Cape May, NJ weather in May
Expect mild weather with frequent rain in Cape May in May, with highs near 71°F and lows near 54°F. Rain falls on about 11 days. Great for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 71°F
- Normal low
- 54°F
- Wet days
- 11
- 3.5 in total
- Muggy days
- 2
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 67°F | 75°F |
| Normal low | 49°F | 58°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 37% | 37% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:01 am / 7:51 pm | 5:36 am / 8:18 pm |
| Daylight | 13.8 h | 14.7 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 (33 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°F16 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 more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more2 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow11 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in7 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 3.5 in; a dry May brings about 2.4 in and a wet one about 4.4 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, 1991-20201991: average high 77°F
- Coolest May2003: average high 65°F
- Wettest May2018: 8.1 in
- Driest May1991: 0.8 in
- Highest reading95°F (May 31, 1991)
- Lowest reading33°F (May 21, 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 | 62°F | 71°F | 80°F |
| Normal low | 44°F | 54°F | 63°F |
| Wet days | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Comfortable days | 9 | 16 | 9 |
| Daylight | 13.2 h | 14.3 h | 14.8 h |
Highs change by +9°F from April and +9°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: Washington, DC115 mi · high 77°F · 12 wet days
- Drier: Nags Head, NC209 mi · high 75°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: Montauk, NY213 mi · high 64°F · 12 wet days
How Cape May ranks in May
- Normal high250th warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 3 in New Jersey
- Wet days239th driest of 378
- Comfortable days65th most of 339
What to pack for Cape May in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 11 days
Heating and cooling
May has 133 heating degree days and 49 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 3% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Cape May in May?
The normal high is 71°F and the normal low is 54°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 95°F (May 31, 1991).
Does it rain a lot in Cape May in May?
About 11 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 2018 (8.1 in); the driest was in 1991 (0.8 in).
Is May a good time to visit Cape May?
May ranks 1st of 12 months on our comfort score for Cape May (73 out of 100). It has about 16 comfortable days. The best month is May.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Cape May 2 Nw (USC00281351), 2.0 mi NW of the city center, 20 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Dover AFB (USW00013707), 33 mi WNW of the city center, 23 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Millville Municipal Arpt (724075-13735), 31 mi NNW of the city center, 58 ft (51 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.