May reaches 100° on about 18 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 22°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 88% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.7° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around April 21; autumn frost returns near October 19.
A year in May at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about May’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with May’s place in Oklahoma beside it.
What a year in May feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 21 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Supply 3se, OK, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts May’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Laverne, OK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 77 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in May
74% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ft Supply 3se, OK.
Living with May’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 21 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in May from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 36%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →May and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around May yet.
Climates most like May’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May, OK | 22° | 94° | 24" | 17" |
| Hays, KS | 18° | 93° | 25" | 16" |
| Amarillo, TX | 24° | 92° | 19" | 17" |
| Ogden, UT | 20° | 92° | 20" | 23" |
| Tucumcari, NM | 24° | 95° | 16" | 15" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in May averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 94% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How May compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with May’s place among Oklahoma’s.
May weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at May’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Laverne, OK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 22° | 0.8" | 3.6" | 4 | 4 | 28° – 44° |
| February | 53° | 25° | 0.8" | 2.5" | 4 | 3 | 32° – 47° |
| March | 62° | 34° | 1.6" | 3.0" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 58° |
| April | 71° | 43° | 2.1" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 80° | 54° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 75° |
| June | 89° | 64° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 83° |
| July | 94° | 68° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 88° |
| August | 93° | 66° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| September | 85° | 58° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 79° |
| October | 73° | 45° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| November | 60° | 33° | 1.0" | 2.5" | 4 | 1 | 39° – 53° |
| December | 49° | 24° | 1.0" | 5.4" | 5 | 5 | 28° – 40° |
| Year | 71° | 45° | 23.5" | 17.4" | 77 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where May’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at May’s center.
- Snow: Laverne, OK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Supply 3se, OK, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about May’s climate
What is the weather like in May?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in May in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 124 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does May get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Laverne, OK, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in May?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 68°. About 77 days a year reach 90° and 18 reach 100° (Ft Supply 3se, OK).
When is the first and last frost in May?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 21 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 179 frost-free days, at Ft Supply 3se, OK.
What growing zone is May in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit May?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is May getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in May.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.