Lincoln weather in May: Lincoln, Nebraska: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Lincoln in May has a normal high of 75°F and a normal low of 51°F, a daily mean of 63°F, rising from 69°F on the 1st to 81°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal May, 4.91 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 24°C and low of 11°C, 125 mm of precipitation and 0 cm of snow in May.
- NOAA stationLincoln Airport
- Station IDUSW00014939
- Location40.85°N 96.75°W
- Elevation1,190 ft (363 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population300,619
- Jan 36° 14°
- Feb 41° 18°
- Mar 54° 29°
- Apr 65° 39°
- May 75° 51°
- Jun 85° 62°
- Jul 89° 67°
- Aug 87° 64°
- Sep 80° 54°
- Oct 67° 41°
- Nov 52° 28°
- Dec 39° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Lincoln in May?
The normal high is 75°F and the normal low 51°F, for a daily mean of 63.1°F. May is 11.1°F warmer than April and 10.6°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Lincoln and the wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 12°F, from 69°F on May 1 to 81°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.0°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 60°F and 66°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 38%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 69°F | 45°F | 37% | 22% |
| May 8 | 72°F | 48°F | 38% | 23% |
| May 15 | 75°F | 51°F | 38% | 24% |
| May 22 | 77°F | 54°F | 38% | 25% |
| May 31 | 81°F | 57°F | 37% | 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 | 37% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 70°F | 45°F | 37% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 70°F | 46°F | 37% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 4 | 71°F | 46°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 5 | 71°F | 47°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 6 | 71°F | 47°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 72°F | 47°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 8 | 72°F | 48°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 9 | 72°F | 48°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 10 | 73°F | 49°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 73°F | 49°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 12 | 73°F | 50°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 13 | 74°F | 50°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 14 | 74°F | 50°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 15 | 75°F | 51°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 75°F | 51°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 17 | 75°F | 52°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 18 | 76°F | 52°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 19 | 76°F | 53°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 20 | 77°F | 53°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 21 | 77°F | 53°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 22 | 77°F | 54°F | 38% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 23 | 78°F | 54°F | 38% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 24 | 78°F | 55°F | 38% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 25 | 79°F | 55°F | 38% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 26 | 79°F | 55°F | 38% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 79°F | 56°F | 38% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 80°F | 56°F | 38% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 29 | 80°F | 57°F | 38% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 30 | 80°F | 57°F | 38% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 31 | 81°F | 57°F | 37% | 25% | 14 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 75°FMay average
- Normal low
- 51°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.91 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.1 inmonth total
- Days at 90°F or more
- 2
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h to 14 h 50 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 21
- Days at 80°F or more
- 11
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014939; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Lincoln in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 38% on average, highest around May 11 (38%). In all, 4.91 in falls on 12 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Lincoln, 2 days reach 90°F, 1 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014939.
How humid and windy is Lincoln in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 77°F with 47% relative humidity and a dew point of 56°F; at 6 a.m. it is 60°F with 84% humidity. The wind averages 9.5 mph, most often from the south-southeast in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 60°F | 55°F | 84% | 6.9 mph | 57% |
| 9 a.m. | 68°F | 57°F | 66% | 10.4 mph | 65% |
| noon | 75°F | 56°F | 52% | 12.1 mph | 56% |
| 3 p.m. | 77°F | 56°F | 47% | 12.6 mph | 62% |
| 6 p.m. | 75°F | 55°F | 50% | 11.5 mph | 63% |
| 9 p.m. | 68°F | 56°F | 66% | 8.4 mph | 70% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014939. 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 Lincoln?
The warmest May temperature on Lincoln's official record (since 1887) is 104°F, on May 30, 1934; the coldest is 24°F, on May 1, 1994. The wettest May brought 10.90 in (2015); the snowiest, 3.0 inches (1967).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 63.1°F: 2021 62.4°F (−0.7), 2022 64.1°F (+1.0), 2023 66.9°F (+3.8), 2024 64.6°F (+1.5), 2025 63.2°F (+0.1), 2026 64.5°F (+1.4). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 62.4°F | −0.7°F | 2.55 in |
| 2022 | 64.1°F | +1.0°F | 5.27 in |
| 2023 | 66.9°F | +3.8°F | 0.51 in |
| 2024 | 64.6°F | +1.5°F | 4.78 in |
| 2025 | 63.2°F | +0.1°F | 3.05 in |
| 2026 | 64.5°F | +1.4°F | 4.65 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record LNKthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014939. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Lincoln compare across Nebraska?
Across the 137 places PlainClimate covers in Nebraska, May normal highs run from 64°F in Harrison to 76°F in Beaver City; Lincoln's is 75°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.