Wilmington weather in May: Wilmington, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Wilmington in May has a normal high of 81°F and a normal low of 61°F, a daily mean of 71°F, rising from 78°F on the 1st to 84°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 10 days in a normal May, 4.54 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 27°C and low of 16°C, 115 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationWilmington Int'l Airport
- Station IDUSW00013748
- Location34.27°N 77.90°W
- Elevation33 ft (10 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population125,284
- Jan 57° 36°
- Feb 60° 38°
- Mar 67° 44°
- Apr 75° 53°
- May 81° 61°
- Jun 87° 69°
- Jul 90° 73°
- Aug 88° 72°
- Sep 84° 67°
- Oct 76° 56°
- Nov 67° 45°
- Dec 60° 39°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Wilmington in May?
The normal high is 81°F and the normal low 61°F, for a daily mean of 71.1°F. May is 7.5°F warmer than April and 7.1°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Wilmington and the 6th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 6°F, from 78°F on May 1 to 84°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 69°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 | 78°F | 57°F | 28% | 17% |
| May 8 | 80°F | 59°F | 29% | 18% |
| May 15 | 81°F | 61°F | 31% | 19% |
| May 22 | 82°F | 63°F | 32% | 21% |
| May 31 | 84°F | 65°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 | 78°F | 57°F | 28% | 17% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 2 | 79°F | 57°F | 28% | 18% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 3 | 79°F | 58°F | 29% | 18% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 4 | 79°F | 58°F | 29% | 18% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 5 | 79°F | 58°F | 29% | 18% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 6 | 79°F | 58°F | 29% | 18% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 7 | 80°F | 59°F | 29% | 18% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 8 | 80°F | 59°F | 29% | 18% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 9 | 80°F | 59°F | 29% | 18% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 80°F | 59°F | 30% | 19% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 80°F | 60°F | 30% | 19% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 80°F | 60°F | 30% | 19% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 13 | 81°F | 60°F | 30% | 19% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 14 | 81°F | 61°F | 30% | 19% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 15 | 81°F | 61°F | 31% | 19% | 14 h |
| May 16 | 81°F | 61°F | 31% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 17 | 81°F | 61°F | 31% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 18 | 81°F | 62°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 19 | 82°F | 62°F | 32% | 20% | 14 h |
| May 20 | 82°F | 62°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h |
| May 21 | 82°F | 63°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h |
| May 22 | 82°F | 63°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 23 | 82°F | 63°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 24 | 83°F | 63°F | 33% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 25 | 83°F | 64°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 83°F | 64°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 27 | 83°F | 64°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 28 | 83°F | 65°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 29 | 83°F | 65°F | 34% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 30 | 84°F | 65°F | 34% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 31 | 84°F | 65°F | 34% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
- Normal high
- 81°FMay average
- Normal low
- 61°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.54 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 100.01 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
- 30
- Days at 80°F or more
- 19
- Sunshine
- 82%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013748; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Wilmington in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 31% on average, highest around May 31 (34%). In all, 4.54 in falls on 10 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Wilmington, 3 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013748.
What are the records for May in Wilmington?
The warmest May temperature on Wilmington's official record (since 1874) is 101°F, on May 29, 2019; the coldest is 35°F, on May 2, 1963. The wettest May brought 14.36 in (2018).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 71.1°F: 2021 70.5°F (−0.6), 2022 75.0°F (+3.9), 2023 69.7°F (−1.4), 2024 73.8°F (+2.7), 2025 73.4°F (+2.3), 2026 69.8°F (−1.3). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 70.5°F | −0.6°F | 0.95 in |
| 2022 | 75.0°F | +3.9°F | 1.12 in |
| 2023 | 69.7°F | −1.4°F | 5.70 in |
| 2024 | 73.8°F | +2.7°F | 3.94 in |
| 2025 | 73.4°F | +2.3°F | 5.21 in |
| 2026 | 69.8°F | −1.3°F | 4.27 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ILMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013748. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Wilmington 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; Wilmington's is 81°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.