Atlanta, GA weather in May
May in Atlanta: warm, with some rain. Highs 81°F, lows 61°F, about 9 days with rain. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 81°F
- Normal low
- 61°F
- Wet days
- 9
- 3.6 in total
- Muggy days
- 6
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 78°F | 84°F |
| Normal low | 57°F | 65°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 29% | 33% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:48 am / 8:20 pm | 6:28 am / 8:42 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 (Eastern Time).
A typical May day
- 6 am63°Fdew point 57°F
- 9 am70°Fdew point 59°F
- Noon76°Fdew point 58°F
- 3 pm79°Fdew point 57°F
- 6 pm77°Fdew point 57°F
- 9 pm71°Fdew point 58°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Atlanta Hartsfield Intl Airport (9 mi away); average wind 8 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F9 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more2 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more6 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow9 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in6 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 3.6 in; a dry May brings about 2.1 in and a wet one about 4.5 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 86°F
- Coolest May1997: average high 75°F
- Wettest May2003: 9.9 in
- Driest May1998: 1.2 in
- Highest reading95°F (May 26, 2019)
- Lowest reading41°F (May 4, 2004)
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 | 74°F | 81°F | 87°F |
| Normal low | 53°F | 61°F | 69°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 9 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 18 | 9 | 1 |
| Daylight | 13.0 h | 13.9 h | 14.4 h |
Highs change by +7°F from April and +6°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: Columbia, SC193 mi · high 87°F · 9 wet days
- Cooler: Gatlinburg, TN145 mi · high 75°F · 15 wet days
How Atlanta ranks in May
- Normal high123rd warmest of 378 cities; 7th of 8 in Georgia
- Wet days179th driest of 378
- Comfortable days227th most of 339
What to pack for Atlanta in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 9 days
Heating and cooling
May has 22 heating degree days and 214 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Atlanta in May?
The normal high is 81°F and the normal low is 61°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 95°F (most recently on May 26, 2019).
Does it rain a lot in Atlanta in May?
About 9 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 (9.9 in); the driest was in 1998 (1.2 in).
Is May a good time to visit Atlanta?
May ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Atlanta (63 out of 100). It has about 9 comfortable days and about 2 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Atlanta Hartsfield Intl Airport (USW00013874), 8.8 mi SSW of the city center, 1,010 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl Airport (722190-13874), 8.8 mi SSW of the city center, 1,011 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).