Little Rock weather in May: Little Rock, Arkansas: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Little Rock in May has a normal high of 81°F and a normal low of 59°F, a daily mean of 70°F, rising from 77°F on the 1st to 85°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal May, 5.08 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 27°C and low of 15°C, 129 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationLittle Rock Airport Adams Field
- Station IDUSW00013963
- Location34.73°N 92.24°W
- Elevation258 ft (79 m)
- From the center7 miles
- Population204,774
- Jan 51° 31°
- Feb 55° 34°
- Mar 64° 42°
- Apr 73° 50°
- May 81° 59°
- Jun 88° 68°
- Jul 92° 71°
- Aug 92° 70°
- Sep 85° 63°
- Oct 74° 51°
- Nov 62° 40°
- Dec 53° 33°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Little Rock in May?
The normal high is 81°F and the normal low 59°F, for a daily mean of 69.9°F. May is 8.5°F warmer than April and 8.1°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Little Rock and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 8°F, from 77°F on May 1 to 85°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 67°F and 72°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 35%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 77°F | 55°F | 34% | 24% |
| May 8 | 78°F | 57°F | 35% | 24% |
| May 15 | 80°F | 59°F | 34% | 23% |
| May 22 | 82°F | 61°F | 33% | 22% |
| May 31 | 85°F | 64°F | 31% | 21% |
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 | 77°F | 55°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 2 | 77°F | 55°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 3 | 77°F | 55°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 4 | 77°F | 56°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 5 | 78°F | 56°F | 35% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 6 | 78°F | 56°F | 35% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 7 | 78°F | 57°F | 35% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 8 | 78°F | 57°F | 35% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 9 | 79°F | 57°F | 35% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 79°F | 57°F | 35% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 79°F | 58°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 79°F | 58°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 13 | 80°F | 58°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 14 | 80°F | 59°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 15 | 80°F | 59°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 16 | 80°F | 59°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 17 | 81°F | 60°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 18 | 81°F | 60°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 19 | 81°F | 60°F | 33% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 20 | 82°F | 61°F | 33% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 21 | 82°F | 61°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 22 | 82°F | 61°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 23 | 83°F | 62°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 24 | 83°F | 62°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 25 | 83°F | 62°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 83°F | 63°F | 32% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 27 | 84°F | 63°F | 32% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 28 | 84°F | 63°F | 32% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 29 | 84°F | 63°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 30 | 85°F | 64°F | 31% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 31 | 85°F | 64°F | 31% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 81°FMay average
- Normal low
- 59°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 5.08 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 4
- Daylight
- 13 h 30 min to 14 h 20 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 29
- Days at 80°F or more
- 20
- Sunshine
- 75%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013963; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Little Rock in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around May 8 (35%). In all, 5.08 in falls on 11 days of a normal May, 2 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Little Rock, 4 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013963.
How humid and windy is Little Rock in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 83°F with 54% relative humidity and a dew point of 65°F; at 6 a.m. it is 69°F with 88% humidity. The wind averages 6.6 mph, most often from the south in the afternoon. A dew point of 65°F or more feels muggy to most people.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 69°F | 65°F | 88% | 4.8 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 76°F | 66°F | 70% | 8.0 mph | 24% |
| noon | 82°F | 65°F | 57% | 8.9 mph | 15% |
| 3 p.m. | 83°F | 65°F | 54% | 9.0 mph | 14% |
| 6 p.m. | 81°F | 65°F | 60% | 7.7 mph | 25% |
| 9 p.m. | 74°F | 66°F | 77% | 5.1 mph | 38% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013963. 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 Little Rock?
The warmest May temperature on Little Rock's official record (since 1879) is 98°F, on May 26, 1964; the coldest is 38°F, on May 4, 2013. The wettest May brought 15.91 in (1882).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 69.9°F: 2021 68.5°F (−1.4), 2022 73.7°F (+3.8), 2023 73.9°F (+4.0), 2024 75.6°F (+5.7), 2025 70.3°F (+0.4), 2026 71.0°F (+1.1). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 68.5°F | −1.4°F | 4.48 in |
| 2022 | 73.7°F | +3.8°F | 4.91 in |
| 2023 | 73.9°F | +4.0°F | 1.72 in |
| 2024 | 75.6°F | +5.7°F | 13.30 in |
| 2025 | 70.3°F | +0.4°F | 6.52 in |
| 2026 | 71.0°F | +1.1°F | 8.18 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record LITthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013963. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Little Rock compare across Arkansas?
Across the 86 places PlainClimate covers in Arkansas, May normal highs run from 70°F in Deer to 85°F in Crossett; Little Rock's is 81°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.