Barnstable weather in May

In May, Barnstable sees average daytime highs of 55°F and overnight lows near 50°F, with 3.6 in of rain across 10.3 wet days and about 14.3 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 52°F in the first days to 59°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% 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 Barnstable's 8th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Barnstable's year-round climate.

Daytime high
55°
6th warmest
Overnight low
50°
7th coldest
Rainfall
3.6 in
10.3 wet days
Daylight
14 h 18 min
4:27 AM – 6:48 PM
Cloud cover
62%
8th clearest
Wind
13 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.92 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.5
out of 10

Barnstable is town in Massachusetts, United States.

Density
241/km²
people per km²
Founded
1637

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 52°F in the first days to 59°F by the end.

A typical May day in Barnstable reaches about 55°F in the afternoon and slips back to 50°F overnight — a 5°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 50°F and 60°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°50°60°70°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15146
25147
35147
45247
55247
65248
75348
85348
95348
105349
115449
125449
135449
145450
155550
165550
175551
185651
195651
205651
215652
225752
235752
245753
255853
265853
275854
285954
295954
305955
315955

How May really feels in Barnstable

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.

Barnstable weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan38° / 30°4.311.24.79.30.0
Feb38° / 30°3.8104.710.30.0
Mar41° / 34°4.811.23.711.70.1
Apr47° / 42°4.311.30.613.11.5
May55° / 50°3.610.3014.33.5
Jun64° / 60°3.28.20155.9
Jul71° / 67°2.57.7014.77.0
Aug71° / 67°3.17.8013.77.1
Sep66° / 62°4.08.3012.36.5
Oct59° / 54°4.810.1010.94.6
Nov51° / 44°4.4100.39.62.4
Dec43° / 36°5.1122.890.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14456
24456
34456
44456
54357
64357
74258
84258
94258
104258
114258
124258
134258
144258
154357
164357
174357
184357
194357
204357
214456
224555
234555
244654
254654
264654
274654
284555
294555
304555
314555

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Barnstable gets around 3.6 in of rain over 10.3 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 33% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
137
236
336
436
535
635
735
835
935
1035
1135
1235
1335
1435
1535
1634
1734
1834
1933
2033
2132
2232
2331
2430
2530
2629
2729
2829
2929
3029
3129

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 90% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19910
29910
39910
49910
59910
69910
79910
89910
99910
109910
119820
129820
139820
149730
159640
169550
179460
189370
199181
209091
2188111
2285132
2384142
2482162
2579183
2678193
2775214
2874224
2971245
3069256
3168266

Wind in May

Winds average 13 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 mph on the calmest days to 14 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
114breezy
214breezy
314breezy
413breezy
513breezy
613breezy
713breezy
813breezy
913breezy
1013breezy
1113breezy
1213breezy
1313breezy
1413breezy
1513breezy
1613breezy
1713breezy
1813breezy
1913breezy
2013breezy
2113breezy
2213breezy
2313breezy
2413breezy
2513breezy
2613breezy
2713breezy
2813breezy
2913breezy
3013breezy
3113breezy

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 4:45 AM to 4:16 AM, and sunset from 6:32 PM to 7:02 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.84:456:32
213.84:446:33
313.94:426:34
413.94:416:35
513.94:406:36
614.04:396:37
714.04:376:38
814.14:366:39
914.14:356:40
1014.14:346:41
1114.24:326:43
1214.24:316:44
1314.24:306:45
1414.34:296:46
1514.34:286:47
1614.34:276:48
1714.44:266:49
1814.44:256:50
1914.44:246:51
2014.54:236:52
2114.54:226:53
2214.54:226:54
2314.64:216:55
2414.64:206:56
2514.64:196:56
2614.64:196:57
2714.74:186:58
2814.74:176:59
2914.74:177:00
3014.74:167:01
3114.84:167:02

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.92 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.58 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.92 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
176.0Bright
186.0Bright
196.0Intense
206.0Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Barnstable

In seasonPeak

None of Barnstable's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Barnstable sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Barnstable?

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

3.5
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Barnstable.

What to pack for Barnstable in May

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

In May, Barnstable sees daytime highs around 55°F and nights near 50°F. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear, sun protection and a windbreaker. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Barnstable in May

The nearest coast averages about 51°F in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 69°F and coldest in February near 37°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Aug 5 to Aug 23 — about 0.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan40Bracing
Feb37Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May51Bracing
Jun59Cool
Jul67Cool
Aug69Refreshing
Sep66Cool
Oct59Cool
Nov51Bracing
Dec45Bracing

UV index in Barnstable 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 Barnstable peaks around June 21 at about 8 (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 highHighModerateLowJun 21UV 8Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Barnstable?

Barnstable sits at 41.7°N, 70.3°W, 36 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Yarmouth, 3.7 mi away.

Topography around Barnstable

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Barnstable has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 171 ft around an average of 56 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 315 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 630 ft.

The land around Barnstable is covered by trees (51%) and water (25%) within 2 miles, water (58%) and trees (32%) within 10 miles, and water (74%) and trees (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
171 ft
10 miles
315 ft
50 miles
630 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Yarmouth 3.7 mi · Provincetown 25 mi · Duxbury 30 mi · Fairhaven 32 mi · New Bedford 33 mi · Middleborough 34 mi · Hanover 39 mi · Taunton 43 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 Barnstable (41.7001°, -70.2995°, elevation 36 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).