Durham, NC weather in May
In May, Durham sees highs around 80°F and lows around 58°F: warm, with some rain. Rain falls on about 10 days. Good for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 80°F
- Normal low
- 58°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 3.4 in total
- Muggy days
- 6
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 77°F | 84°F |
| Normal low | 54°F | 62°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 32% | 34% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:22 am / 8:02 pm | 6:00 am / 8:26 pm |
| Daylight | 13.7 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 57°F
- 6 pm74°Fdew point 57°F
- 9 pm67°Fdew point 58°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Raleigh Durham Intl Airport (10 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 45% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 40%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F10 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more3 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more6 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow10 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 3.4 in; a dry May brings about 2.7 in and a wet one about 4.1 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 84°F
- Coolest May1992: average high 74°F
- Wettest May2016: 6.2 in
- Driest May1999: 0.6 in
- Highest reading96°F (May 30, 2019)
- Lowest reading36°F (May 10, 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 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 16 | 10 | 2 |
| Daylight | 13.1 h | 14.1 h | 14.6 h |
Highs change by +7°F from April and +7°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: Columbia, SC183 mi · high 87°F · 9 wet days
- Drier: Nags Head, NC183 mi · high 75°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: Nags Head, NC183 mi · high 75°F · 7 wet days
How Durham ranks in May
- Normal high139th warmest of 378 cities; 7th of 10 in North Carolina
- Wet days193rd driest of 378
- Comfortable days210th most of 339
What to pack for Durham in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 10 days
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.1 hours of daylight and highs near 80°F
Heating and cooling
May has 47 heating degree days and 166 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Durham in May?
The normal high is 80°F and the normal low is 58°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 96°F (most recently on May 30, 2019).
Does it rain a lot in Durham 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 2016 (6.2 in); the driest was in 1999 (0.6 in).
Is May a good time to visit Durham?
May ranks 3rd of 12 months on our comfort score for Durham (64 out of 100). It has about 10 comfortable days and about 3 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Raleigh Durham Intl Airport (USW00013722), 9.6 mi SE of the city center, 416 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Pope AFB (USW00013714), 57 mi S of the city center, 218 ft (177 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Raleigh-Durham International Airport (723060-13722), 9.6 mi SE of the city center, 395 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.