Carlisle weather in May

In May, Carlisle sees average daytime highs of 71°F and overnight lows near 53°F, with 3.8 in of rain across 12.7 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 67°F in the first days to 75°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% 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 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Carlisle's 7th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Carlisle's year-round climate.

Daytime high
71°
5th warmest
Overnight low
53°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.8 in
12.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
4:58 AM – 7:12 PM
Cloud cover
64%
7th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.62 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
out of 10

Carlisle is borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States.

Density
1,334/km²
people per km²
Founded
1751

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 67°F in the first days to 75°F by the end.

A typical May day in Carlisle reaches about 71°F in the afternoon and slips back to 53°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 59°F and 83°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 9°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16748
26748
36749
46849
56849
66850
76850
86950
96950
106951
116951
127051
137051
147052
157052
167152
177153
187153
197253
207254
217254
227355
237355
247455
257456
267456
277556
287557
297557
307657
317658

How May really feels in Carlisle

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.

Carlisle weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan38° / 24°3.29.24.59.50.0
Feb40° / 25°2.894.410.40.2
Mar50° / 33°3.910.73.311.72.1
Apr62° / 43°3.711.20.3135.0
May71° / 53°3.812.7014.26.1
Jun80° / 62°3.711.6014.86.2
Jul84° / 67°3.910.8014.65.3
Aug82° / 65°3.410.6013.66.0
Sep76° / 58°4.49.3012.36.9
Oct64° / 46°3.48.30.210.95.8
Nov52° / 37°3.18.50.89.82.8
Dec42° / 29°3.4939.20.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 59%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14159
24159
34258
44159
54159
64159
74258
84159
94159
104159
114060
124159
134159
144159
154159
164060
174060
184060
194060
203961
214060
224060
234060
244060
254258
264258
274357
284357
294357
304357
314357

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Carlisle gets around 3.8 in of rain over 12.7 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 41% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
141
242
342
442
542
642
742
842
942
1042
1142
1242
1342
1441
1541
1641
1740
1840
1940
2040
2140
2239
2339
2439
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 67% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1841240
2821350
3811450
4801460
5791560
6771670
7771670
8761770
9751780
10741880
11721891
12721891
137118101
147118101
156918112
166918112
176818122
186717133
196617143
206517144
216317155
226117166
235818177
245818177
255618188
265518189
275419189
2852191910
2951191911
3050201911
3149201912

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 42 min at the start of May to 14 h 36 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 5:15 AM to 4:48 AM, and sunset from 6:56 PM to 7:25 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.75:156:56
213.75:146:57
313.85:136:59
413.85:127:00
513.85:107:01
613.95:097:02
713.95:087:03
813.95:077:04
914.05:067:05
1014.05:057:06
1114.15:037:07
1214.15:027:08
1314.15:017:09
1414.25:007:10
1514.24:597:11
1614.24:587:12
1714.34:577:13
1814.34:577:13
1914.34:567:14
2014.34:557:15
2114.44:547:16
2214.44:537:17
2314.44:527:18
2414.54:527:19
2514.54:517:20
2614.54:507:21
2714.54:507:22
2814.64:497:22
2914.64:497:23
3014.64:487:24
3114.64:487:25

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.62 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.72 kWh/m² to a high of 6.05 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.62 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.4Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.4Bright
85.4Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Carlisle?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.1
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Carlisle for sightseeing.

What to pack for Carlisle in May

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

In May, Carlisle sees daytime highs around 71°F and nights near 53°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Carlisle in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Carlisle peaks around June 22 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 22UV 9Dec 20UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Carlisle 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 Carlisle is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1316 µg/m³Nov 118 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Carlisle?

Carlisle sits at 40.2°N, 77.2°W, 479 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Harrisburg, 17 mi away.

Topography around Carlisle

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Carlisle has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 180 ft around an average of 482 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,699 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,438 ft.

The land around Carlisle is covered by trees (37%), grassland (27%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 2 miles, trees (50%), cropland (24%) and grassland (21%) within 10 miles, and trees (60%) and cropland (21%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
180 ft
10 miles
1,699 ft
50 miles
2,438 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Harrisburg 17 mi · York 29 mi · Hanover 30 mi · Chambersburg 31 mi · Lebanon 42 mi · Westminster 45 mi · Hagerstown 48 mi · Lancaster 48 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 Carlisle (40.2015°, -77.1889°, elevation 479 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. 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).