Cookeville weather in May

In May, Cookeville sees average daytime highs of 76°F and overnight lows near 59°F, with 4.7 in of rain across 12.9 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 73°F in the first days to 80°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Cookeville's 8th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cookeville's year-round climate.

Daytime high
76°
5th warmest
Overnight low
59°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.7 in
12.9 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
4:41 AM – 6:36 PM
Cloud cover
61%
8th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.85 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Cookeville is city in Tennessee, United States.

Density
377/km²
people per km²
Founded
1854

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 73°F in the first days to 80°F by the end.

A typical May day in Cookeville reaches about 76°F in the afternoon and slips back to 59°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 65°F and 85°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 7°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17254
27254
37355
47355
57355
67355
77456
87456
97456
107457
117557
127557
137558
147558
157658
167659
177659
187659
197760
207760
217760
227861
237861
247861
257962
267962
277962
287962
298063
308063
318063

How May really feels in Cookeville

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.

Cookeville weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan46° / 31°4.511.22.69.81.3
Feb50° / 34°4.811.32.410.62.2
Mar59° / 41°5.212.61.111.74.3
Apr69° / 49°4.911.80.212.96.0
May76° / 59°4.712.9013.96.3
Jun83° / 67°4.313.1014.45.3
Jul86° / 70°4.813.7014.24.6
Aug85° / 68°3.511.5013.45.0
Sep80° / 62°3.68.7012.26.7
Oct70° / 50°3.48.20.111.16.9
Nov58° / 40°4.19.20.310.14.5
Dec49° / 34°5.211.81.79.62.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24753
34753
44753
54753
64852
74852
84852
94852
104852
114852
124852
134753
144753
154753
164753
174753
184753
194654
204654
214555
224555
234456
244555
254456
264456
274456
284357
294456
304456
314456

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Cookeville gets around 4.7 in of rain over 12.9 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 42% and peaks near 45% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
143
243
343
442
542
642
741
841
941
1041
1141
1240
1340
1440
1540
1640
1740
1840
1941
2041
2141
2242
2342
2443
2543
2644
2744
2844
2945
3045
3145

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 38% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 16% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
163201610
260211720
358221820
455231930
553232040
651242140
749242250
847252260
945252370
1044252390
11422523100
12412524110
13402524120
14392424130
15382424140
16372424150
17362324160
18352225170
19352225190
20342125200
21332125211
22312026221
23302026221
24292027231
25281927242
26261927252
27251927262
28241927272
29231928292
30211928303
31201828313

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:56 AM to 4:32 AM, and sunset from 6:23 PM to 6:47 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.54:566:23
213.54:546:24
313.54:536:25
413.64:526:25
513.64:516:26
613.64:506:27
713.64:496:28
813.74:486:29
913.74:476:30
1013.74:466:31
1113.84:456:31
1213.84:446:32
1313.84:436:33
1413.94:436:34
1513.94:426:35
1613.94:416:36
1713.94:406:36
1814.04:396:37
1914.04:396:38
2014.04:386:39
2114.04:376:40
2214.14:366:40
2314.14:366:41
2414.14:356:42
2514.14:356:43
2614.24:346:44
2714.24:346:44
2814.24:336:45
2914.24:336:46
3014.24:326:46
3114.34:326:47

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.85 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.99 kWh/m² to a high of 6.11 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.85 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
196.0Bright
206.0Bright
216.0Bright
226.0Bright
236.0Bright
246.0Bright
256.0Bright
266.0Bright
276.0Bright
286.0Bright
296.0Bright
306.0Bright
316.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Cookeville?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
5.5
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Cookeville for sightseeing.

What to pack for Cookeville in May

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

In May, Cookeville sees daytime highs around 76°F and nights near 59°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Cookeville 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 Cookeville peaks around July 14 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 14UV 10Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Cookeville 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 Cookeville is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1617 µg/m³Dec 226 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb7Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Cookeville?

Cookeville sits at 36.2°N, 85.5°W, 1,096 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Lebanon, 44 mi away.

Topography around Cookeville

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Cookeville has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 249 ft around an average of 1,109 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,388 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,575 ft.

The land around Cookeville is covered by trees (43%), grassland (28%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 2 miles, trees (57%) and grassland (37%) within 10 miles, and trees (70%) and grassland (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
249 ft
10 miles
1,388 ft
50 miles
2,575 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Lebanon 44 mi · Murfreesboro 54 mi · Gallatin 55 mi · Mount Juliet 57 mi · Smyrna 58 mi · La Vergne 61 mi · Hermitage 63 mi · Hendersonville 63 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 Cookeville (36.1628°, -85.5016°, elevation 1,096 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).