Rochester weather in May: Rochester, New York: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Rochester in May has a normal high of 69°F and a normal low of 48°F, a daily mean of 59°F, rising from 64°F on the 1st to 74°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 12 days in a normal May, 2.86 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 21°C and low of 9°C, 73 mm of precipitation and 0 cm of snow in May.
- NOAA stationFrederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014768
- Location43.12°N 77.68°W
- Elevation533 ft (163 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population207,282
- Jan 33° 19°
- Feb 35° 20°
- Mar 44° 27°
- Apr 57° 37°
- May 69° 48°
- Jun 78° 57°
- Jul 83° 62°
- Aug 81° 61°
- Sep 74° 54°
- Oct 61° 43°
- Nov 49° 34°
- Dec 39° 25°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Rochester in May?
The normal high is 69°F and the normal low 48°F, for a daily mean of 58.8°F. May is 12.0°F warmer than April and 8.8°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Rochester and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 10°F, from 64°F on May 1 to 74°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 55°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 42%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 64°F | 43°F | 42% | 22% |
| May 8 | 67°F | 46°F | 41% | 22% |
| May 15 | 69°F | 48°F | 41% | 22% |
| May 22 | 71°F | 50°F | 40% | 22% |
| May 31 | 74°F | 53°F | 39% | 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 | 64°F | 43°F | 42% | 22% | 14 h |
| May 2 | 65°F | 43°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 3 | 65°F | 44°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 4 | 65°F | 44°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 5 | 66°F | 45°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 6 | 66°F | 45°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 7 | 67°F | 45°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 8 | 67°F | 46°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 9 | 67°F | 46°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 10 | 68°F | 46°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 11 | 68°F | 47°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 12 | 68°F | 47°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 13 | 69°F | 47°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 14 | 69°F | 48°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 15 | 69°F | 48°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 16 | 70°F | 48°F | 41% | 22% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 17 | 70°F | 49°F | 40% | 22% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 18 | 70°F | 49°F | 40% | 22% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 19 | 71°F | 49°F | 40% | 22% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 20 | 71°F | 50°F | 40% | 22% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 21 | 71°F | 50°F | 40% | 22% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 22 | 71°F | 50°F | 40% | 22% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 23 | 72°F | 51°F | 40% | 22% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 24 | 72°F | 51°F | 40% | 22% | 15 h |
| May 25 | 72°F | 51°F | 39% | 22% | 15 h |
| May 26 | 73°F | 52°F | 39% | 22% | 15 h |
| May 27 | 73°F | 52°F | 39% | 22% | 15 h |
| May 28 | 73°F | 52°F | 39% | 22% | 15 h |
| May 29 | 73°F | 52°F | 39% | 22% | 15 h |
| May 30 | 74°F | 53°F | 39% | 22% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 31 | 74°F | 53°F | 39% | 22% | 15 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 69°FMay average
- Normal low
- 48°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 2.86 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 120.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.1 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h to 15 h 10 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 14
- Days at 80°F or more
- 6
- Sunshine
- 71%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00014768; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Rochester in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 40% on average, highest around May 1 (42%). In all, 2.86 in falls on 12 days of a normal May.
In a normal May in Rochester, 1 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00014768.
How humid and windy is Rochester in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 70°F with 52% relative humidity and a dew point of 52°F; at 6 a.m. it is 56°F with 83% humidity. The wind averages 8.2 mph, most often from the west-northwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 56°F | 51°F | 83% | 6.7 mph | 29% |
| 9 a.m. | 64°F | 53°F | 66% | 8.9 mph | 27% |
| noon | 69°F | 52°F | 54% | 10.5 mph | 21% |
| 3 p.m. | 70°F | 52°F | 52% | 11.4 mph | 19% |
| 6 p.m. | 68°F | 51°F | 53% | 10.0 mph | 23% |
| 9 p.m. | 62°F | 52°F | 69% | 6.2 mph | 31% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014768. 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 Rochester?
The warmest May temperature on Rochester's official record (since 1872) is 94°F, on May 14, 1974; the coldest is 26°F, on May 7, 1970. The wettest May brought 6.87 in (1894); the snowiest, 10.9 inches (1989).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 58.8°F: 2021 56.9°F (−1.9), 2022 60.6°F (+1.8), 2023 55.6°F (−3.2), 2024 63.3°F (+4.5), 2025 56.4°F (−2.4), 2026 55.9°F (−2.9). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56.9°F | −1.9°F | 1.28 in |
| 2022 | 60.6°F | +1.8°F | 2.41 in |
| 2023 | 55.6°F | −3.2°F | 1.39 in |
| 2024 | 63.3°F | +4.5°F | 3.14 in |
| 2025 | 56.4°F | −2.4°F | 4.95 in |
| 2026 | 55.9°F | −2.9°F | 3.61 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ROCthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00014768. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Rochester 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; Rochester's is 69°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.