Charlotte, NC weather in May
Charlotte is warm in May, with some rain: highs average 80°F and nights drop to about 58°F. Expect about 10 wet days. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 80°F
- Normal low
- 58°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 3.4 in total
- Muggy days
- 4
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 77°F | 83°F |
| Normal low | 54°F | 62°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 30% | 33% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:32 am / 8:08 pm | 6:10 am / 8:31 pm |
| Daylight | 13.6 h | 14.4 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 56°F
- 9 am69°Fdew point 57°F
- Noon75°Fdew point 57°F
- 3 pm78°Fdew point 56°F
- 6 pm76°Fdew point 56°F
- 9 pm69°Fdew point 57°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Charlotte Douglas Airport (6 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 25% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 52%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F10 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more2 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more4 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow10 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 3.4 in; a dry May brings about 1.7 in and a wet one about 4.2 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, 1991-20202019: average high 85°F
- Coolest May2003: average high 75°F
- Wettest May2003: 10.7 in
- Driest May2015: 0.3 in
- Highest reading95°F (May 30, 2019)
- Lowest reading36°F (May 12, 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 | 73°F | 80°F | 87°F |
| Normal low | 49°F | 58°F | 66°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 17 | 10 | 2 |
| Daylight | 13.1 h | 14.0 h | 14.5 h |
Highs change by +7°F from April and +7°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: Columbia, SC85 mi · high 87°F · 9 wet days
- Cooler: Gatlinburg, TN154 mi · high 75°F · 15 wet days
How Charlotte ranks in May
- Normal high137th warmest of 378 cities; 5th of 10 in North Carolina
- Wet days183rd driest of 378
- Comfortable days212th most of 339
What to pack for Charlotte in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 10 days
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.0 hours of daylight and highs near 80°F
Heating and cooling
May has 39 heating degree days and 165 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Charlotte in May?
The normal high is 80°F and the normal low is 58°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 95°F (most recently on May 30, 2019).
Does it rain a lot in Charlotte in May?
About 10 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 2003 (10.7 in); the driest was in 2015 (0.3 in).
Is May a good time to visit Charlotte?
May ranks 3rd of 12 months on our comfort score for Charlotte (65 out of 100). It has about 10 comfortable days and about 2 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Charlotte Douglas Airport (USW00013881), 6.3 mi W of the city center, 728 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (723140-13881), 6.3 mi W of the city center, 730 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.