Tuscaloosa, AL weather in May
May in Tuscaloosa: warm and often humid, with some rain. Highs 83°F, lows 61°F, about 8 wet days.
- Normal high
- 83°F
- Normal low
- 61°F
- Wet days
- 8
- 3.6 in total
- Muggy days
- 11
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 79°F | 87°F |
| Normal low | 57°F | 66°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 27% | 29% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:02 am / 7:32 pm | 5:42 am / 7:53 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 60°F
- 9 am74°Fdew point 61°F
- Noon80°Fdew point 60°F
- 3 pm82°Fdew point 60°F
- 6 pm78°Fdew point 61°F
- 9 pm69°Fdew point 62°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Tuscaloosa Muni Airport (3 mi away); average wind 5 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°F5 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more5 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more11 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow8 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in6 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per May, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in May
Normal precipitation is 3.6 in; a dry May brings about 1.7 in and a wet one about 5.1 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20202019: average high 89°F
- Coolest May2013: average high 81°F
- Wettest May2003: 8.7 in
- Driest May2000: 0.09 in
- Highest reading98°F (May 26, 2019)
- Lowest reading41°F (May 6, 2017)
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 | 76°F | 83°F | 89°F |
| Normal low | 52°F | 61°F | 69°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| Comfortable days | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| Daylight | 13.0 h | 13.9 h | 14.3 h |
Highs change by +7°F from April and +6°F into June.
How Tuscaloosa ranks in May
- Normal high94th warmest of 378 cities; 4th of 6 in Alabama
- Wet days148th driest of 378
- Comfortable days251st most of 339
What to pack for Tuscaloosa in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 8 days
Heating and cooling
May has 17 heating degree days and 238 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Tuscaloosa in May?
The normal high is 83°F and the normal low is 61°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 98°F (May 26, 2019).
Does it rain a lot in Tuscaloosa in May?
About 8 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.6 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2003 (8.7 in); the driest was in 2000 (0.09 in).
Is May a good time to visit Tuscaloosa?
May ranks 6th of 12 months on our comfort score for Tuscaloosa (56 out of 100). It has about 5 comfortable days and about 5 days at 90°F or hotter. The best months are March and April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Tuscaloosa Muni Airport (USW00093806), 2.7 mi W of the city center, 150 ft (75 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Rain, snowfall and snow depth: Tuscaloosa Oliver Dam (USC00018385), 1.4 mi W of the city center, 152 ft (73 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Birmingham Airport (USW00013876), 54 mi ENE of the city center, 615 ft (390 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Tuscaloosa Municipal Arpt (722286-93806), 2.7 mi W of the city center, 149 ft (76 ft lower than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.