Wilmington, NC weather in May
Wilmington is warm and often humid in May, with some rain: highs average 81°F and nights drop to about 61°F. Expect about 10 wet days. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 81°F
- Normal low
- 61°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 4.5 in total
- Muggy days
- 10
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 78°F | 84°F |
| Normal low | 57°F | 65°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 29% | 33% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:22 am / 7:55 pm | 6:01 am / 8:17 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 am63°Fdew point 59°F
- 9 am72°Fdew point 60°F
- Noon77°Fdew point 59°F
- 3 pm78°Fdew point 60°F
- 6 pm74°Fdew point 60°F
- 9 pm68°Fdew point 61°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from New River Mcaf (46 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 32% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 46%.
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 mph14 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more3 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more10 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
Average days per May, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in May
Normal precipitation is 4.5 in; a dry May brings about 2.4 in and a wet one about 6.3 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 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 May2005: average high 77°F
- Wettest May2018: 14.4 in
- Driest May2019: 0.6 in
- Highest reading101°F (May 29, 2019)
- Lowest reading41°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 | 75°F | 81°F | 87°F |
| Normal low | 53°F | 61°F | 69°F |
| Wet days | 8 | 10 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 17 | 10 | 1 |
| Daylight | 13.1 h | 13.9 h | 14.4 h |
Highs change by +6°F from April and +6°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Warmer: Columbia, SC177 mi · high 87°F · 9 wet days
- Cooler: Nags Head, NC178 mi · high 75°F · 7 wet days
How Wilmington ranks in May
- Normal high124th warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 10 in North Carolina
- Wet days187th driest of 378
- Comfortable days214th most of 339
What to pack for Wilmington in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 10 days
- A swimsuit – about 14 beach days
Heating and cooling
May has 21 heating degree days and 210 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Wilmington in May?
The normal high is 81°F and the normal low is 61°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 101°F (May 29, 2019).
Does it rain a lot in Wilmington in May?
About 10 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 4.5 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2018 (14.4 in); the driest was in 2019 (0.6 in).
Is May a good time to visit Wilmington?
May ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Wilmington (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 and frost dates: Wilmington Intl Airport (USW00013748), 3.9 mi NE of the city center, 33 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: New River Mcaf (USW00093727), 46 mi NE of the city center, 26 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Jacksonville (723096-93727), 44 mi NE of the city center, 26 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.