Louisville, KY weather in May
In May, Louisville sees highs around 78°F and lows around 59°F: mild, with frequent rain. There are about 13 days with rain.
- Normal high
- 78°F
- Normal low
- 59°F
- Wet days
- 13
- 5.2 in total
- Muggy days
- 5
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 74°F | 82°F |
| Normal low | 54°F | 63°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 42% | 38% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:45 am / 8:33 pm | 6:21 am / 8:59 pm |
| Daylight | 13.8 h | 14.6 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 am60°Fdew point 54°F
- 9 am66°Fdew point 55°F
- Noon73°Fdew point 56°F
- 3 pm75°Fdew point 55°F
- 6 pm74°Fdew point 55°F
- 9 pm68°Fdew point 55°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Louisville Intl Airport (5 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 47% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 43%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F13 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more1 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more5 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow13 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in8 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 5.2 in; a dry May brings about 3.6 in and a wet one about 6.3 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 85°F
- Coolest May1997: average high 71°F
- Wettest May1995: 9.5 in
- Driest May1994: 2.1 in
- Highest reading94°F (May 31, 2011)
- Lowest reading34°F (May 9, 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 | 70°F | 78°F | 86°F |
| Normal low | 49°F | 59°F | 67°F |
| Wet days | 12 | 13 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 15 | 13 | 4 |
| Daylight | 13.2 h | 14.3 h | 14.8 h |
Highs change by +8°F from April and +8°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Cooler: Fishers, IN125 mi · high 73°F · 14 wet days
How Louisville ranks in May
- Normal high161st warmest of 378 cities; 2nd of 3 in Kentucky
- Wet days312th driest of 378
- Comfortable days175th most of 339
What to pack for Louisville in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 13 days
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.3 hours of daylight and highs near 78°F
Heating and cooling
May has 59 heating degree days and 160 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Louisville in May?
The normal high is 78°F and the normal low is 59°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 94°F (most recently on May 31, 2011).
Does it rain a lot in Louisville in May?
About 13 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 5.2 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 1995 (9.5 in); the driest was in 1994 (2.1 in).
Is May a good time to visit Louisville?
May ranks 2nd of 12 months on our comfort score for Louisville (67 out of 100). It has about 13 comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. The best months are April, May and October.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Louisville Intl Airport (USW00093821), 5.0 mi WNW of the city center, 488 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Louisville Bowman Fld (USW00013810), 4.3 mi N of the city center, 540 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Louisville Intl-Standiford Field Airport (724230-93821), 4.5 mi W of the city center, 480 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.