Harrisburg weather in May

In May, Harrisburg sees average daytime highs of 72°F and overnight lows near 53°F, with 3.5 in of rain across 12 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 68°F in the first days to 76°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% 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 Harrisburg's 7th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Harrisburg's year-round climate.

Daytime high
72°
5th warmest
Overnight low
53°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.5 in
12 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
4:57 AM – 7:11 PM
Cloud cover
64%
7th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.63 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Harrisburg is capital city of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and seat of Dauphin County.

Density
1,633/km²
people per km²
Founded
1719

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 68°F in the first days to 76°F by the end.

A typical May day in Harrisburg reaches about 72°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 84°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)
16749
26849
36849
46850
56950
66950
76951
86951
96951
107051
117052
127052
137152
147153
157153
167153
177253
187254
197254
207355
217355
227455
237456
247456
257556
267557
277557
287658
297658
307658
317758

How May really feels in Harrisburg

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.

Harrisburg weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan38° / 25°3.394.59.50.0
Feb41° / 26°2.88.94.210.40.2
Mar50° / 33°3.810.63.211.72.3
Apr63° / 44°3.610.60.3135.2
May72° / 53°3.512014.26.3
Jun81° / 63°3.411014.86.1
Jul85° / 68°3.610.3014.65.2
Aug83° / 66°3.19.6013.65.9
Sep76° / 59°4.39012.36.9
Oct64° / 47°3.58.30.110.95.9
Nov53° / 37°3.18.20.79.83.0
Dec43° / 30°3.59.22.99.20.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 59%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14258
24258
34258
44258
54258
64357
74258
84258
94258
104159
114159
124159
134060
144159
154060
163961
173961
183961
193862
203862
213961
224060
234060
244159
254159
264258
274258
284258
294258
304258
314357

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Harrisburg gets around 3.5 in of rain over 12 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 38% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
136
237
337
437
538
638
739
839
940
1040
1140
1240
1340
1440
1540
1640
1739
1839
1939
2039
2138
2238
2338
2438
2537
2637
2737
2837
2937
3037
3137

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 66% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
18312500
28213500
38114500
47915600
57816600
67716700
77617700
87517800
97318810
107318810
117119910
127119910
137019920
1469191020
1568191030
1667191130
1766191140
1865191240
1963191350
2063191350
2161191460
2259191570
2357191680
2457191680
2555191790
2655191790
27522018100
28522018100
29502019110
30492119111
31482119121

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 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
306calm
316calm

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 5:14 AM to 4:46 AM, and sunset from 6:55 PM to 7:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.75:146:55
213.75:136:56
313.85:126:57
413.85:106:58
513.85:097:00
613.95:087:01
713.95:077:02
814.05:057:03
914.05:047:04
1014.05:037:05
1114.15:027:06
1214.15:017:07
1314.15:007:08
1414.24:597:09
1514.24:587:10
1614.24:577:11
1714.34:567:12
1814.34:557:12
1914.34:547:13
2014.34:537:14
2114.44:537:15
2214.44:527:16
2314.44:517:17
2414.54:507:18
2514.54:507:19
2614.54:497:20
2714.54:487:21
2814.64:487:21
2914.64:477:22
3014.64:477:23
3114.64:467:24

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.63 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.73 kWh/m² to a high of 6.06 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.63 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
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Harrisburg

In seasonPeak

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

Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
4.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Harrisburg for sightseeing.

What to pack for Harrisburg in May

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

In May, Harrisburg sees daytime highs around 72°F and nights near 53°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg peaks around June 22 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 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 8Dec 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg?

Harrisburg sits at 40.3°N, 76.9°W, 331 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Carlisle, 17 mi away.

Topography around Harrisburg

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Harrisburg has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 335 ft around an average of 367 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,260 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,300 ft.

The land around Harrisburg is covered by artificial surfaces (39%), trees (32%) and water (21%) within 2 miles, trees (59%) within 10 miles, and trees (58%) and cropland (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
335 ft
10 miles
1,260 ft
50 miles
2,300 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Carlisle 17 mi · York 23 mi · Lebanon 25 mi · Hanover 33 mi · Lancaster 35 mi · Chambersburg 47 mi · Westminster 48 mi · Reading 50 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 Harrisburg (40.2737°, -76.8844°, elevation 331 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). 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).