Cape May weather in May

In May, Cape May sees average daytime highs of 64°F and overnight lows near 57°F, with 3.5 in of rain across 9.7 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 61°F in the first days to 68°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Cape May's 11th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cape May's year-round climate.

Daytime high
64°
6th warmest
Overnight low
57°
7th coldest
Rainfall
3.5 in
9.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
4:52 AM – 6:59 PM
Cloud cover
59%
11th clearest
Wind
11 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.8
out of 10

Cape May is city in New Jersey, United States.

Density
495/km²
people per km²
Founded
1611

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 68°F by the end.

A typical May day in Cape May reaches about 64°F in the afternoon and slips back to 57°F overnight — a 7°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 57°F and 71°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16053
26053
36054
46154
56154
66154
76255
86255
96255
106255
116256
126356
136356
146356
156457
166457
176457
186558
196558
206558
216559
226659
236660
246760
256760
266761
276861
286862
296862
306962
316963

How May really feels in Cape May

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.

Cape May 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
Jan41° / 33°3.69.939.60.1
Feb42° / 34°3.69.32.510.50.2
Mar47° / 39°4.410.61.511.71.5
Apr56° / 48°3.59.90.2133.8
May64° / 57°3.59.7014.15.8
Jun73° / 67°3.09014.76.9
Jul79° / 73°3.39.3014.46.9
Aug78° / 73°3.79.2013.57.0
Sep73° / 68°3.88.6012.37.2
Oct64° / 58°4.78.50116.1
Nov54° / 47°3.58.40.19.93.5
Dec46° / 39°4.39.619.31.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34753
44753
54753
64852
74753
84753
94852
104753
114753
124852
134852
144852
154852
164852
174852
184852
194753
204753
214753
224753
234852
244852
254852
264852
274852
284951
294951
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Cape May gets around 3.5 in of rain over 9.7 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 32% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
132
232
332
432
532
632
732
832
933
1033
1133
1233
1333
1433
1533
1633
1732
1832
1932
2032
2131
2231
2331
2430
2530
2630
2730
2830
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 58% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 5% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
18116300
27917400
37818400
47719400
57619500
67420600
77321600
87221700
97121800
106922900
1168221000
1267221100
1365221210
1463231310
1563231310
1661231420
1760231520
1858231630
1955241740
2053241850
2151241960
2248242070
2346242180
24442522100
25412522111
26392523121
27372624131
28342624151
29322625161
30302626171
31282726181

Wind in May

Winds average 11 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 mph on the calmest days to 12 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
112light breeze
211light breeze
311light breeze
411light breeze
511light breeze
611light breeze
711light breeze
811light breeze
911light breeze
1011light breeze
1111light breeze
1211light breeze
1311light breeze
1411light breeze
1511light breeze
1611light breeze
1711light breeze
1811light breeze
1911light breeze
2011light breeze
2111light breeze
2211light breeze
2311light breeze
2410light breeze
2510light breeze
2610light breeze
2710light breeze
2810light breeze
2910light breeze
3010light breeze
3110light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:09 AM to 4:42 AM, and sunset from 6:45 PM to 7:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.65:096:45
213.65:076:46
313.75:066:47
413.75:056:48
513.85:046:49
613.85:036:50
713.85:016:51
813.95:006:52
913.94:596:53
1013.94:586:54
1114.04:576:55
1214.04:566:56
1314.04:556:57
1414.14:546:58
1514.14:536:59
1614.14:526:59
1714.14:517:00
1814.24:517:01
1914.24:507:02
2014.24:497:03
2114.34:487:04
2214.34:477:05
2314.34:477:06
2414.34:467:06
2514.44:457:07
2614.44:457:08
2714.44:447:09
2814.44:447:10
2914.54:437:11
3014.54:427:11
3114.54:427:12

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.16 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.98 kWh/m² to a high of 6.56 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.16 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
36.0Bright
46.0Bright
56.0Bright
66.0Intense
76.0Intense
86.0Intense
96.0Intense
106.0Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.2Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.4Intense
296.4Intense
306.4Intense
316.4Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Cape May

In seasonPeak

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

Cape May 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 Cape May?

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

5.8
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
1.9
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Cape May for sightseeing.

What to pack for Cape May in May

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

In May, Cape May sees daytime highs around 64°F and nights near 57°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

sun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Cape May in May

The nearest coast averages about 57°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 75°F and coldest in February near 39°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 21 to Oct 4 — about 3.5 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan41Bracing
Feb39Bracing
Mar41Bracing
Apr48Bracing
May57Bracing
Jun67Cool
Jul74Refreshing
Aug75Refreshing
Sep73Refreshing
Oct65Cool
Nov56Bracing
Dec47Bracing

UV index in Cape May in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cape May peaks around July 11 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Cape May 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 Cape May is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1216 µg/m³Nov 157 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar12Good
Apr13Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Cape May?

Cape May sits at 38.9°N, 74.9°W, 0 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Millville, 33 mi away.

Topography around Cape May

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Cape May has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 59 ft around an average of 3 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 89 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 210 ft.

The land around Cape May is covered by water (57%) within 2 miles, water (81%) within 10 miles, and water (44%) and trees (31%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
59 ft
10 miles
89 ft
50 miles
210 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Millville 33 mi · South Vineland 36 mi · Dover 37 mi · Pleasantville 37 mi · Bridgeton 39 mi · Vineland 39 mi · Atlantic City 39 mi · Williamstown 52 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 Cape May (38.9351°, -74.906°, elevation 0 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).