Dover, DE weather in May
Dover is mild in May, with frequent rain: highs average 74°F and nights drop to about 54°F. Expect about 10 wet days. A great month for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 74°F
- Normal low
- 54°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 3.9 in total
- Muggy days
- 4
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 71°F | 78°F |
| Normal low | 50°F | 59°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 34% | 34% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:03 am / 7:54 pm | 5:38 am / 8:21 pm |
| Daylight | 13.8 h | 14.7 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Eastern Time).
A typical May day
- 6 am57°Fdew point 53°F
- 9 am65°Fdew point 54°F
- Noon69°Fdew point 54°F
- 3 pm70°Fdew point 54°F
- 6 pm67°Fdew point 54°F
- 9 pm61°Fdew point 54°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Dover AFB (4 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 43% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 45%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F15 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph7 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more1 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more4 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 3.9 in; a dry May brings about 2.2 in and a wet one about 5.4 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 2 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20201991: average high 83°F
- Coolest May2003: average high 68°F
- Wettest May2008: 6.8 in
- Driest May1999: 0.9 in
- Highest reading97°F (May 31, 1991)
- Lowest reading34°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 | 66°F | 74°F | 83°F |
| Normal low | 45°F | 54°F | 64°F |
| Wet days | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Comfortable days | 13 | 15 | 6 |
| Daylight | 13.3 h | 14.3 h | 14.9 h |
Highs change by +8°F from April and +9°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Drier: Nags Head, NC221 mi · high 75°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: Stamford, CT168 mi · high 69°F · 12 wet days
How Dover ranks in May
- Normal high201st warmest of 378 cities; 1st of 2 in Delaware
- Wet days205th driest of 378
- Comfortable days114th most of 339
What to pack for Dover in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 10 days
Heating and cooling
May has 107 heating degree days and 89 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Dover in May?
The normal high is 74°F and the normal low is 54°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 97°F (most recently on May 31, 1991).
Does it rain a lot in Dover in May?
About 10 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.9 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2008 (6.9 in); the driest was in 1999 (0.9 in).
Is May a good time to visit Dover?
May ranks 1st of 12 months on our comfort score for Dover (71 out of 100). It has about 15 comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. The best month is May.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Dover (USC00072730), 1.3 mi SE of the city center, 30 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Dover AFB (USW00013707), 3.5 mi ESE of the city center, 23 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Dover AFB Airport (724088-13707), 3.5 mi ESE of the city center, 28 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.