Providence weather in May: Providence, Rhode Island: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Providence in May has a normal high of 69°F and a normal low of 49°F, a daily mean of 59°F, rising from 65°F on the 1st to 73°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal May, 3.37 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 10°C, 86 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationRhode Island T.f. Green International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014765
- Location41.72°N 71.43°W
- Elevation60 ft (18 m)
- From the center7 miles
- Population194,706
- Jan 38° 22°
- Feb 41° 24°
- Mar 48° 30°
- Apr 59° 40°
- May 69° 49°
- Jun 78° 59°
- Jul 84° 65°
- Aug 82° 64°
- Sep 75° 57°
- Oct 64° 45°
- Nov 53° 36°
- Dec 43° 28°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Providence in May?
The normal high is 69°F and the normal low 49°F, for a daily mean of 59.1°F. May is 9.8°F warmer than April and 9.1°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Providence and the 11th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 8°F, from 65°F on May 1 to 73°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 57°F and 62°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 40%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 65°F | 45°F | 40% | 24% |
| May 8 | 67°F | 47°F | 40% | 23% |
| May 15 | 69°F | 49°F | 40% | 23% |
| May 22 | 71°F | 51°F | 39% | 23% |
| May 31 | 73°F | 54°F | 38% | 22% |
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 | 65°F | 45°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 65°F | 45°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 3 | 65°F | 45°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 4 | 66°F | 46°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 66°F | 46°F | 40% | 24% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 66°F | 46°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 7 | 67°F | 47°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 8 | 67°F | 47°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 9 | 67°F | 47°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 67°F | 48°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 11 | 68°F | 48°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 12 | 68°F | 48°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 13 | 68°F | 48°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 68°F | 49°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 15 | 69°F | 49°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 16 | 69°F | 49°F | 39% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 17 | 69°F | 50°F | 39% | 23% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 18 | 69°F | 50°F | 39% | 23% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 70°F | 50°F | 39% | 23% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 20 | 70°F | 50°F | 39% | 23% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 21 | 70°F | 51°F | 39% | 23% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 22 | 71°F | 51°F | 39% | 23% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 23 | 71°F | 51°F | 39% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 71°F | 52°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 25 | 71°F | 52°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 26 | 72°F | 52°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 27 | 72°F | 52°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 28 | 72°F | 53°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 29 | 72°F | 53°F | 38% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 30 | 73°F | 53°F | 38% | 22% | 15 h |
| May 31 | 73°F | 54°F | 38% | 22% | 15 h |
- Normal high
- 69°FMay average
- Normal low
- 49°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.37 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 hMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 14
- Days at 80°F or more
- 5
- Sunshine
- 72%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014765; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Providence in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 39% on average, highest around May 1 (40%). In all, 3.37 in falls on 12 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Providence, 1 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014765.
How humid and windy is Providence in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 70°F with 54% relative humidity and a dew point of 53°F; at 6 a.m. it is 58°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 9.0 mph, most often from the south-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 58°F | 52°F | 80% | 7.0 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 65°F | 53°F | 64% | 9.3 mph | – |
| noon | 70°F | 53°F | 55% | 11.3 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 70°F | 53°F | 54% | 12.8 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 67°F | 53°F | 61% | 10.7 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 61°F | 53°F | 74% | 7.8 mph | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014765. 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 Providence?
The warmest May temperature on Providence's official record (since 1904) is 96°F, on May 26, 2010; the coldest is 29°F, on May 9, 1956. The wettest May brought 10.58 in (1948); the snowiest, 7.0 inches (1977).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 59.1°F: 2021 59.9°F (+0.8), 2022 61.6°F (+2.5), 2023 57.1°F (−2.0), 2024 59.6°F (+0.5), 2025 59.6°F (+0.5), 2026 60.2°F (+1.1). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59.9°F | +0.8°F | 4.64 in |
| 2022 | 61.6°F | +2.5°F | 1.50 in |
| 2023 | 57.1°F | −2.0°F | 3.50 in |
| 2024 | 59.6°F | +0.5°F | 7.57 in |
| 2025 | 59.6°F | +0.5°F | 8.05 in |
| 2026 | 60.2°F | +1.1°F | 2.01 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record PVDthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014765. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Providence compare across Rhode Island?
Across the 6 places PlainClimate covers in Rhode Island, May normal highs run from 65°F in Newport to 70°F in Tiverton; Providence's is 69°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.