Basking Ridge weather in May

In May, Basking Ridge sees average daytime highs of 70°F and overnight lows near 52°F, with 3.8 in of rain across 11.7 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 66°F in the first days to 75°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 42 min at the start of May to 14 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Basking Ridge's 12th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Basking Ridge's year-round climate.

Daytime high
70°
5th warmest
Overnight low
52°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.8 in
11.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 18 min
4:47 AM – 7:02 PM
Cloud cover
65%
12th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.54 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Basking Ridge is unincorporated community in New Jersey, United States.

Density
1,217/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 66°F in the first days to 75°F by the end.

A typical May day in Basking Ridge reaches about 70°F in the afternoon and slips back to 52°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 58°F and 82°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 10°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16548
26648
36648
46649
56749
66749
76750
86750
96850
106850
116851
126951
136951
146951
156952
167052
177052
187153
197153
207153
217254
227254
237255
247355
257355
267456
277456
287456
297557
307557
317557

How May really feels in Basking Ridge

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.

Basking Ridge weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan38° / 24°3.59.24.89.40.0
Feb40° / 25°3.18.6410.40.1
Mar49° / 33°4.310.53.711.71.9
Apr60° / 43°3.811.10.613.14.7
May70° / 52°3.811.7014.26.2
Jun79° / 62°4.311.7014.96.2
Jul84° / 67°4.311014.65.3
Aug82° / 66°4.010.8013.66.0
Sep75° / 58°4.39.4012.36.9
Oct64° / 47°4.09.10.210.95.7
Nov52° / 37°3.280.69.72.9
Dec42° / 29°4.19.73.19.10.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 58%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14159
24159
34159
44159
54159
64357
74258
84357
94258
104159
114159
124159
134159
144159
154258
164258
174159
184159
194258
204159
214159
224159
234159
244258
254357
264357
274357
284357
294357
304357
314357

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Basking Ridge gets around 3.8 in of rain over 11.7 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 38% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
136
236
336
436
536
636
737
837
937
1037
1137
1237
1337
1437
1537
1638
1738
1838
1938
2038
2138
2238
2338
2438
2539
2639
2739
2839
2939
3039
3139

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 71% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
189830
288930
388930
4861040
5861040
6841150
7831250
8831250
9811360
10811360
11801370
12781471
13771481
14771481
15751591
167315102
177315102
187116112
196817123
206717133
216518134
226418144
236218155
246118165
255819176
265719186
275619187
285519197
295419198
305220208
315120209

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 42 min at the start of May to 14 h 42 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 5:04 AM to 4:35 AM, and sunset from 6:47 PM to 7:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.75:046:47
213.85:036:48
313.85:016:49
413.85:006:50
513.94:596:51
613.94:586:52
713.94:566:53
814.04:556:54
914.04:546:55
1014.14:536:56
1114.14:526:57
1214.14:516:58
1314.24:506:59
1414.24:497:00
1514.24:487:01
1614.34:477:02
1714.34:467:03
1814.34:457:04
1914.44:447:05
2014.44:437:06
2114.44:427:07
2214.44:417:08
2314.54:417:09
2414.54:407:10
2514.54:397:11
2614.64:387:12
2714.64:387:12
2814.64:377:13
2914.64:377:14
3014.64:367:15
3114.74:357:16

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.54 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.75 kWh/m² to a high of 5.95 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.54 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.4Bright
85.4Bright
95.4Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Basking Ridge

In seasonPeak

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

Basking Ridge 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 Basking Ridge?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
3.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Basking Ridge for sightseeing.

What to pack for Basking Ridge in May

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

In May, Basking Ridge sees daytime highs around 70°F and nights near 52°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Basking Ridge in May

The nearest coast averages about 55°F in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 36 mi away) is warmest in August at about 74°F and coldest in February near 40°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 30 to Sep 26 — about 2.9 months when the water holds above 68°F.

40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan43Bracing
Feb40Bracing
Mar41Bracing
Apr46Bracing
May55Bracing
Jun65Cool
Jul72Refreshing
Aug74Refreshing
Sep71Refreshing
Oct63Cool
Nov55Bracing
Dec48Bracing

UV index in Basking Ridge 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 Basking Ridge peaks around July 11 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 22 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 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Basking Ridge in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Basking Ridge is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.8× the cleanest month (November, 10 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJul 1318 µg/m³Nov 1410 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr16Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov10Good
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Basking Ridge?

Basking Ridge sits at 40.7°N, 74.5°W, 331 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Warren Township, 6.8 mi away.

Topography around Basking Ridge

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Basking Ridge has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 545 ft around an average of 344 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,132 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,323 ft.

The land around Basking Ridge is covered by trees (81%) within 2 miles, trees (79%) within 10 miles, and trees (64%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
545 ft
10 miles
1,132 ft
50 miles
2,323 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Warren Township 6.8 mi · Morristown 7.5 mi · Madison 8.1 mi · North Plainfield 8.1 mi · Bridgewater 8.7 mi · Plainfield 8.7 mi · Scotch Plains 9.3 mi · Summit 9.9 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 Basking Ridge (40.7062°, -74.5493°, elevation 331 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).