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
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 60 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 69 |
| Avg low (°F) | 53 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 59 | 59 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 63 |
| Avg high (°F) | Avg low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | 53 |
| 2 | 60 | 53 |
| 3 | 60 | 54 |
| 4 | 61 | 54 |
| 5 | 61 | 54 |
| 6 | 61 | 54 |
| 7 | 62 | 55 |
| 8 | 62 | 55 |
| 9 | 62 | 55 |
| 10 | 62 | 55 |
| 11 | 62 | 56 |
| 12 | 63 | 56 |
| 13 | 63 | 56 |
| 14 | 63 | 56 |
| 15 | 64 | 57 |
| 16 | 64 | 57 |
| 17 | 64 | 57 |
| 18 | 65 | 58 |
| 19 | 65 | 58 |
| 20 | 65 | 58 |
| 21 | 65 | 59 |
| 22 | 66 | 59 |
| 23 | 66 | 60 |
| 24 | 67 | 60 |
| 25 | 67 | 60 |
| 26 | 67 | 61 |
| 27 | 68 | 61 |
| 28 | 68 | 62 |
| 29 | 68 | 62 |
| 30 | 69 | 62 |
| 31 | 69 | 63 |
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.
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.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41° / 33° | 3.6 | 9.9 | 3 | 9.6 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 42° / 34° | 3.6 | 9.3 | 2.5 | 10.5 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 47° / 39° | 4.4 | 10.6 | 1.5 | 11.7 | 1.5 |
| Apr | 56° / 48° | 3.5 | 9.9 | 0.2 | 13 | 3.8 |
| May | 64° / 57° | 3.5 | 9.7 | 0 | 14.1 | 5.8 |
| Jun | 73° / 67° | 3.0 | 9 | 0 | 14.7 | 6.9 |
| Jul | 79° / 73° | 3.3 | 9.3 | 0 | 14.4 | 6.9 |
| Aug | 78° / 73° | 3.7 | 9.2 | 0 | 13.5 | 7.0 |
| Sep | 73° / 68° | 3.8 | 8.6 | 0 | 12.3 | 7.2 |
| Oct | 64° / 58° | 4.7 | 8.5 | 0 | 11 | 6.1 |
| Nov | 54° / 47° | 3.5 | 8.4 | 0.1 | 9.9 | 3.5 |
| Dec | 46° / 39° | 4.3 | 9.6 | 1 | 9.3 | 1.4 |
Cloud cover in May
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%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 |
| Cloudier (%) | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48 | 52 |
| 2 | 48 | 52 |
| 3 | 47 | 53 |
| 4 | 47 | 53 |
| 5 | 47 | 53 |
| 6 | 48 | 52 |
| 7 | 47 | 53 |
| 8 | 47 | 53 |
| 9 | 48 | 52 |
| 10 | 47 | 53 |
| 11 | 47 | 53 |
| 12 | 48 | 52 |
| 13 | 48 | 52 |
| 14 | 48 | 52 |
| 15 | 48 | 52 |
| 16 | 48 | 52 |
| 17 | 48 | 52 |
| 18 | 48 | 52 |
| 19 | 47 | 53 |
| 20 | 47 | 53 |
| 21 | 47 | 53 |
| 22 | 47 | 53 |
| 23 | 48 | 52 |
| 24 | 48 | 52 |
| 25 | 48 | 52 |
| 26 | 48 | 52 |
| 27 | 48 | 52 |
| 28 | 49 | 51 |
| 29 | 49 | 51 |
| 30 | 49 | 51 |
| 31 | 49 | 51 |
Chance of precipitation in May
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 32 |
| 2 | 32 |
| 3 | 32 |
| 4 | 32 |
| 5 | 32 |
| 6 | 32 |
| 7 | 32 |
| 8 | 32 |
| 9 | 33 |
| 10 | 33 |
| 11 | 33 |
| 12 | 33 |
| 13 | 33 |
| 14 | 33 |
| 15 | 33 |
| 16 | 33 |
| 17 | 32 |
| 18 | 32 |
| 19 | 32 |
| 20 | 32 |
| 21 | 31 |
| 22 | 31 |
| 23 | 31 |
| 24 | 30 |
| 25 | 30 |
| 26 | 30 |
| 27 | 30 |
| 28 | 30 |
| 29 | 29 |
| 30 | 29 |
| 31 | 29 |
Humidity in May
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 81 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 76 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 65 | 63 | 63 | 61 | 60 | 58 | 55 | 53 | 51 | 48 | 46 | 44 | 41 | 39 | 37 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 |
| Comfortable (%) | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 |
| Humid (%) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 79 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 78 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 77 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 76 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | 74 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | 73 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 72 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | 71 | 21 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | 69 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | 68 | 22 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | 67 | 22 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | 65 | 22 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | 63 | 23 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | 63 | 23 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | 61 | 23 | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | 60 | 23 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | 58 | 23 | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | 55 | 24 | 17 | 4 | 0 |
| 20 | 53 | 24 | 18 | 5 | 0 |
| 21 | 51 | 24 | 19 | 6 | 0 |
| 22 | 48 | 24 | 20 | 7 | 0 |
| 23 | 46 | 24 | 21 | 8 | 0 |
| 24 | 44 | 25 | 22 | 10 | 0 |
| 25 | 41 | 25 | 22 | 11 | 1 |
| 26 | 39 | 25 | 23 | 12 | 1 |
| 27 | 37 | 26 | 24 | 13 | 1 |
| 28 | 34 | 26 | 24 | 15 | 1 |
| 29 | 32 | 26 | 25 | 16 | 1 |
| 30 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 17 | 1 |
| 31 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 18 | 1 |
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (mph) | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (mph) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | light breeze |
| 2 | 11 | light breeze |
| 3 | 11 | light breeze |
| 4 | 11 | light breeze |
| 5 | 11 | light breeze |
| 6 | 11 | light breeze |
| 7 | 11 | light breeze |
| 8 | 11 | light breeze |
| 9 | 11 | light breeze |
| 10 | 11 | light breeze |
| 11 | 11 | light breeze |
| 12 | 11 | light breeze |
| 13 | 11 | light breeze |
| 14 | 11 | light breeze |
| 15 | 11 | light breeze |
| 16 | 11 | light breeze |
| 17 | 11 | light breeze |
| 18 | 11 | light breeze |
| 19 | 11 | light breeze |
| 20 | 11 | light breeze |
| 21 | 11 | light breeze |
| 22 | 11 | light breeze |
| 23 | 11 | light breeze |
| 24 | 10 | light breeze |
| 25 | 10 | light breeze |
| 26 | 10 | light breeze |
| 27 | 10 | light breeze |
| 28 | 10 | light breeze |
| 29 | 10 | light breeze |
| 30 | 10 | light breeze |
| 31 | 10 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in May
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:09 | 5:07 | 5:06 | 5:05 | 5:04 | 5:03 | 5:01 | 5:00 | 4:59 | 4:58 | 4:57 | 4:56 | 4:55 | 4:54 | 4:53 | 4:52 | 4:51 | 4:51 | 4:50 | 4:49 | 4:48 | 4:47 | 4:47 | 4:46 | 4:45 | 4:45 | 4:44 | 4:44 | 4:43 | 4:42 | 4:42 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:45 | 6:46 | 6:47 | 6:48 | 6:49 | 6:50 | 6:51 | 6:52 | 6:53 | 6:54 | 6:55 | 6:56 | 6:57 | 6:58 | 6:59 | 6:59 | 7:00 | 7:01 | 7:02 | 7:03 | 7:04 | 7:05 | 7:06 | 7:06 | 7:07 | 7:08 | 7:09 | 7:10 | 7:11 | 7:11 | 7:12 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.6 | 5:09 | 6:45 |
| 2 | 13.6 | 5:07 | 6:46 |
| 3 | 13.7 | 5:06 | 6:47 |
| 4 | 13.7 | 5:05 | 6:48 |
| 5 | 13.8 | 5:04 | 6:49 |
| 6 | 13.8 | 5:03 | 6:50 |
| 7 | 13.8 | 5:01 | 6:51 |
| 8 | 13.9 | 5:00 | 6:52 |
| 9 | 13.9 | 4:59 | 6:53 |
| 10 | 13.9 | 4:58 | 6:54 |
| 11 | 14.0 | 4:57 | 6:55 |
| 12 | 14.0 | 4:56 | 6:56 |
| 13 | 14.0 | 4:55 | 6:57 |
| 14 | 14.1 | 4:54 | 6:58 |
| 15 | 14.1 | 4:53 | 6:59 |
| 16 | 14.1 | 4:52 | 6:59 |
| 17 | 14.1 | 4:51 | 7:00 |
| 18 | 14.2 | 4:51 | 7:01 |
| 19 | 14.2 | 4:50 | 7:02 |
| 20 | 14.2 | 4:49 | 7:03 |
| 21 | 14.3 | 4:48 | 7:04 |
| 22 | 14.3 | 4:47 | 7:05 |
| 23 | 14.3 | 4:47 | 7:06 |
| 24 | 14.3 | 4:46 | 7:06 |
| 25 | 14.4 | 4:45 | 7:07 |
| 26 | 14.4 | 4:45 | 7:08 |
| 27 | 14.4 | 4:44 | 7:09 |
| 28 | 14.4 | 4:44 | 7:10 |
| 29 | 14.5 | 4:43 | 7:11 |
| 30 | 14.5 | 4:42 | 7:11 |
| 31 | 14.5 | 4:42 | 7:12 |
Solar energy in May
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 3 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 4 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 5 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 6 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.4 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Cape May
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.
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).
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.
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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°F) | 41 | 39 | 41 | 48 | 57 | 67 | 74 | 75 | 73 | 65 | 56 | 47 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°F) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | Bracing |
| Feb | 39 | Bracing |
| Mar | 41 | Bracing |
| Apr | 48 | Bracing |
| May | 57 | Bracing |
| Jun | 67 | Cool |
| Jul | 74 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 75 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 73 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 65 | Cool |
| Nov | 56 | Bracing |
| Dec | 47 | Bracing |
UV index in Cape May in May
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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Moderate |
| Feb | 3 | Moderate |
| Mar | 5 | Moderate |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 6 | High |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 4 | Moderate |
| Nov | 3 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Low |
Air quality in Cape May in May
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).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Good |
| Feb | 10 | Good |
| Mar | 12 | Good |
| Apr | 13 | Moderate |
| May | 13 | Moderate |
| Jun | 15 | Moderate |
| Jul | 16 | Moderate |
| Aug | 13 | Moderate |
| Sep | 10 | Good |
| Oct | 7 | Good |
| Nov | 6 | Good |
| Dec | 7 | Good |
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.
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
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).