New York weather in May
Temperature, sea and sunshine in May: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in May
Good
Best time to visit: April – October
What is the weather like in New York in May?
In May, New York is mild: daytime highs average 21 °C, and nights cool down to about 11 °C. The sea averages 12.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 87 mm in total. All in all, May is a good month for a holiday in New York.
May compared
How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.
More details for May
- Daylight
- 14 h 25 min05:40 – 20:05
- UV index
- 9 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 2 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 17 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 63 %on average
- Hot days
- 1 day30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 0 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC−4America/New_York
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %67 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %49 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in May
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
New York in May: quick answers
Is New York hot in May?
No. In May, New York is mild: daytime highs average 21 °C and nights drop to about 11 °C. On about 1 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more.
Can you swim in New York in May?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 12.9 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from July to September.
Does it rain much in New York in May?
Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 87 mm in total.
New York month by month
The whole year in New YorkAll destinations: USAWhere to go in May
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)