Bristol weather in May

In May, Bristol sees average daytime highs of 65°F and overnight lows near 51°F, with 3.1 in of rain across 10.8 wet days and about 14.3 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 61°F in the first days to 70°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 Bristol's 12th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bristol's year-round climate.

Daytime high
65°
5th warmest
Overnight low
51°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.1 in
10.8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 18 min
4:31 AM – 6:52 PM
Cloud cover
65%
12th clearest
Wind
8 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.52 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.7
out of 10

Bristol is town in Rhode Island, United States.

Founded
1680

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 61°F in the first days to 70°F by the end.

A typical May day in Bristol reaches about 65°F in the afternoon and slips back to 51°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 56°F and 76°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)
16146
26147
36147
46247
56247
66248
76348
86348
96349
106449
116449
126449
136449
146550
156550
166550
176651
186651
196651
206751
216752
226752
236853
246853
256853
266954
276954
286954
297055
307055
317055

How May really feels in Bristol

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.

Bristol weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan37° / 24°3.69.95.19.30.0
Feb39° / 25°3.18.84.410.30.0
Mar46° / 32°4.410.84.211.71.1
Apr56° / 42°3.810.80.713.13.6
May65° / 51°3.110.8014.35.7
Jun75° / 60°3.49.70156.7
Jul80° / 66°3.19.9014.76.5
Aug79° / 65°3.69.9013.76.7
Sep72° / 58°3.68.4012.37.0
Oct62° / 48°4.19.40.110.95.4
Nov51° / 38°3.68.80.69.62.7
Dec42° / 30°4.310.43.690.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 59%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14258
24159
34159
44159
54258
64060
74060
84159
94060
104060
114060
124159
134159
144159
154258
164258
174159
184159
194159
204159
214159
224159
234159
244258
254258
264357
274357
284258
294258
304258
314159

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Bristol gets around 3.1 in of rain over 10.8 wet days in May, the driest month. 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
237
337
436
536
636
737
837
937
1037
1137
1237
1337
1437
1537
1637
1736
1836
1936
2035
2135
2234
2333
2433
2532
2632
2731
2831
2931
3031
3131

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 80% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
194510
293610
393610
492620
591720
691720
791720
890820
989830
1088930
1188930
12871030
13871030
14861031
15841141
16841141
17831241
18821251
19801361
20791461
21761572
22741682
23731692
247017103
256818113
266619123
276420133
286121144
296021154
305922154
315623165

Wind in May

Winds average 8 mph in May.

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

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light 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 4:49 AM to 4:19 AM, and sunset from 6:36 PM to 7:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.84:496:36
213.84:486:37
313.94:466:38
413.94:456:39
513.94:446:40
614.04:426:41
714.04:416:42
814.14:406:43
914.14:396:44
1014.14:386:45
1114.24:366:46
1214.24:356:47
1314.24:346:48
1414.34:336:49
1514.34:326:51
1614.34:316:52
1714.44:306:53
1814.44:296:54
1914.44:286:55
2014.54:276:56
2114.54:266:57
2214.54:266:57
2314.64:256:58
2414.64:246:59
2514.64:237:00
2614.64:237:01
2714.74:227:02
2814.74:217:03
2914.74:217:04
3014.74:207:05
3114.84:197:05

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.52 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.66 kWh/m² to a high of 5.93 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.52 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
105.3Bright
115.4Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
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 Bristol

In seasonPeak

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

Bristol 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 Bristol?

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

5.7
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.3
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Bristol for sightseeing.

What to pack for Bristol in May

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

In May, Bristol sees daytime highs around 65°F and nights near 51°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Bristol in May

The nearest coast averages about 53°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 21 mi away) is warmest in August at about 70°F and coldest in February near 37°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 16 to Sep 8 — about 1.8 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan41Bracing
Feb37Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May53Bracing
Jun61Cool
Jul68Refreshing
Aug70Refreshing
Sep67Cool
Oct62Cool
Nov54Bracing
Dec47Bracing

UV index in Bristol 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 Bristol peaks around June 23 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 23UV 8Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Bristol 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 Bristol 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 Bristol?

Bristol sits at 41.7°N, 71.3°W, 115 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Barrington, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Bristol

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bristol has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 230 ft around an average of 49 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 394 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,348 ft.

The land around Bristol is covered by trees (38%) and water (34%) within 2 miles, trees (42%) and water (35%) within 10 miles, and trees (53%) and water (39%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
230 ft
10 miles
394 ft
50 miles
1,348 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Barrington 5.0 mi · Portsmouth 5.0 mi · Fall River 6.2 mi · Swansea 6.2 mi · Warwick 8.1 mi · Middletown 9.3 mi · Somerset 9.3 mi · East Providence 11 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 Bristol (41.6771°, -71.2662°, elevation 115 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).