Weather in New York in May 2025
Average weather
Average temperature in New York in May
The expected average maximum temperature in May is +22°C with a maximum of +29°C and a minimum of +8°C.
The average maximum temperature goes up 33% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +16°C to +23°C.
Is New York warm or cold in May?
New York is typically mild in May.
Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +16°C to +21°C. The minimum temperature also goes up from +8°C to +13°C.
Pack a light jacket as it will be warm in the day and cool in the evenings.
Take a look at how May is compared to other months in New York:
Water temperature in New York in May
Water in New York in May is Cold. It varies from +7°C to +14°C, with an average of +11°C. The air temperature averaging +21°C is higher than the water temperature.
In May, water temperatures are average relative to the rest of the year:
Can you swim in New York in May?
Climate in New York in May
| April | May | June | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +16°C | +21°C | +26°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| -7°C | +2°C | +7°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +36°C | +35°C | +36°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 103 mm | 98 mm | 101 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 5 m/s | 4 m/s | 4 m/s | ||||
| Avg. water temperature | ||||||
| +7°C | +11°C | +18°C | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 59% | 64% | 65% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1014 HPa | 1015 HPa | 1014 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | 7 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 7 | 8 | 7 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | 13 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
May often has better weather than April. It’s getting warmer as May arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +16°C to +21°C during the day. As May arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 103 mm to 98 mm. Humidity rises from 59% to 64%. Winds are calmer in comparison to April, going down from 5 m/s to 4 m/s on average. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 7 sunny days during the month.
June brings much the same weather, it remains good.
Wind
The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 8 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in New York is gradually decreasing during May, going from 7 m/s to 3 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
How was the weather last May in New York?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in New York in May has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1996 (+15°C) and the highest in 2016 (+19°C). The driest year was 1982 with only 711 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2023 with 1785 mm.
FAQ
Is May a good time to visit New York?
Can you sunbathe in New York in May?
Can you swim in New York in May?
Is New York rainy in May?
Is it sunny in New York in May?
Other cities in USA
Monthly weather in New York
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in New York, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.