Baton Rouge, LA weather in May
Expect warm, humid weather with some rain in Baton Rouge in May, with highs near 86°F and lows near 65°F. Rain falls on about 8 days.
- Normal high
- 86°F
- Normal low
- 65°F
- Wet days
- 8
- 5.2 in total
- Muggy days
- 21
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 82°F | 89°F |
| Normal low | 61°F | 69°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 25% | 32% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:20 am / 7:42 pm | 6:03 am / 8:01 pm |
| Daylight | 13.4 h | 14.0 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 am69°Fdew point 66°F
- 9 am78°Fdew point 66°F
- Noon83°Fdew point 65°F
- 3 pm83°Fdew point 65°F
- 6 pm80°Fdew point 65°F
- 9 pm74°Fdew point 67°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Lafayette Rgnl Airport (53 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 54% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 30%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F3 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more8 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more21 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow8 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in6 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 5.2 in; a dry May brings about 2.2 in and a wet one about 8.3 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 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 90°F
- Coolest May1993: average high 82°F
- Wettest May2015: 11.2 in
- Driest May1998: 0.3 in
- Highest reading97°F (May 31, 1998)
- Lowest reading40°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 | 79°F | 86°F | 91°F |
| Normal low | 57°F | 65°F | 72°F |
| Wet days | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| Comfortable days | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| Daylight | 12.9 h | 13.7 h | 14.1 h |
Highs change by +7°F from April and +5°F into June.
How Baton Rouge ranks in May
- Normal high54th warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 5 in Louisiana
- Wet days146th driest of 378
- Comfortable days288th most of 339
What to pack for Baton Rouge in May
- Light, breathable clothing – highs near 86°F and about 21 muggy days
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 8 days
Heating and cooling
May has 4 heating degree days and 328 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 8% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Baton Rouge in May?
The normal high is 86°F and the normal low is 65°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 97°F (May 31, 1998).
Does it rain a lot in Baton Rouge in May?
About 8 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 2015 (11.2 in); the driest was in 1998 (0.4 in).
Is May a good time to visit Baton Rouge?
May ranks 8th of 12 months on our comfort score for Baton Rouge (50 out of 100). It has about 3 comfortable days and about 8 days at 90°F or hotter. The best months are March, April and November.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain and frost dates: Baton Rouge Ryan Airport (USW00013970), 6.0 mi N of the city center, 64 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Baton Rouge Sherwood (USC00160558), 6.4 mi E of the city center, 55 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Lafayette Rgnl Airport (USW00013976), 53 mi WSW of the city center, 38 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Lafayette Regional Airport (722405-13976), 53 mi WSW of the city center, 35 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.