Braintree weather in May

In May, Braintree sees average daytime highs of 64°F and overnight lows near 50°F, with 3.2 in of rain across 10.6 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 60°F in the first days to 68°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 Braintree's 11th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Braintree's year-round climate.

Daytime high
64°
5th warmest
Overnight low
50°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.2 in
10.6 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
4:29 AM – 6:52 PM
Cloud cover
65%
11th clearest
Wind
8 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.55 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

Braintree is city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States.

Founded
1634

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 60°F in the first days to 68°F by the end.

A typical May day in Braintree reaches about 64°F in the afternoon and slips back to 50°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 75°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 9°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15946
25946
36046
46047
56047
66047
76147
86148
96148
106248
116248
126249
136249
146349
156349
166450
176450
186450
196451
206551
216551
226651
236652
246652
256753
266753
276753
286854
296854
306854
316955

How May really feels in Braintree

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.

Braintree 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
Jan36° / 24°3.7105.69.30.0
Feb38° / 25°3.38.85.110.30.0
Mar44° / 31°4.611.14.611.60.8
Apr54° / 41°3.911113.13.2
May64° / 50°3.210.6014.45.5
Jun73° / 59°3.410.10156.6
Jul79° / 65°2.99.6014.86.7
Aug78° / 65°3.49.2013.77.0
Sep71° / 58°3.58.2012.36.9
Oct61° / 48°4.39.80.110.85.1
Nov50° / 38°3.79.60.89.62.4
Dec41° / 30°4.510.84.390.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 59%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14060
24060
34060
43961
53961
64060
74159
84060
94060
104060
114060
124159
134159
144159
154258
164159
174159
184159
194159
204258
214357
224357
234357
244357
254357
264357
274357
284357
294456
304357
314258

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Braintree gets around 3.2 in of rain over 10.6 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 35% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
137
236
336
436
535
635
735
835
935
1035
1135
1235
1335
1435
1535
1635
1735
1835
1935
2035
2134
2234
2334
2433
2533
2633
2733
2833
2933
3033
3133

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 84% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
195410
295410
394510
494510
593610
693610
793610
892710
992710
1092710
1192710
1290820
1390820
1490820
1590820
1689920
1788930
18871030
19861040
20841150
21831250
22801361
23781471
24761581
25741691
26731791
277118101
286919111
296819121
306620131
316520132

Wind in May

Winds average 8 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

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 4:47 AM to 4:17 AM, and sunset from 6:35 PM to 7:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.84:476:35
213.94:466:37
313.94:446:38
413.94:436:39
514.04:426:40
614.04:406:41
714.14:396:42
814.14:386:43
914.14:366:44
1014.24:356:45
1114.24:346:47
1214.24:336:48
1314.34:326:49
1414.34:316:50
1514.44:306:51
1614.44:296:52
1714.44:286:53
1814.54:276:54
1914.54:266:55
2014.54:256:56
2114.64:246:57
2214.64:236:58
2314.64:226:59
2414.64:217:00
2514.74:217:01
2614.74:207:02
2714.74:197:03
2814.74:197:03
2914.84:187:04
3014.84:177:05
3114.84:177:06

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.55 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.6 kWh/m² to a high of 5.95 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.55 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.4Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Braintree

In seasonPeak

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

Braintree 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 Braintree?

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

5.5
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.7
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Braintree for sightseeing.

What to pack for Braintree in May

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

In May, Braintree sees daytime highs around 64°F and nights near 50°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Braintree in May

The nearest coast averages about 50°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 14 mi away) is warmest in August at about 66°F and coldest in February near 38°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan41Bracing
Feb38Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr42Bracing
May50Bracing
Jun58Bracing
Jul65Cool
Aug66Cool
Sep63Cool
Oct56Bracing
Nov50Bracing
Dec46Bracing

UV index in Braintree 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 Braintree peaks around July 10 at about 7 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near January 1 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 highHighHighModerateLowJul 10UV 7Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Braintree 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 Braintree is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1516 µg/m³Nov 189 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Braintree?

Braintree sits at 42.2°N, 71.0°W, 98 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Quincy, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Braintree

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Braintree has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 243 ft around an average of 131 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 633 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,172 ft.

The land around Braintree is covered by trees (66%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 2 miles, trees (60%) within 10 miles, and trees (56%) and water (35%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
243 ft
10 miles
633 ft
50 miles
2,172 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Quincy 3.1 mi · Weymouth 3.1 mi · Randolph 3.7 mi · Milton 4.3 mi · Mattapan 6.2 mi · Ashmont 6.2 mi · Rockland 6.8 mi · Hyde Park 7.5 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 Braintree (42.2038°, -71.0022°, elevation 98 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).