | 76°F | 55°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 16 | 76°F | 55°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 17 | 76°F | 55°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 18 | 76°F | 56°F | 41% | 28% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 19 | 77°F | 56°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 20 | 77°F | 56°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 21 | 77°F | 56°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 22 | 77°F | 57°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 23 | 78°F | 57°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 24 | 78°F | 57°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 25 | 78°F | 58°F | 40% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 26 | 78°F | 58°F | 39% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 27 | 79°F | 58°F | 39% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 28 | 79°F | 58°F | 39% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 29 | 79°F | 59°F | 39% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 30 | 80°F | 59°F | 39% | 27% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 31 | 80°F | 59°F | 39% | 27% | 14 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 76°FMay average
- Normal low
- 55°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 5.44 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 inch or more
- Daylight
- 13 h 40 min to 14 h 40 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 23
- Days at 80°F or more
- 11
- Sunshine
- 72%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093820; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Lexington in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 41% on average, highest around May 1 (44%). In all, 5.44 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 USW00093820.
How humid and windy is Lexington in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 77°F with 54% relative humidity and a dew point of 59°F; at 6 a.m. it is 61°F with 87% humidity. The wind averages 7.1 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 | 57°F | 87% | 5.9 mph | 62% |
| 9 a.m. | 70°F | 60°F | 71% | 8.1 mph | 63% |
| noon | 75°F | 60°F | 59% | 8.9 mph | 54% |
| 3 p.m. | 77°F | 59°F | 54% | 9.5 mph | 54% |
| 6 p.m. | 75°F | 59°F | 58% | 7.8 mph | 62% |
| 9 p.m. | 69°F | 59°F | 72% | 5.4 mph | 66% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093820. 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 Lexington?
The warmest May temperature on Lexington's official record (since 1872) is 96°F, on May 22, 1941; the coldest is 26°F, on May 10, 1966. The wettest May brought 10.91 in (2004); the snowiest, 6.0 inches (1894).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 65.4°F: 2021 61.1°F (−4.3), 2022 68.7°F (+3.3), 2023 65.0°F (−0.4), 2024 69.3°F (+3.9), 2025 62.8°F (−2.6), 2026 64.4°F (−1.0). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 61.1°F | −4.3°F | 4.78 in |
| 2022 | 68.7°F | +3.3°F | 3.84 in |
| 2023 | 65.0°F | −0.4°F | 2.53 in |
| 2024 | 69.3°F | +3.9°F | 5.68 in |
| 2025 | 62.8°F | −2.6°F | 7.39 in |
| 2026 | 64.4°F | −1.0°F | 4.06 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record LEXthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093820. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Lexington compare across Kentucky?
Across the 68 places PlainClimate covers in Kentucky, May normal highs run from 74°F in Versailles to 81°F in Glasgow; Lexington's is 76°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.