Fuquay-Varina weather in May

In May, Fuquay-Varina sees average daytime highs of 80°F and overnight lows near 60°F, with 3.7 in of rain across 10.6 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 76°F in the first days to 83°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 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Fuquay-Varina's 9th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Fuquay-Varina's year-round climate.

Daytime high
80°
5th warmest
Overnight low
60°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.7 in
10.6 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
5:15 AM – 7:08 PM
Cloud cover
58%
9th clearest
Wind
7 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
6.01 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

Fuquay-Varina is city in Wake County, North Carolina.

Density
759/km²
people per km²
Founded
1909

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 76°F in the first days to 83°F by the end.

A typical May day in Fuquay-Varina reaches about 80°F in the afternoon and slips back to 60°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 69°F and 89°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)
17656
27656
37656
47757
57757
67757
77757
87858
97858
107858
117858
127959
137959
147959
157960
168060
178060
188060
198061
208061
218161
228162
238162
248262
258263
268263
278263
288364
298364
308364
318365

How May really feels in Fuquay-Varina

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.

Fuquay-Varina weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan52° / 34°3.79.519.92.9
Feb55° / 36°3.28.80.910.73.6
Mar63° / 42°4.0100.311.75.6
Apr73° / 51°3.68.9012.96.9
May80° / 60°3.710.6013.96.4
Jun86° / 68°4.412014.44.6
Jul89° / 72°5.015.5014.23.7
Aug87° / 70°5.013.3013.34.4
Sep81° / 64°5.110.4012.26.2
Oct72° / 53°3.27.2011.17.3
Nov62° / 42°3.37.8010.15.8
Dec55° / 37°3.69.20.49.63.6

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 50%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
25050
35149
45149
55149
65050
75050
85149
95149
105149
115149
125149
135149
145050
155050
165050
175050
185050
195050
205050
214951
224951
234951
244852
254951
264852
274852
284852
294852
304852
314753

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Fuquay-Varina gets around 3.7 in of rain over 10.6 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 35% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
233
332
432
532
632
732
833
933
1033
1134
1234
1334
1435
1535
1635
1736
1836
1936
2037
2137
2237
2337
2437
2537
2636
2736
2836
2936
3036
3136

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 20% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
160191380
259191390
358191490
4561915100
5542016100
6522017110
7522017110
8492118120
9472119120
10462220130
11442220130
12432221140
13412221141
14402322151
15392222161
16382222171
17362223181
18352223191
19342223201
20332123212
21312124222
22302124232
23282024243
24272024253
25252025274
26241925284
27231925295
28211826295
29201826306
30191726317
31181726318

Wind in May

Winds average 7 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
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
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 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 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 5:30 AM to 5:06 AM, and sunset from 6:55 PM to 7:19 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:306:55
213.55:296:56
313.55:286:57
413.55:266:58
513.65:256:58
613.65:246:59
713.65:237:00
813.65:227:01
913.75:217:02
1013.75:207:03
1113.75:207:03
1213.85:197:04
1313.85:187:05
1413.85:177:06
1513.85:167:07
1613.95:157:08
1713.95:157:08
1813.95:147:09
1913.95:137:10
2014.05:127:11
2114.05:127:12
2214.05:117:12
2314.05:107:13
2414.15:107:14
2514.15:097:15
2614.15:097:15
2714.15:087:16
2814.25:087:17
2914.25:077:17
3014.25:077:18
3114.25:067:19

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.01 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.28 kWh/m² to a high of 6.19 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.01 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
96.0Bright
106.0Bright
116.0Bright
126.0Intense
136.0Intense
146.0Intense
156.0Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Intense
186.0Intense
196.0Intense
206.0Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Fuquay-Varina?

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

6.4
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Fuquay-Varina for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Fuquay-Varina in May

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

In May, Fuquay-Varina sees daytime highs around 80°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

UV index in Fuquay-Varina 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 Fuquay-Varina peaks around July 13 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Fuquay-Varina 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 Fuquay-Varina is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1517 µg/m³Dec 128 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Fuquay-Varina?

Fuquay-Varina sits at 35.6°N, 78.8°W, 390 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Holly Springs, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Fuquay-Varina

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Fuquay-Varina has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 233 ft around an average of 400 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 420 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,122 ft.

The land around Fuquay-Varina is covered by trees (53%), grassland (20%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 2 miles, trees (66%) within 10 miles, and trees (74%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
233 ft
10 miles
420 ft
50 miles
1,122 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Holly Springs 5.0 mi · Apex 11 mi · Garner 14 mi · Cary 14 mi · Raleigh 16 mi · West Raleigh 16 mi · Morrisville 17 mi · Clayton 20 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 Fuquay-Varina (35.5843°, -78.8°, elevation 390 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).