Fayetteville, NC weather in May
Fayetteville is warm in May, with some rain: highs average 81°F and nights drop to about 58°F. There are about 9 days with rain. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 81°F
- Normal low
- 58°F
- Wet days
- 9
- 3.4 in total
- Muggy days
- 8
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 78°F | 84°F |
| Normal low | 53°F | 63°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 28% | 30% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:24 am / 8:00 pm | 6:02 am / 8:23 pm |
| Daylight | 13.6 h | 14.3 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 am62°Fdew point 58°F
- 9 am71°Fdew point 58°F
- Noon78°Fdew point 57°F
- 3 pm80°Fdew point 56°F
- 6 pm77°Fdew point 57°F
- 9 pm69°Fdew point 59°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Fayetteville Rgnl Airport (4 mi away); average wind 8 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°F9 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more4 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more8 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow9 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 2.0 in and a wet one about 4.3 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 87°F
- Coolest May1992: average high 76°F
- Wettest May2003: 10.0 in
- Driest May2000: 0.5 in
- Highest reading100°F (May 31, 2019)
- Lowest reading34°F (May 15, 1996)
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 | 74°F | 81°F | 88°F |
| Normal low | 48°F | 58°F | 67°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Comfortable days | 15 | 9 | 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, SC143 mi · high 87°F · 9 wet days
- Cooler: Suffolk, VA173 mi · high 76°F · 11 wet days
How Fayetteville ranks in May
- Normal high120th warmest of 378 cities; 2nd of 10 in North Carolina
- Wet days164th driest of 378
- Comfortable days226th most of 339
What to pack for Fayetteville in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 9 days
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.0 hours of daylight and highs near 81°F
Heating and cooling
May has 38 heating degree days and 181 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Fayetteville in May?
The normal high is 81°F and the normal low is 58°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 100°F (most recently on May 31, 2019).
Does it rain a lot in Fayetteville in May?
About 9 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 (10.0 in); the driest was in 2000 (0.5 in).
Is May a good time to visit Fayetteville?
May ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Fayetteville (62 out of 100). It has about 9 comfortable days and about 4 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Fayetteville (PWC) (USC00313017), 1.2 mi ENE of the city center, 96 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour: Fayetteville Rgnl Airport (USW00093740), 4.2 mi S of the city center, 186 ft (84 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Pope AFB (USW00013714), 11 mi NW of the city center, 218 ft (116 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Simmons AAF Airport (746930-93737), 6.3 mi NNW of the city center, 244 ft (142 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.