Panama City Beach, FL weather in May
May in Panama City Beach: warm, oppressively humid and mostly dry. Highs 85°F, lows 66°F, about 5 days with rain.
- Normal high
- 85°F
- Normal low
- 66°F
- Wet days
- 5
- 3.3 in total
- Muggy days
- 22
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 82°F | 88°F |
| Normal low | 61°F | 70°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 18% | 25% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 5:59 am / 7:20 pm | 5:42 am / 7:39 pm |
| Daylight | 13.3 h | 13.9 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 am70°Fdew point 66°F
- 9 am78°Fdew point 66°F
- Noon81°Fdew point 67°F
- 3 pm80°Fdew point 67°F
- 6 pm76°Fdew point 68°F
- 9 pm72°Fdew point 67°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Tyndall AFB (15 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 39% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 42%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F2 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph20 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more3 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more22 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow5 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in4 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 3.3 in; a dry May brings about 1.6 in and a wet one about 4.7 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, 1991-20202019: average high 88°F
- Coolest May1999: average high 80°F
- Wettest May1999: 9.0 in
- Driest May2007: 0.1 in
- Highest reading100°F (May 23, 1996)
- Lowest reading40°F (May 8, 1992)
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 | 79°F | 85°F | 89°F |
| Normal low | 58°F | 66°F | 73°F |
| Wet days | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Daylight | 12.9 h | 13.7 h | 14.1 h |
Highs change by +6°F from April and +4°F into June.
How Panama City Beach ranks in May
- Normal high59th warmest of 378 cities; 18th of 23 in Florida
- Wet days88th driest of 378
- Comfortable days294th most of 339
What to pack for Panama City Beach in May
- Light, breathable clothing – highs near 85°F and about 22 muggy days
- A swimsuit – about 20 beach days
Heating and cooling
May has 3 heating degree days and 327 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 8% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Panama City Beach in May?
The normal high is 85°F and the normal low is 66°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 100°F (May 23, 1996).
Does it rain a lot in Panama City Beach in May?
About 5 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.3 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 1999 (9.0 in); the driest was in 2007 (0.1 in).
Is May a good time to visit Panama City Beach?
May ranks 8th of 12 months on our comfort score for Panama City Beach (54 out of 100). It has about 2 comfortable days and about 3 days at 90°F or hotter. The best months are March, April and November.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall and snow depth: Panama City 5N (USC00086842), 10 mi ENE of the city center, 5 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Frost dates: Panama City Bay Co Airport (USW00003882), 7.7 mi ENE of the city center, 21 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour: Tyndall AFB (USW00013846), 15 mi ESE of the city center, 23 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Valparaiso Eglin AFB (USW00013858), 47 mi WNW of the city center, 59 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Tyndall AFB Airport (747750-13846), 15 mi ESE of the city center, 17 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.