Raleigh weather in May: Raleigh, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Raleigh in May has a normal high of 80°F and a normal low of 58°F, a daily mean of 69°F, rising from 77°F on the 1st to 84°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal May, 3.38 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 27°C and low of 14°C, 86 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationRaleigh-Durham International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013722
- Location35.89°N 78.78°W
- Elevation416 ft (127 m)
- From the center9 miles
- Population499,825
- Jan 52° 32°
- Feb 56° 34°
- Mar 63° 40°
- Apr 73° 49°
- May 80° 58°
- Jun 87° 66°
- Jul 91° 70°
- Aug 89° 69°
- Sep 83° 63°
- Oct 73° 50°
- Nov 63° 40°
- Dec 55° 34°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Raleigh in May?
The normal high is 80°F and the normal low 58°F, for a daily mean of 68.8°F. May is 8.0°F warmer than April and 7.9°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Raleigh and the 9th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 7°F, from 77°F on May 1 to 84°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 66°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 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 77°F | 54°F | 32% | 21% |
| May 8 | 78°F | 55°F | 32% | 21% |
| May 15 | 80°F | 57°F | 33% | 22% |
| May 22 | 81°F | 59°F | 33% | 22% |
| May 31 | 84°F | 62°F | 34% | 23% |
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 | 54°F | 32% | 21% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 2 | 77°F | 54°F | 32% | 21% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 3 | 77°F | 54°F | 32% | 21% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 4 | 77°F | 54°F | 32% | 21% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 5 | 78°F | 55°F | 32% | 21% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 6 | 78°F | 55°F | 32% | 21% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 7 | 78°F | 55°F | 32% | 21% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 8 | 78°F | 55°F | 32% | 21% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 9 | 78°F | 56°F | 32% | 21% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 79°F | 56°F | 32% | 21% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 79°F | 56°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h |
| May 12 | 79°F | 57°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h |
| May 13 | 79°F | 57°F | 33% | 21% | 14 h |
| May 14 | 80°F | 57°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 15 | 80°F | 57°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 16 | 80°F | 58°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 17 | 80°F | 58°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 18 | 80°F | 58°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 19 | 81°F | 59°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 20 | 81°F | 59°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 21 | 81°F | 59°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 22 | 81°F | 59°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 23 | 82°F | 60°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 24 | 82°F | 60°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 25 | 82°F | 60°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 26 | 82°F | 61°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 27 | 83°F | 61°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 28 | 83°F | 61°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 29 | 83°F | 61°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 30 | 83°F | 62°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 31 | 84°F | 62°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 80°FMay average
- Normal low
- 58°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.38 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 3
- Daylight
- 13 h 40 min to 14 h 20 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 27
- Days at 80°F or more
- 18
- Sunshine
- 78%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013722; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Raleigh in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 33% on average, highest around May 31 (34%). In all, 3.38 in falls on 10 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Raleigh, 3 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013722.
How humid and windy is Raleigh in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 82°F with 50% relative humidity and a dew point of 61°F; at 6 a.m. it is 65°F with 89% humidity. The wind averages 6.2 mph, most often from the southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 65°F | 61°F | 89% | 4.7 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 73°F | 62°F | 68% | 7.4 mph | – |
| noon | 80°F | 62°F | 55% | 7.8 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 82°F | 61°F | 50% | 8.4 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 79°F | 62°F | 56% | 7.1 mph | 19% |
| 9 p.m. | 71°F | 62°F | 75% | 4.6 mph | 32% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013722. 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 Raleigh?
The warmest May temperature on Raleigh's official record (since 1887) is 99°F, on May 28, 1941; the coldest is 29°F, on May 2, 1963. The wettest May brought 9.90 in (1901).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 68.8°F: 2021 66.8°F (−2.0), 2022 71.5°F (+2.7), 2023 66.8°F (−2.0), 2024 72.9°F (+4.1), 2025 71.2°F (+2.4), 2026 68.8°F (at normal). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 66.8°F | −2.0°F | 1.65 in |
| 2022 | 71.5°F | +2.7°F | 5.24 in |
| 2023 | 66.8°F | −2.0°F | 1.74 in |
| 2024 | 72.9°F | +4.1°F | 4.23 in |
| 2025 | 71.2°F | +2.4°F | 5.23 in |
| 2026 | 68.8°F | at normal | 1.54 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record RDUthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013722. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Raleigh compare across North Carolina?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in North Carolina, May normal highs run from 61°F in Beech Mountain to 83°F in Laurinburg; Raleigh's is 80°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.