Birmingham, AL weather in May
May in Birmingham: warm, with some rain. Highs 82°F, lows 61°F, rain on about 10 days.
- Normal high
- 82°F
- Normal low
- 61°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 4.9 in total
- Muggy days
- 9
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 79°F | 85°F |
| Normal low | 57°F | 65°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 31% | 34% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 5:58 am / 7:29 pm | 5:38 am / 7:51 pm |
| Daylight | 13.5 h | 14.2 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Central Time).
A typical May day
- 6 am64°Fdew point 59°F
- 9 am73°Fdew point 60°F
- Noon78°Fdew point 59°F
- 3 pm80°Fdew point 59°F
- 6 pm76°Fdew point 59°F
- 9 pm69°Fdew point 60°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Birmingham Airport (5 mi away); average wind 6 mph; clear or few clouds in 36% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 41%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F7 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more3 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more9 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow10 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in7 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more0 of 31
Average days per May, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in May
Normal precipitation is 4.9 in; a dry May brings about 2.7 in and a wet one about 6.2 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 4 days bring half an inch or more, and about 2 an inch or more.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20202019: average high 86°F
- Coolest May1997: average high 78°F
- Wettest May2003: 17.2 in
- Driest May2000: 0.9 in
- Highest reading96°F (May 24, 1996)
- Lowest reading40°F (May 10, 2020)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
May compared with April and June
| April | May | June | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 75°F | 82°F | 88°F |
| Normal low | 52°F | 61°F | 69°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 16 | 7 | 1 |
| Daylight | 13.0 h | 13.9 h | 14.3 h |
Highs change by +7°F from April and +6°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Drier: Destin, FL217 mi · high 84°F · 6 wet days
- Cooler: Gatlinburg, TN241 mi · high 75°F · 15 wet days
How Birmingham ranks in May
- Normal high107th warmest of 378 cities; 6th of 6 in Alabama
- Wet days191st driest of 378
- Comfortable days242nd most of 339
What to pack for Birmingham in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 10 days
Heating and cooling
May has 21 heating degree days and 223 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Birmingham in May?
The normal high is 82°F and the normal low is 61°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 96°F (May 24, 1996).
Does it rain a lot in Birmingham in May?
About 10 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 4.9 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2003 (17.2 in); the driest was in 2000 (0.9 in).
Is May a good time to visit Birmingham?
May ranks 5th of 12 months on our comfort score for Birmingham (59 out of 100). It has about 7 comfortable days and about 3 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Birmingham Airport (USW00013876), 4.5 mi NE of the city center, 615 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Birmingham International Airport (722280-13876), 4.5 mi NE of the city center, 616 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.