Buffalo, NY weather in May
Buffalo is mild in May, with frequent rain: highs average 67°F and nights drop to about 48°F. Expect about 13 wet days.
- Normal high
- 67°F
- Normal low
- 48°F
- Wet days
- 13
- 3.4 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 62°F | 72°F |
| Normal low | 43°F | 54°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 43% | 39% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:09 am / 8:15 pm | 5:39 am / 8:46 pm |
| Daylight | 14.1 h | 15.1 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 am51°Fdew point 45°F
- 9 am59°Fdew point 46°F
- Noon63°Fdew point 46°F
- 3 pm64°Fdew point 46°F
- 6 pm62°Fdew point 45°F
- 9 pm57°Fdew point 45°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Buffalo (8 mi away); average wind 10 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F15 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph3 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 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 3.4 in; a dry May brings about 2.4 in and a wet one about 4.0 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, 1991-20202018: average high 75°F
- Coolest May1997: average high 59°F
- Wettest May2011: 8.1 in
- Driest May2005: 0.6 in
- Highest reading93°F (May 26, 2020)
- Lowest reading29°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 | 55°F | 67°F | 76°F |
| Normal low | 37°F | 48°F | 58°F |
| Wet days | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| Comfortable days | 6 | 15 | 14 |
| Daylight | 13.4 h | 14.7 h | 15.3 h |
Highs change by +12°F from April and +9°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: Morgantown, WV232 mi · high 74°F · 15 wet days
How Buffalo ranks in May
- Normal high311th warmest of 378 cities; 7th of 10 in New York
- Wet days325th driest of 378
- Comfortable days112th most of 339
What to pack for Buffalo in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 13 days
Heating and cooling
May has 254 heating degree days and 32 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Buffalo in May?
The normal high is 67°F and the normal low is 48°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest May reading was 29°F (May 9, 2020).
Does it rain a lot in Buffalo in May?
About 13 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.4 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2011 (8.1 in); the driest was in 2005 (0.6 in).
Is May a good time to visit Buffalo?
May ranks 1st of 12 months on our comfort score for Buffalo (72 out of 100). It has about 15 comfortable days. The best months are May, June and September.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Buffalo (USW00014733), 8.3 mi ENE of the city center, 693 ft (91 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Buffalo Niagara International Airpor (725280-14733), 8.1 mi ENE of the city center, 709 ft (107 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).