Galveston, TX weather in May
Expect warm, oppressively humid, mostly dry weather in Galveston in May, with highs near 84°F and lows near 72°F. Rain falls on about 6 days.
- Normal high
- 84°F
- Normal low
- 72°F
- Wet days
- 6
- 3.0 in total
- Muggy days
- 25
- dew point 65°F+
How May changes from start to finish
| May 1 | May 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 81°F | 87°F |
| Normal low | 69°F | 76°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 17% | 21% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:37 am / 7:55 pm | 6:20 am / 8:13 pm |
| Daylight | 13.3 h | 13.9 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 am70°Fdew point 66°F
- 9 am77°Fdew point 67°F
- Noon83°Fdew point 66°F
- 3 pm84°Fdew point 66°F
- 6 pm81°Fdew point 66°F
- 9 pm75°Fdew point 67°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Houston Intercont Airport (58 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 18% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 58%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F2 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph15 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more1 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more25 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow6 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in4 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 3.0 in; a dry May brings about 1.1 in and a wet one about 4.0 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, 1991-20202018: average high 86°F
- Coolest May2013: average high 80°F
- Wettest May2016: 7.7 in
- Driest May1998: 0.02 in
- Highest reading93°F (May 26, 2011)
- Lowest reading50°F (May 3, 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 | 78°F | 84°F | 90°F |
| Normal low | 65°F | 72°F | 78°F |
| Wet days | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| Comfortable days | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Daylight | 12.9 h | 13.6 h | 14.0 h |
Highs change by +6°F from April and +6°F into June.
How Galveston ranks in May
- Normal high80th warmest of 378 cities; 28th of 38 in Texas
- Wet days93rd driest of 378
- Comfortable days297th most of 339
What to pack for Galveston in May
- A swimsuit – about 15 beach days
Heating and cooling
May has 0 heating degree days and 409 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 9% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Galveston in May?
The normal high is 84°F and the normal low is 72°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest May reading was 93°F (most recently on May 26, 2011).
Does it rain a lot in Galveston in May?
About 6 days in May have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.0 in. The wettest May in 1991-2020 was in 2016 (7.7 in); the driest was in 1998 (0.02 in).
Is May a good time to visit Galveston?
May ranks 6th of 12 months on our comfort score for Galveston (56 out of 100). It has about 2 comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. The best months are March, April and November.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature and rain: Galveston Scholes Fld (USW00012923), 4.2 mi WSW of the city center, 5 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Houston Nwso (USC00414333), 21 mi NW of the city center, 19 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Frost dates: Galveston (USW00012944), 0.2 mi SW of the city center, 7 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Houston Intercont Airport (USW00012960), 58 mi NW of the city center, 95 ft (89 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Scholes Intl At Glston Apt (722420-12923), 4.5 mi WSW of the city center, 5 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.