Elizabeth City weather in May

In May, Elizabeth City sees average daytime highs of 75°F and overnight lows near 60°F, with 4.0 in of rain across 11.2 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 72°F in the first days to 79°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% 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 Elizabeth City's 8th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Elizabeth City's year-round climate.

Daytime high
75°
5th warmest
Overnight low
60°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.0 in
11.2 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
5:04 AM – 6:59 PM
Cloud cover
58%
8th clearest
Wind
8 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
6.17 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Elizabeth City is city in Pasquotank County and Camden County, North Carolina, United States.

Density
567/km²
people per km²
Founded
1794

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 72°F in the first days to 79°F by the end.

A typical May day in Elizabeth City reaches about 75°F in the afternoon and slips back to 60°F overnight — a 15°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 7°F warmer than April and about 7°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17256
27256
37257
47357
57357
67358
77358
87358
97458
107459
117459
127459
137560
147560
157560
167560
177660
187661
197661
207661
217762
227762
237762
247863
257863
267863
277864
287964
297964
307965
317965

How May really feels in Elizabeth City

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.

Elizabeth City 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
Jan51° / 36°3.99.61.19.82.5
Feb53° / 37°3.49.70.810.63.0
Mar59° / 43°4.010.80.311.74.6
Apr68° / 52°3.49.7012.96.4
May75° / 60°4.011.2013.96.7
Jun83° / 69°4.412.7014.45.5
Jul86° / 73°5.116.5014.24.3
Aug84° / 72°5.214.3013.44.9
Sep80° / 67°5.011.4012.26.4
Oct71° / 56°3.77.6011.17.1
Nov62° / 46°3.78.40.110.15.5
Dec54° / 40°3.99.70.39.63.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% 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 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
25050
35050
45050
55050
65050
75050
85149
95149
105149
115149
125149
135050
145050
154951
164951
174951
184951
194951
204951
214852
224753
234852
244951
254852
264852
274951
284951
295050
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Elizabeth City gets around 4.0 in of rain over 11.2 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 36% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
135
234
334
434
534
634
734
835
935
1035
1136
1236
1336
1436
1536
1637
1737
1837
1937
2037
2137
2238
2338
2438
2538
2638
2738
2838
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 35% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 22% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
155211770
254211780
353211880
451211990
5492119100
6482120110
7472120120
8452221120
9442221131
10422222141
11412222141
12402122151
13392123161
14382123171
15372123181
16362023192
17352024202
18332024202
19322025212
20302025223
21282025233
22271925244
23251926255
24241925265
25221925276
26211925287
27201825298
28181825309
291718253010
301617253111
311517253112

Wind in May

Winds average 8 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
307light breeze
317light breeze

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 5:18 AM to 4:54 AM, and sunset from 6:46 PM to 7:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:186:46
213.55:176:47
313.55:166:48
413.65:156:49
513.65:146:50
613.65:136:50
713.75:126:51
813.75:116:52
913.75:106:53
1013.75:096:54
1113.85:086:55
1213.85:076:56
1313.85:066:56
1413.95:056:57
1513.95:046:58
1613.95:046:59
1713.95:037:00
1814.05:027:01
1914.05:017:01
2014.05:017:02
2114.15:007:03
2214.14:597:04
2314.14:597:05
2414.14:587:05
2514.14:577:06
2614.24:577:07
2714.24:567:08
2814.24:567:08
2914.24:557:09
3014.24:557:10
3114.34:547:10

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.17 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.23 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.17 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
26.0Bright
36.0Bright
46.0Bright
56.0Intense
66.0Intense
76.0Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.3Intense
296.3Intense
306.3Intense
316.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Elizabeth City

In seasonPeak

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

Elizabeth City 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 Elizabeth City?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
5.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Elizabeth City for sightseeing.

What to pack for Elizabeth City in May

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

In May, Elizabeth City sees daytime highs around 75°F and nights near 60°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Elizabeth City in May

The nearest coast averages about 65°F in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 24 mi away) is warmest in August at about 79°F and coldest in February near 46°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 28 to Oct 21 — about 4.8 months when the water holds above 68°F.

40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan49Bracing
Feb46Bracing
Mar49Bracing
Apr56Bracing
May65Cool
Jun73Refreshing
Jul78Warm
Aug79Warm
Sep76Warm
Oct69Refreshing
Nov61Cool
Dec54Bracing

UV index in Elizabeth City 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 Elizabeth City peaks around July 13 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 9Dec 18UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Elizabeth City 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 Elizabeth City is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 917 µg/m³Dec 126 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar12Good
Apr12Moderate
May12Good
Jun17Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Elizabeth City?

Elizabeth City sits at 36.3°N, 76.3°W, 3 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is South Suffolk, 35 mi away.

Topography around Elizabeth City

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Elizabeth City has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 105 ft around an average of 16 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 128 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 226 ft.

The land around Elizabeth City is covered by trees (37%), cropland (26%) and grassland (25%) within 2 miles, cropland (50%) and trees (31%) within 10 miles, and trees (43%) and water (34%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
105 ft
10 miles
128 ft
50 miles
226 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: South Suffolk 35 mi · Suffolk 35 mi · Chesapeake 36 mi · Portsmouth Heights 37 mi · Portsmouth 37 mi · Norfolk 38 mi · Virginia Beach 42 mi · Newport News 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 Elizabeth City (36.2946°, -76.2511°, elevation 3 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).