Memphis weather in May: Memphis, Tennessee: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Memphis in May has a normal high of 82°F and a normal low of 62°F, a daily mean of 72°F, rising from 77°F on the 1st to 86°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal May, 5.27 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 28°C and low of 17°C, 134 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationMemphis International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013893
- Location35.06°N 89.99°W
- Elevation254 ft (77 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population610,919
- Jan 51° 33°
- Feb 56° 37°
- Mar 64° 44°
- Apr 73° 53°
- May 82° 62°
- Jun 89° 70°
- Jul 92° 74°
- Aug 92° 73°
- Sep 86° 66°
- Oct 75° 54°
- Nov 63° 43°
- Dec 53° 36°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Memphis in May?
The normal high is 82°F and the normal low 62°F, for a daily mean of 72.1°F. May is 8.9°F warmer than April and 7.8°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Memphis and the 4th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 9°F, from 77°F on May 1 to 86°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 70°F and 74°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 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 77°F | 58°F | 34% | 24% |
| May 8 | 79°F | 60°F | 34% | 23% |
| May 15 | 81°F | 62°F | 34% | 22% |
| May 22 | 84°F | 64°F | 33% | 21% |
| May 31 | 86°F | 67°F | 32% | 20% |
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 | 58°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 2 | 78°F | 58°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 3 | 78°F | 58°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 4 | 78°F | 59°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 5 | 79°F | 59°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 6 | 79°F | 59°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 7 | 79°F | 60°F | 34% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 8 | 79°F | 60°F | 34% | 23% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 9 | 80°F | 60°F | 34% | 23% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 80°F | 61°F | 34% | 23% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 80°F | 61°F | 34% | 23% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 81°F | 61°F | 34% | 23% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 13 | 81°F | 62°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 14 | 81°F | 62°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 15 | 81°F | 62°F | 34% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 16 | 82°F | 62°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 17 | 82°F | 63°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 18 | 82°F | 63°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 19 | 83°F | 63°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 20 | 83°F | 64°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 21 | 83°F | 64°F | 33% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 22 | 84°F | 64°F | 33% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 23 | 84°F | 65°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 24 | 84°F | 65°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 25 | 84°F | 65°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 85°F | 66°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 27 | 85°F | 66°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 28 | 85°F | 66°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 29 | 86°F | 66°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 30 | 86°F | 67°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 31 | 86°F | 67°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 82°FMay average
- Normal low
- 62°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 5.27 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 3
- 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
- 77%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013893; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Memphis in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around May 3 (34%). In all, 5.27 in falls on 11 days of a normal May, 2 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Memphis, 3 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013893.
How humid and windy is Memphis in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 83°F with 52% relative humidity and a dew point of 64°F; at 6 a.m. it is 70°F with 82% humidity. The wind averages 7.6 mph, most often from the south-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 70°F | 64°F | 82% | 6.0 mph | 29% |
| 9 a.m. | 77°F | 65°F | 66% | 8.3 mph | 24% |
| noon | 82°F | 65°F | 56% | 9.2 mph | 17% |
| 3 p.m. | 83°F | 64°F | 52% | 10.1 mph | 14% |
| 6 p.m. | 80°F | 64°F | 57% | 8.8 mph | 26% |
| 9 p.m. | 75°F | 65°F | 70% | 6.7 mph | 38% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013893. 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 Memphis?
The warmest May temperature on Memphis's official record (since 1875) is 99°F, on May 30, 1977; the coldest is 36°F, on May 4, 2013. The wettest May brought 13.34 in (1893).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 72.1°F: 2021 69.5°F (−2.6), 2022 74.3°F (+2.2), 2023 72.7°F (+0.6), 2024 74.6°F (+2.5), 2025 70.3°F (−1.8), 2026 71.5°F (−0.6). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 69.5°F | −2.6°F | 4.01 in |
| 2022 | 74.3°F | +2.2°F | 4.05 in |
| 2023 | 72.7°F | +0.6°F | 2.05 in |
| 2024 | 74.6°F | +2.5°F | 6.62 in |
| 2025 | 70.3°F | −1.8°F | 8.96 in |
| 2026 | 71.5°F | −0.6°F | 7.07 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record MEMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013893. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Memphis compare across Tennessee?
Across the 116 places PlainClimate covers in Tennessee, May normal highs run from 71°F in Roan Mountain to 82°F in Collierville; Memphis's is 82°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.