Nashville, TN weather in May
In May, Nashville sees highs around 80°F and lows around 58°F: warm, with frequent rain. Expect about 12 wet days. Good for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 80°F
- Normal low
- 58°F
- Wet days
- 12
- 5.0 in total
- Muggy days
- 5
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 77°F | 84°F |
| Normal low | 54°F | 63°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 39% | 36% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 5:54 am / 7:34 pm | 5:31 am / 7:58 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 (Central Time).
A typical May day
- 6 am62°Fdew point 57°F
- 9 am71°Fdew point 57°F
- Noon76°Fdew point 57°F
- 3 pm77°Fdew point 56°F
- 6 pm74°Fdew point 56°F
- 9 pm68°Fdew point 57°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Nashville Intl Airport (6 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 20% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 60%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F11 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more2 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more5 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow12 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in8 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 5.0 in; a dry May brings about 3.4 in and a wet one about 5.5 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, 1991-20202018: average high 87°F
- Coolest May1997: average high 74°F
- Wettest May2010: 16.4 in
- Driest May2005: 1.0 in
- Highest reading95°F (May 27, 2012)
- Lowest reading35°F (May 9, 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 | 73°F | 80°F | 88°F |
| Normal low | 49°F | 58°F | 66°F |
| Wet days | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 16 | 11 | 2 |
| Daylight | 13.1 h | 14.1 h | 14.6 h |
Highs change by +7°F from April and +8°F into June.
Nearby alternatives in May
- Drier: Tuscaloosa, AL209 mi · high 83°F · 8 wet days
- Cooler: Gatlinburg, TN186 mi · high 75°F · 15 wet days
How Nashville ranks in May
- Normal high132nd warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 7 in Tennessee
- Wet days254th driest of 378
- Comfortable days209th most of 339
What to pack for Nashville in May
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 12 days
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.1 hours of daylight and highs near 80°F
Heating and cooling
May has 42 heating degree days and 177 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Nashville in May?
The normal high is 80°F and the normal low is 58°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 95°F (most recently on May 27, 2012).
Does it rain a lot in Nashville in May?
About 12 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 5.0 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2010 (16.4 in); the driest was in 2005 (1.0 in).
Is May a good time to visit Nashville?
May ranks 3rd of 12 months on our comfort score for Nashville (64 out of 100). It has about 11 comfortable days and about 2 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Nashville Intl Airport (USW00013897), 6.4 mi SE of the city center, 600 ft (178 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snow depth: Old Hickory Dam (USC00406803), 11 mi NE of the city center, 460 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Nashville International Airport (723270-13897), 6.8 mi SE of the city center, 587 ft (165 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.