Memphis, TN weather in May
May in Memphis: warm and often humid, with frequent rain. Highs 82°F, lows 62°F, about 11 wet days. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 82°F
- Normal low
- 62°F
- Wet days
- 11
- 5.3 in total
- Muggy days
- 10
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 77°F | 86°F |
| Normal low | 58°F | 67°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 34% | 32% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:08 am / 7:45 pm | 5:47 am / 8:08 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 (Central Time).
A typical May day
- 6 am65°Fdew point 59°F
- 9 am73°Fdew point 60°F
- Noon78°Fdew point 60°F
- 3 pm79°Fdew point 59°F
- 6 pm77°Fdew point 59°F
- 9 pm71°Fdew point 59°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Memphis Intl Airport (7 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 25% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 53%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F8 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 snow11 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 5.3 in; a dry May brings about 3.7 in and a wet one about 6.3 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 4 days bring half an inch or more, and about 2 an inch or more.
How May varies from year to year
- Warmest May, 1991-20202018: average high 87°F
- Coolest May1997: average high 78°F
- Wettest May2003: 11.4 in
- Driest May2005: 1.1 in
- Highest reading95°F (May 29, 2012)
- Lowest reading36°F (May 4, 2013)
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 | 82°F | 89°F |
| Normal low | 53°F | 62°F | 70°F |
| Wet days | 10 | 11 | 9 |
| Comfortable days | 16 | 8 | 1 |
| Daylight | 13.1 h | 14.0 h | 14.5 h |
Highs change by +9°F from April and +7°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Cooler: Springfield, MO231 mi · high 76°F · 12 wet days
How Memphis ranks in May
- Normal high112th warmest of 378 cities; 1st of 7 in Tennessee
- Wet days213th driest of 378
- Comfortable days236th most of 339
What to pack for Memphis in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 11 days
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.0 hours of daylight and highs near 82°F
Heating and cooling
May has 21 heating degree days and 240 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Memphis in May?
The normal high is 82°F and the normal low is 62°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 95°F (most recently on May 29, 2012).
Does it rain a lot in Memphis in May?
About 11 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 5.3 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2003 (11.4 in); the driest was in 2005 (1.1 in).
Is May a good time to visit Memphis?
May ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Memphis (61 out of 100). It has about 8 comfortable days and about 3 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Memphis Intl Airport (USW00013893), 7.3 mi SSE of the city center, 254 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: W Memphis (USC00037712), 7.6 mi WSW of the city center, 215 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Memphis International Airport (723340-13893), 7.4 mi SSE of the city center, 251 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.