Ocean City, MD weather in May
Expect mild weather with frequent rain in Ocean City in May, with highs near 70°F and lows near 53°F. Rain falls on about 12 days. Good for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 70°F
- Normal low
- 53°F
- Wet days
- 12
- 3.8 in total
- Muggy days
- 4
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 66°F | 74°F |
| Normal low | 49°F | 58°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 37% | 38% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:03 am / 7:51 pm | 5:38 am / 8:17 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 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 (59 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°F11 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph4 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 snow12 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 3.8 in; a dry May brings about 1.9 in and a wet one about 4.9 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, 1991-20202004: average high 76°F
- Coolest May2003: average high 64°F
- Wettest May2018: 10.5 in
- Driest May2007: 0.9 in
- Highest reading93°F (May 24, 2011)
- Lowest reading33°F (May 5, 2003)
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 | 62°F | 70°F | 79°F |
| Normal low | 44°F | 53°F | 63°F |
| Wet days | 12 | 12 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 10 | 11 | 6 |
| Daylight | 13.2 h | 14.3 h | 14.8 h |
Highs change by +8°F from April and +9°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: Baltimore, MD105 mi · high 76°F · 12 wet days
- Drier: Nags Head, NC167 mi · high 75°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: Montauk, NY250 mi · high 64°F · 12 wet days
How Ocean City ranks in May
- Normal high266th warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 3 in Maryland
- Wet days250th driest of 378
- Comfortable days206th most of 339
What to pack for Ocean City in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 12 days
Heating and cooling
May has 153 heating degree days and 52 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Ocean City in May?
The normal high is 70°F and the normal low is 53°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 93°F (May 24, 2011).
Does it rain a lot in Ocean City in May?
About 12 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.8 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2018 (10.5 in); the driest was in 2007 (0.9 in).
Is May a good time to visit Ocean City?
May ranks 1st of 12 months on our comfort score for Ocean City (67 out of 100). It has about 11 comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. The best months are May and October.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain and frost dates: Ocean City Muni Airport (USW00093786), 2.9 mi SW of the city center, 12 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Snow Hill 4 N (USC00188380), 17 mi WSW of the city center, 30 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Dover AFB (USW00013707), 59 mi NNW of the city center, 23 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Wallops Flight Facility Airport (724020-93739), 35 mi SW of the city center, 32 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.