Nags Head, NC weather in May
Nags Head is mild and often humid in May, with some rain: highs average 75°F and nights drop to about 60°F. There are about 7 days with rain. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 75°F
- Normal low
- 60°F
- Wet days
- 7
- 3.5 in total
- Muggy days
- 12
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 72°F | 78°F |
| Normal low | 56°F | 64°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 24% | 23% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:09 am / 7:49 pm | 5:47 am / 8:12 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 am66°Fdew point 61°F
- 9 am70°Fdew point 61°F
- Noon73°Fdew point 61°F
- 3 pm72°Fdew point 61°F
- 6 pm70°Fdew point 61°F
- 9 pm67°Fdew point 61°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Cape Hatteras Airport (50 mi away); average wind 10 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F10 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph7 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more1 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more12 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow7 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 3.5 in; a dry May brings about 2.1 in and a wet one about 5.3 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, 1991-20202004: average high 83°F
- Coolest May1992: average high 70°F
- Wettest May2000: 7.6 in
- Driest May1991: 0.02 in
- Highest reading95°F (May 29, 2019)
- Lowest reading38°F (May 25, 2005)
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 | 68°F | 75°F | 82°F |
| Normal low | 51°F | 60°F | 69°F |
| Wet days | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 13 | 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: Raleigh, NC169 mi · high 80°F · 8 wet days
How Nags Head ranks in May
- Normal high193rd warmest of 378 cities; 10th of 10 in North Carolina
- Wet days110th driest of 378
- Comfortable days215th most of 339
What to pack for Nags Head in May
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.1 hours of daylight and highs near 75°F
Heating and cooling
May has 56 heating degree days and 131 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Nags Head in May?
The normal high is 75°F and the normal low is 60°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 95°F (most recently on May 29, 2019).
Does it rain a lot in Nags Head in May?
About 7 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.5 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2000 (7.6 in); the driest was in 1991 (0.02 in).
Is May a good time to visit Nags Head?
May ranks 2nd of 12 months on our comfort score for Nags Head (66 out of 100). It has about 10 comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. The best months are April and May.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Manteo Airport (USW00013766), 5.1 mi WSW of the city center, 13 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour: Cape Hatteras Airport (USW00093729), 50 mi S of the city center, 11 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Billy Mitchell Airport (723139-93729), 50 mi S of the city center, 12 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).