Your trips
Organise your trips easily with tabs
London
New York
Any date
+ Search
background

New York in May: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Discover the weather for New York in May and if it’s a good time to travel (based on historical data).
Check flight prices to New York on Avionero:
May

Weather in New York in May 2024

Good Weather
Mild
☁️
Cloudy
Weather for New York in May is typically good with an average maximum temperature of +21°C during the day, and approximately 8 sunny days monthly. Typically, there are about 9 rainy days with the total average precipitation that falls in May around 99 mm. Expect good weather and pack accordingly to enjoy the outdoors. Search flights in one click on Avionero.

Average weather

☀️
+21°C
Avg. max. temperature
+2°C
Min.
+35°C
Max.
99 mm
Total precipitation
64%
Avg. humidity
3 m/s
Avg. wind
8 ☀️
Sunny Days
14 ⛅️
Cloudy
9 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: New York has good weather in May.

Average temperature in New York in May

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in New York for May based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

Going from a maximum of +35°C during the day to a minimum of +8°C during the night, the temperature in May averages around +22°C.

The average maximum temperature goes up 59% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +19°C to +35°C.

Is New York warm or cold in May?

New York is typically mild in May.

Maximum temperatures go down 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:

Climate in New York in May

New York weather looks like this, on average, in May and the surrounding months.
AprilMayJune
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
101 mm99 mm100 mm
Wind
4 m/s3 m/s3 m/s
Humidity
59%64%65%
Air pressure
1014 HPa1014 HPa1013 HPa
Sunny days
889
Cloudy days
141412
Rainy days
899
Snowy days
000

May weather is still as good as in 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 101 mm to 99 mm. Humidity rises from 59% to 64%. Winds are calmer in comparison to April, going down from 4 m/s to 3 m/s on average. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 8 sunny days during the month.

June brings much the same weather, it remains good.

Wind

Wind speed in New York in May based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 5 m/s getting up to 10 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 increasing during May, going from 4 m/s to 5 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during May in New York based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 71% chance of rain on an average day in May, with total rainfall of approximately 167 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 40 mm, which is moderate rain. May is a pretty wet month with over 22 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of galoshes.
Here’s how May is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
New York wettest month is August, where a typical day has a 26% chance of precipitation and 111 mm of rainfall per day. February, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 14% chance of precipitation and 49 mm of rainfall per day.

How was the weather last May in New York?

This is the weather in New York in May 2023:
1 May
☀️
+19°C
2 May
🌧️
+14°C
3 May
☁️
+17°C
4 May
🌧️
+18°C
5 May
☀️
+23°C
6 May
☀️
+17°C
7 May
🌧️
+10°C
8 May
🌧️
+15°C
9 May
☀️
+20°C
10 May
☀️
+22°C
11 May
☁️
+23°C
12 May
☁️
+21°C
13 May
🌧️
+22°C
14 May
🌫️
+21°C
15 May
🌧️
+25°C
16 May
☀️
+24°C
17 May
☀️
+25°C
18 May
☀️
+23°C
19 May
🌧️
+19°C
20 May
🌫️
+20°C
21 May
☀️
+32°C
22 May
☀️
+32°C
23 May
☀️
+29°C
24 May
☁️
+21°C
25 May
☀️
+20°C
26 May
☀️
+20°C
27 May
☁️
+25°C
28 May
🌧️
+25°C
29 May
☀️
+26°C
30 May
☀️
+30°C
31 May
☀️
+35°C
In May 2023 New York had 16 sunny days, 5 cloudy days, and 8 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +22°C, with an absolute maximum of +35°C and a minimum of +10°C. The average humidity was 66%, with a maximum of 97% and a minimum of 18%. The average wind speed was 5 m/s, with a maximum of 14 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in May?

Climate Change over Years

This is how New York climate have been changing during last 43 years period.

The climate in New York in May has not changed much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 2003 (+20°C) and the highest in 2015 (+27°C). The driest year was 1993 with only 33 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2004 with 408 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in New York in May:

Is May a good time to visit New York?

May is a really good time to go to New York. The weather is nice so plan your packing around outdoor activities and exploring. Check out other good time to visit New York.

Can you sunbathe in New York in May?

May has mild temperatures in New York. Not ideal for sunbathing, but still good for daytime outdoor activities, but plan for cool evenings. Pack a light jacket and shorts!

Is New York rainy in May?

New York is often rainy in May. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in New York in May?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in New York in May, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in USA

Check out the weather for 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, 2022.

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.