Fort Smith, AR weather in May
Fort Smith is warm in May, with frequent rain: highs average 81°F and nights drop to about 60°F. There are about 11 days with rain. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 81°F
- Normal low
- 60°F
- Wet days
- 11
- 5.6 in total
- Muggy days
- 9
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 78°F | 86°F |
| Normal low | 55°F | 64°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 35% | 33% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:25 am / 8:03 pm | 6:04 am / 8:26 pm |
| Daylight | 13.6 h | 14.4 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 am62°Fdew point 59°F
- 9 am70°Fdew point 60°F
- Noon76°Fdew point 60°F
- 3 pm79°Fdew point 60°F
- 6 pm77°Fdew point 60°F
- 9 pm70°Fdew point 60°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Ft Smith Rgnl Airport (4 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 57% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 34%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F8 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 snow11 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 5.6 in; a dry May brings about 3.5 in and a wet one about 6.5 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, 1991-20202018: average high 88°F
- Coolest May1995: average high 77°F
- Wettest May2015: 19.9 in
- Driest May2012: 1.1 in
- Highest reading97°F (May 28, 2012)
- Lowest reading37°F (May 3, 2013)
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 | 81°F | 89°F |
| Normal low | 50°F | 60°F | 68°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 11 | 9 |
| Comfortable days | 16 | 8 | 1 |
| Daylight | 13.1 h | 14.0 h | 14.5 h |
Highs change by +6°F from April and +8°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Cooler: Springfield, MO140 mi · high 76°F · 12 wet days
How Fort Smith ranks in May
- Normal high115th warmest of 378 cities; 1st of 4 in Arkansas
- Wet days218th driest of 378
- Comfortable days237th most of 339
What to pack for Fort Smith in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 11 days
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.0 hours of daylight and highs near 81°F
Heating and cooling
May has 28 heating degree days and 197 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Fort Smith in May?
The normal high is 81°F and the normal low is 60°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 97°F (most recently on May 28, 2012).
Does it rain a lot in Fort Smith in May?
About 11 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 5.6 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2015 (19.9 in); the driest was in 2012 (1.2 in).
Is May a good time to visit Fort Smith?
May ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Fort Smith (60 out of 100). It has about 8 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: Ft Smith Rgnl Airport (USW00013964), 4.2 mi SSE of the city center, 449 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Fort Smith Regional Airport (723440-13964), 4.1 mi SSE of the city center, 448 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.