May reaches 100° on about 12 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 33°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 62°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 85% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to February, when means dip under 50°.
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 Texas 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 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rising Star 1s, TX, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts May’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. 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 30 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain falls on about 49 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at Rising Star 1s, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in May
54% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Rising Star 1s, TX.
Living with May’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 26 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in May from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. 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, TX | 33° | 95° | 30" | 0.7" |
| Oakhurst, CA | 34° | 95° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Lawton, OK | 29° | 96° | 32" | 1.8" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
| Sedona, AZ | 30° | 97° | 17" | 1.0" |
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 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Texas’.
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 Rising Star 1s, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 33° | 1.4" | 0.3" | 4 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| February | 62° | 37° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 42° – 57° |
| March | 70° | 45° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| April | 78° | 51° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| May | 84° | 61° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| June | 91° | 68° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| July | 95° | 71° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 78° – 89° |
| August | 95° | 71° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 77° – 89° |
| September | 88° | 64° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| October | 79° | 53° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| November | 67° | 43° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| December | 59° | 35° | 1.4" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| Year | 77° | 53° | 30.2" | 0.7" | 49 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 57°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
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: Rising Star 1s, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rising Star 1s, TX, 7 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 95°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% 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 33°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does May get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Rising Star 1s, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in May?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 71°. About 92 days a year reach 90° and 12 reach 100° (Rising Star 1s, TX).
When is the first and last frost in May?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 230 frost-free days, at Rising Star 1s, TX.
What growing zone is May in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit May?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is May getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% 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.