New York weather in May: New York, New York: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
New York in May has a normal high of 71°F and a normal low of 55°F, a daily mean of 63°F, rising from 68°F on the 1st to 75°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal May, 3.96 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 22°C and low of 13°C, 101 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationNew York Central Park Tower
- Station IDUSW00094728
- Location40.78°N 73.97°W
- Elevation130 ft (40 m)
- From the center8 miles
- Population8,478,072
- Jan 40° 28°
- Feb 42° 30°
- Mar 50° 36°
- Apr 62° 46°
- May 71° 55°
- Jun 80° 64°
- Jul 85° 70°
- Aug 83° 69°
- Sep 76° 62°
- Oct 65° 51°
- Nov 54° 42°
- Dec 44° 34°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is New York in May?
The normal high is 71°F and the normal low 55°F, for a daily mean of 63.2°F. May is 9.5°F warmer than April and 8.8°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in New York and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 7°F, from 68°F on May 1 to 75°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 61°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 | 68°F | 51°F | 38% | 23% |
| May 8 | 70°F | 53°F | 38% | 23% |
| May 15 | 71°F | 55°F | 37% | 23% |
| May 22 | 73°F | 57°F | 37% | 23% |
| May 31 | 75°F | 59°F | 37% | 24% |
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 | 68°F | 51°F | 38% | 23% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 2 | 68°F | 51°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 68°F | 51°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 4 | 68°F | 52°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 5 | 69°F | 52°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h |
| May 6 | 69°F | 52°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 69°F | 53°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 8 | 70°F | 53°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 9 | 70°F | 53°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 10 | 70°F | 53°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 70°F | 54°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 12 | 71°F | 54°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 13 | 71°F | 54°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 14 | 71°F | 54°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 15 | 71°F | 55°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 71°F | 55°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 17 | 72°F | 55°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 18 | 72°F | 56°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 19 | 72°F | 56°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 20 | 72°F | 56°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 21 | 73°F | 56°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 22 | 73°F | 57°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 23 | 73°F | 57°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 24 | 73°F | 57°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 25 | 74°F | 58°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 26 | 74°F | 58°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 27 | 74°F | 58°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 74°F | 58°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 29 | 75°F | 59°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 30 | 75°F | 59°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 31 | 75°F | 59°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h 50 min |
- Normal high
- 71°FMay average
- Normal low
- 55°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.96 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 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
- 18
- Days at 80°F or more
- 7
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094728; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in New York in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 37% on average, highest around May 1 (38%). In all, 3.96 in falls on 12 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in New York, 1 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094728.
What are the records for May in New York?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1869) is 99°F, on May 19, 1962; the coldest is 32°F, on May 6, 1891. The wettest May brought 10.24 in (1989).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 63.2°F: 2021 62.9°F (−0.3), 2022 64.0°F (+0.8), 2023 62.7°F (−0.5), 2024 65.0°F (+1.8), 2025 62.3°F (−0.9), 2026 63.2°F (at normal). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 62.9°F | −0.3°F | 4.36 in |
| 2022 | 64.0°F | +0.8°F | 4.52 in |
| 2023 | 62.7°F | −0.5°F | 1.28 in |
| 2024 | 65.0°F | +1.8°F | 4.11 in |
| 2025 | 62.3°F | −0.9°F | 6.58 in |
| 2026 | 63.2°F | at normal | 3.05 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00094728; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094728. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in New York compare across New York?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in New York, May normal highs run from 60°F in Cooperstown to 74°F in Hudson; New York's is 71°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.