Hilton Head Island, SC weather in May
Expect warm, often humid weather with some rain in Hilton Head Island in May, with highs near 84°F and lows near 64°F. Rain falls on about 8 days.
- Normal high
- 84°F
- Normal low
- 64°F
- Wet days
- 8
- 2.5 in total
- Muggy days
- 15
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 81°F | 87°F |
| Normal low | 60°F | 68°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 26% | 34% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:36 am / 8:03 pm | 6:17 am / 8:23 pm |
| Daylight | 13.4 h | 14.1 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 62°F
- 9 am75°Fdew point 63°F
- Noon81°Fdew point 62°F
- 3 pm81°Fdew point 62°F
- 6 pm78°Fdew point 63°F
- 9 pm72°Fdew point 64°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Beaufort MCAS (19 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 31% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 42%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F5 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph20 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more6 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more15 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow8 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in5 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 2.5 in; a dry May brings about 1.2 in and a wet one about 3.4 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 90°F
- Coolest May1997: average high 80°F
- Wettest May1991: 7.1 in
- Driest May1996: 0.1 in
- Highest reading103°F (May 28, 2019)
- Lowest reading46°F (May 8, 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 | 77°F | 84°F | 89°F |
| Normal low | 56°F | 64°F | 71°F |
| Wet days | 8 | 8 | 13 |
| Comfortable days | 14 | 5 | 0 |
| Daylight | 13.0 h | 13.8 h | 14.2 h |
Highs change by +7°F from April and +5°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Cooler: Charleston, SC62 mi · high 79°F · 7 wet days
How Hilton Head Island ranks in May
- Normal high78th warmest of 378 cities; 2nd of 5 in South Carolina
- Wet days157th driest of 378
- Comfortable days255th most of 339
What to pack for Hilton Head Island in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 8 days
- A swimsuit – about 20 beach days
Heating and cooling
May has 6 heating degree days and 290 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 7% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Hilton Head Island in May?
The normal high is 84°F and the normal low is 64°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 103°F (most recently on May 28, 2019).
Does it rain a lot in Hilton Head Island in May?
About 8 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.5 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 1991 (7.1 in); the driest was in 1996 (0.1 in).
Is May a good time to visit Hilton Head Island?
May ranks 8th of 12 months on our comfort score for Hilton Head Island (56 out of 100). It has about 5 comfortable days and about 6 days at 90°F or hotter. The best months are March and April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Beaufort MCAS (USW00093831), 19 mi N of the city center, 37 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Beaufort MCAS (722085-93831), 19 mi N of the city center, 37 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: snowfall and snow depth (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).