Amherst Center weather in May

In May, Amherst Center sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 48°F, with 3.3 in of precipitation across 11 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 63°F in the first days to 72°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Amherst Center's 11th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Amherst Center's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
5th warmest
Overnight low
48°
8th coldest
Precipitation
3.3 in
11 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
4:34 AM – 6:58 PM
Cloud cover
65%
11th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.5 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Amherst Center is census-designated place in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States.

Density
1,484/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 63°F in the first days to 72°F by the end.

A typical May day in Amherst Center reaches about 67°F in the afternoon and slips back to 48°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 11°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16244
26344
36344
46444
56445
66445
76445
86546
96546
106546
116646
126647
136647
146747
156747
166748
176748
186848
196849
206949
216949
226950
237050
247050
257151
267151
277151
287152
297252
307253
317253

How May really feels in Amherst Center

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Amherst Center weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan33° / 18°3.49.66.69.30.0
Feb36° / 19°3.08.96.310.30.0
Mar44° / 27°4.010.65.411.60.8
Apr57° / 38°3.711.11.513.13.8
May67° / 48°3.3110.114.46.0
Jun77° / 57°3.510.80156.6
Jul82° / 63°3.49.9014.86.4
Aug80° / 61°3.39.2013.76.7
Sep72° / 53°3.88.3012.36.9
Oct60° / 43°4.39.50.310.84.9
Nov48° / 33°3.59.71.79.61.8
Dec38° / 24°4.210.55.490.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23961
33862
43862
53862
63862
73961
83961
93961
103862
113862
123862
133862
143961
153961
163961
173961
184060
194060
203961
213961
223961
234060
244060
254060
264159
274159
284159
294159
304258
314159

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Amherst Center gets around 3.3 in of rain and snow over 11 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 35% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
137
237
336
436
536
635
735
835
935
1035
1135
1235
1335
1435
1535
1635
1735
1835
1935
2035
2135
2235
2335
2435
2535
2635
2734
2834
2934
3034
3134

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 85% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
194510
294510
393610
493610
593610
691720
791720
891720
990820
1090820
1190820
1290820
1389920
1489920
1588930
1688930
1788930
18861040
19851041
20841051
21821161
22821161
23801271
24781381
25771382
26751492
27741592
287315102
297216102
307016113
316917113

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 60 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:53 AM to 4:22 AM, and sunset from 6:42 PM to 7:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.84:536:42
213.94:516:43
313.94:506:44
413.94:496:45
514.04:476:46
614.04:466:48
714.14:456:49
814.14:436:50
914.14:426:51
1014.24:416:52
1114.24:406:53
1214.34:396:54
1314.34:376:55
1414.34:366:56
1514.44:356:57
1614.44:346:58
1714.44:336:59
1814.54:327:00
1914.54:317:01
2014.54:307:02
2114.64:297:03
2214.64:297:04
2314.64:287:05
2414.74:277:06
2514.74:267:07
2614.74:257:08
2714.74:257:09
2814.84:247:10
2914.84:237:11
3014.84:237:12
3114.84:227:13

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.5 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.59 kWh/m² to a high of 5.92 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.5 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Amherst Center?

Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.0
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
3.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Amherst Center for sightseeing.

What to pack for Amherst Center in May

From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In May, Amherst Center sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 48°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Amherst Center in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Amherst Center peaks around July 11 at about 7 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 7Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Amherst Center?

Amherst Center sits at 42.4°N, 72.5°W, 305 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Amherst, 0.6 mi away.

Topography around Amherst Center

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Amherst Center.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Amherst Center has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 374 ft around an average of 226 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,260 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,675 ft.

The land around Amherst Center is covered by trees (58%) and grassland (23%) within 2 miles, trees (79%) within 10 miles, and trees (91%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
374 ft
10 miles
1,260 ft
50 miles
3,675 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Amherst 0.6 mi · Northampton 6.8 mi · South Hadley 8.7 mi · Easthampton 11 mi · Holyoke 13 mi · North Chicopee 14 mi · Ludlow 15 mi · Greenfield 15 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Amherst Center (42.3754°, -72.5192°, elevation 305 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).