New York City weather in May
In May, New York City has an average high of 17 °C63 °F and an average low of 12 °C53 °F, with about 101 mm4.0 in of precipitation. It is the 6th warmest month of the year and ranks 9th for precipitation.
How May compares with other months
Compared with April, May is 5.2 °C9.4 °F warmer on average and drier by 6 mm0.2 in. Compared with June, May is 5.6 °C10.1 °F cooler on average and drier by 14 mm0.5 in. Daylight lasts about 14.4 hours around the middle of the month. Average relative humidity is 84% and the average cloud amount 63%.
Is May a good time to visit New York City?
May is not among the most comfortable months by our comfort score: it is cool (average high 17 °C63 °F) and it is fairly wet (101 mm4.0 in). The most comfortable months in New York City are June and September.
What to wear in May
For New York City in May, pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
May in nearby places
| Place | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 1763 | 1253 | 1014.0 |
| Manhattan | 2069 | 1050 | 983.8 |
| Brooklyn | 1763 | 1253 | 1014.0 |
| Staten Island | 2170 | 1151 | 983.9 |
| Paterson | 2271 | 1051 | 1014.0 |
| Stamford | 2169 | 1051 | 983.8 |
| Bridgeport | 1864 | 1151 | 943.7 |
| New Haven | 2170 | 949 | 953.7 |
| Waterbury | 2069 | 948 | 953.7 |
Nearby places that are more than 1 °C1.8 °F warmer in May: Staten Island, Paterson and Stamford.
Other months in New York City
- January4 °C38 °F / −1 °C29 °F
- February4 °C39 °F / −1 °C30 °F
- March7 °C44 °F / 1 °C35 °F
- April12 °C54 °F / 6 °C43 °F
- May17 °C63 °F / 12 °C53 °F
- June22 °C72 °F / 17 °C63 °F
- July26 °C79 °F / 21 °C70 °F
- August26 °C79 °F / 21 °C70 °F
- September23 °C74 °F / 18 °C64 °F
- October18 °C64 °F / 12 °C54 °F
- November12 °C53 °F / 7 °C44 °F
- December7 °C44 °F / 2 °C36 °F
Frequently asked questions
How warm is New York City in May?
In May the average high in New York City is 17 °C (63 °F) and the average low is 12 °C (53 °F).
Does it rain a lot in New York City in May?
On average about 101 mm (4.0 in) of precipitation falls in May; it ranks 9th of the 12 months.
Is May the warmest month in New York City?
No. The warmest month in New York City is July, with an average high of 26 °C (79 °F). The coldest month is January, with an average low of -1 °C (29 °F).
How long is the day in New York City in May?
In the middle of May the day in New York City lasts about 14.4 hours from sunrise to sunset. The value is calculated from the position of the city and the sun.
How humid is New York City in May?
The average relative humidity in May is about 84%. This is a long-term average for the whole day.
How cloudy is New York City in May?
On average about 63% of the sky is covered by cloud in May. This is the mean cloud amount from satellite data, not the number of sunny days.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.