Cortland weather in May

In May, Cortland sees average daytime highs of 65°F and overnight lows near 47°F, with 4.0 in of precipitation across 13.9 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 62°F in the first days to 70°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% 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 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Cortland's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cortland's year-round climate.

Daytime high
65°
5th warmest
Overnight low
47°
8th coldest
Precipitation
4.0 in
13.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
4:48 AM – 7:14 PM
Cloud cover
66%
6th clearest
Wind
7 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.64 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.4
out of 10

Cortland is city in New York, USA.

Density
1,865/km²
people per km²
Founded
1791

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 62°F in the first days to 70°F by the end.

A typical May day in Cortland reaches about 65°F in the afternoon and slips back to 47°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 79°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 11°F warmer than April and about 8°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16142
26143
36243
46243
56244
66344
76344
86345
96445
106445
116445
126446
136546
146546
156546
166547
176647
186647
196648
206748
216749
226749
236849
246850
256850
266951
276951
286951
297051
307052
317052

How May really feels in Cortland

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.

Cortland 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
Jan30° / 16°3.112.612.29.20.0
Feb32° / 17°2.710.99.510.30.0
Mar41° / 25°3.8138.211.60.3
Apr54° / 37°4.213.52.913.13.0
May65° / 47°4.013.90.214.45.4
Jun74° / 56°4.412.8015.16.3
Jul78° / 60°4.213014.86.3
Aug76° / 59°3.912.3013.76.6
Sep69° / 52°4.110.5012.36.3
Oct57° / 41°4.2130.610.83.8
Nov45° / 31°3.512.34.49.60.9
Dec35° / 23°3.613108.90.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% 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 63%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13664
23664
33664
43664
53664
63664
73565
83565
93565
103565
113565
123565
133565
143565
153565
163565
173664
183664
193664
203763
213763
223862
233961
243961
254060
264159
274159
284159
294159
304060
314159

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Cortland gets around 4.0 in of rain and snow over 13.9 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 44% and peaks near 47% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1472
2472
3462
4462
5461
6461
7461
8461
9461
10461
11451
12451
13451
14451
15451
16441
17441
18441
19440
20440
21430
22430
23430
24430
25430
26420
27420
28420
29420
30420
31420

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 82% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
194510
294510
393610
493610
592710
691810
791810
889920
989920
10881020
11881020
12871120
13861130
14851230
15841240
16841240
17821350
18821350
19811360
20791371
21771481
22761491
23761491
247414102
257215112
267215112
277115122
287015123
296916123
306816133
316816133

Wind in May

Winds average 7 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 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
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 66 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:07 AM to 4:36 AM, and sunset from 6:57 PM to 7:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:076:57
213.95:056:58
313.95:046:59
414.05:037:00
514.05:017:02
614.05:007:03
714.14:597:04
814.14:587:05
914.24:567:06
1014.24:557:07
1114.24:547:08
1214.34:537:09
1314.34:527:10
1414.44:507:11
1514.44:497:13
1614.44:487:14
1714.54:477:15
1814.54:467:16
1914.54:457:17
2014.64:447:18
2114.64:447:19
2214.64:437:20
2314.64:427:21
2414.74:417:22
2514.74:407:23
2614.74:397:24
2714.84:397:25
2814.84:387:25
2914.84:377:26
3014.84:377:27
3114.94:367:28

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.64 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.31 kWh/m² to a high of 5.98 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.64 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.4Bright
85.4Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Cortland?

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

5.4
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Cortland for sightseeing.

What to pack for Cortland in May

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

In May, Cortland sees daytime highs around 65°F and nights near 47°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 14 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Cortland 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 Cortland peaks around July 12 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 12UV 8Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Cortland?

Cortland sits at 42.6°N, 76.2°W, 1,129 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ithaca, 19 mi away.

Topography around Cortland

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Cortland has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 614 ft around an average of 1,220 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,178 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,847 ft.

The land around Cortland is covered by trees (43%) and grassland (28%) within 2 miles, trees (63%) and grassland (20%) within 10 miles, and trees (66%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
614 ft
10 miles
1,178 ft
50 miles
1,847 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Ithaca 19 mi · Auburn 30 mi · Syracuse 31 mi · Vestal 36 mi · Binghamton 37 mi · Cicero 40 mi · Clay 40 mi · Elmira 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 Cortland (42.6012°, -76.1805°, elevation 1,129 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).