Little Rock, AR weather in May
In May, Little Rock sees highs around 81°F and lows around 59°F: warm and often humid, with frequent rain. Rain falls on about 11 days.
- Normal high
- 81°F
- Normal low
- 59°F
- Wet days
- 11
- 5.1 in total
- Muggy days
- 11
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 77°F | 85°F |
| Normal low | 55°F | 64°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 34% | 32% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:18 am / 7:53 pm | 5:57 am / 8:16 pm |
| Daylight | 13.6 h | 14.3 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 am72°Fdew point 61°F
- Noon78°Fdew point 61°F
- 3 pm80°Fdew point 60°F
- 6 pm77°Fdew point 61°F
- 9 pm70°Fdew point 61°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Little Rock Airport Adams Fld (3 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 24% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 52%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F8 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more4 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more11 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 5.1 in; a dry May brings about 3.5 in and a wet one about 6.0 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 87°F
- Coolest May2002: average high 78°F
- Wettest May2009: 13.1 in
- Driest May2005: 1.1 in
- Highest reading98°F (May 31, 1998)
- Lowest reading38°F (May 4, 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 | 73°F | 81°F | 88°F |
| Normal low | 50°F | 59°F | 68°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 11 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 16 | 8 | 1 |
| Daylight | 13.1 h | 14.0 h | 14.4 h |
Highs change by +8°F from April and +7°F into June.
How Little Rock ranks in May
- Normal high129th warmest of 378 cities; 2nd of 4 in Arkansas
- Wet days219th driest of 378
- Comfortable days238th most of 339
What to pack for Little Rock in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 11 days
Heating and cooling
May has 30 heating degree days and 182 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Little Rock in May?
The normal high is 81°F and the normal low is 59°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 98°F (May 31, 1998).
Does it rain a lot in Little Rock in May?
About 11 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 5.1 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2009 (13.1 in); the driest was in 2005 (1.1 in).
Is May a good time to visit Little Rock?
May ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Little Rock (59 out of 100). It has about 8 comfortable days and about 4 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snow depth, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Little Rock Airport Adams Fld (USW00013963), 3.2 mi ESE of the city center, 258 ft (79 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall: Little Rock (USW00003952), 6.4 mi NNE of the city center, 568 ft (231 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Adams Field Airport (723403-13963), 3.3 mi ESE of the city center, 251 ft (86 ft lower than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.