Houston weather in May
In May, Houston sees average daytime highs of 85°F and overnight lows near 69°F, with 3.5 in of rain across 9.8 wet days and about 13.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs climb over the month, from about 82°F in the first days to 87°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 13 h 06 min at the start of May to 13 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Houston's 5th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Houston's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 85°
- 5th warmest
- Overnight low
- 69°
- 8th coldest
- Rainfall
- 3.5 in
- 9.8 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 h 30 min
- 5:33 AM – 7:02 PM
- Cloud cover
- 54%
- 5th clearest
- Wind
- 8 mph
- 5th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.94 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.5
- out of 10
Houston is seat of Harris County, and largest city in State of Texas, United States.
- Density
- 1,342/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1836
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Highs climb over the month, from about 82°F in the first days to 87°F by the end.
A typical May day in Houston reaches about 85°F in the afternoon and slips back to 69°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 79°F and 90°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°F warmer than April and about 5°F cooler than June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 88 |
| Avg low (°F) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Avg high (°F) | Avg low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 82 | 65 |
| 2 | 82 | 65 |
| 3 | 82 | 65 |
| 4 | 82 | 66 |
| 5 | 82 | 66 |
| 6 | 83 | 66 |
| 7 | 83 | 66 |
| 8 | 83 | 67 |
| 9 | 83 | 67 |
| 10 | 83 | 67 |
| 11 | 84 | 67 |
| 12 | 84 | 68 |
| 13 | 84 | 68 |
| 14 | 84 | 68 |
| 15 | 84 | 68 |
| 16 | 85 | 69 |
| 17 | 85 | 69 |
| 18 | 85 | 69 |
| 19 | 85 | 69 |
| 20 | 85 | 69 |
| 21 | 86 | 70 |
| 22 | 86 | 70 |
| 23 | 86 | 70 |
| 24 | 86 | 71 |
| 25 | 87 | 71 |
| 26 | 87 | 71 |
| 27 | 87 | 71 |
| 28 | 87 | 71 |
| 29 | 87 | 72 |
| 30 | 88 | 72 |
| 31 | 88 | 72 |
How May really feels in Houston
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 9 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Houston weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63° / 45° | 4.2 | 10 | 10.3 | 5.6 |
| Feb | 66° / 49° | 3.3 | 9 | 10.9 | 6.1 |
| Mar | 72° / 55° | 3.7 | 9.2 | 11.8 | 6.8 |
| Apr | 78° / 61° | 3.8 | 8.9 | 12.7 | 6.9 |
| May | 85° / 69° | 3.5 | 9.8 | 13.5 | 5.5 |
| Jun | 89° / 74° | 4.5 | 12.8 | 13.9 | 3.8 |
| Jul | 91° / 76° | 3.6 | 12.7 | 13.7 | 3.3 |
| Aug | 92° / 75° | 3.9 | 13.3 | 13.1 | 3.2 |
| Sep | 88° / 71° | 4.6 | 11.8 | 12.2 | 4.4 |
| Oct | 81° / 62° | 4.1 | 8.7 | 11.3 | 6.8 |
| Nov | 71° / 53° | 4.1 | 8.3 | 10.5 | 7.0 |
| Dec | 65° / 47° | 4.2 | 9.6 | 10.1 | 5.9 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 43%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 59 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 63 | 63 |
| Cloudier (%) | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 37 | 37 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 52 | 48 |
| 2 | 52 | 48 |
| 3 | 52 | 48 |
| 4 | 52 | 48 |
| 5 | 53 | 47 |
| 6 | 53 | 47 |
| 7 | 52 | 48 |
| 8 | 52 | 48 |
| 9 | 53 | 47 |
| 10 | 53 | 47 |
| 11 | 54 | 46 |
| 12 | 55 | 45 |
| 13 | 56 | 44 |
| 14 | 56 | 44 |
| 15 | 56 | 44 |
| 16 | 57 | 43 |
| 17 | 58 | 42 |
| 18 | 58 | 42 |
| 19 | 58 | 42 |
| 20 | 59 | 41 |
| 21 | 58 | 42 |
| 22 | 59 | 41 |
| 23 | 60 | 40 |
| 24 | 60 | 40 |
| 25 | 60 | 40 |
| 26 | 60 | 40 |
| 27 | 61 | 39 |
| 28 | 61 | 39 |
| 29 | 61 | 39 |
| 30 | 63 | 37 |
| 31 | 63 | 37 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Houston gets around 3.5 in of rain over 9.8 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 31% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 38 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 27 |
| 2 | 27 |
| 3 | 27 |
| 4 | 27 |
| 5 | 28 |
| 6 | 28 |
| 7 | 28 |
| 8 | 29 |
| 9 | 29 |
| 10 | 29 |
| 11 | 29 |
| 12 | 30 |
| 13 | 30 |
| 14 | 31 |
| 15 | 31 |
| 16 | 31 |
| 17 | 32 |
| 18 | 32 |
| 19 | 32 |
| 20 | 32 |
| 21 | 33 |
| 22 | 33 |
| 23 | 33 |
| 24 | 34 |
| 25 | 34 |
| 26 | 35 |
| 27 | 35 |
| 28 | 36 |
| 29 | 37 |
| 30 | 37 |
| 31 | 38 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 40% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 74% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Humid (%) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Muggy (%) | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
| Oppressive (%) | 23 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 48 | 50 | 51 | 53 | 56 | 55 | 58 | 59 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 31 | 23 | 0 |
| 2 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 30 | 25 | 0 |
| 3 | 16 | 11 | 16 | 30 | 26 | 0 |
| 4 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 30 | 28 | 0 |
| 5 | 15 | 10 | 16 | 30 | 29 | 0 |
| 6 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 31 | 31 | 0 |
| 7 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 31 | 32 | 0 |
| 8 | 13 | 8 | 15 | 31 | 33 | 0 |
| 9 | 12 | 8 | 15 | 31 | 34 | 0 |
| 10 | 11 | 7 | 15 | 31 | 35 | 0 |
| 11 | 11 | 7 | 15 | 32 | 35 | 1 |
| 12 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 32 | 36 | 1 |
| 13 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 32 | 37 | 1 |
| 14 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 32 | 38 | 1 |
| 15 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 33 | 39 | 1 |
| 16 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 33 | 39 | 1 |
| 17 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 34 | 40 | 1 |
| 18 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 34 | 41 | 1 |
| 19 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 34 | 42 | 2 |
| 20 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 34 | 43 | 2 |
| 21 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 34 | 44 | 2 |
| 22 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 34 | 45 | 2 |
| 23 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 33 | 46 | 3 |
| 24 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 33 | 48 | 3 |
| 25 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 33 | 50 | 3 |
| 26 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 32 | 51 | 4 |
| 27 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 31 | 53 | 4 |
| 28 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 30 | 56 | 4 |
| 29 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 30 | 55 | 5 |
| 30 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 58 | 5 |
| 31 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 27 | 59 | 6 |
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.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (mph) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (mph) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | light breeze |
| 2 | 9 | light breeze |
| 3 | 9 | light breeze |
| 4 | 9 | light breeze |
| 5 | 9 | light breeze |
| 6 | 9 | light breeze |
| 7 | 9 | light breeze |
| 8 | 9 | light breeze |
| 9 | 8 | light breeze |
| 10 | 8 | light breeze |
| 11 | 8 | light breeze |
| 12 | 8 | light breeze |
| 13 | 8 | light breeze |
| 14 | 8 | light breeze |
| 15 | 8 | light breeze |
| 16 | 8 | light breeze |
| 17 | 8 | light breeze |
| 18 | 8 | light breeze |
| 19 | 8 | light breeze |
| 20 | 8 | light breeze |
| 21 | 8 | light breeze |
| 22 | 8 | light breeze |
| 23 | 8 | light breeze |
| 24 | 8 | light breeze |
| 25 | 8 | light breeze |
| 26 | 7 | light breeze |
| 27 | 7 | calm |
| 28 | 7 | calm |
| 29 | 7 | calm |
| 30 | 7 | calm |
| 31 | 7 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 13 h 06 min at the start of May to 13 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:45 AM to 5:26 AM, and sunset from 6:53 PM to 7:11 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.1 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.8 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:45 | 5:44 | 5:43 | 5:42 | 5:41 | 5:40 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:38 | 5:37 | 5:36 | 5:36 | 5:35 | 5:34 | 5:34 | 5:33 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:30 | 5:30 | 5:29 | 5:29 | 5:28 | 5:28 | 5:28 | 5:27 | 5:27 | 5:27 | 5:26 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:53 | 6:53 | 6:54 | 6:55 | 6:55 | 6:56 | 6:57 | 6:57 | 6:58 | 6:59 | 6:59 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:01 | 7:02 | 7:02 | 7:03 | 7:04 | 7:04 | 7:05 | 7:06 | 7:06 | 7:07 | 7:07 | 7:08 | 7:09 | 7:09 | 7:10 | 7:10 | 7:11 | 7:11 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.1 | 5:45 | 6:53 |
| 2 | 13.2 | 5:44 | 6:53 |
| 3 | 13.2 | 5:43 | 6:54 |
| 4 | 13.2 | 5:42 | 6:55 |
| 5 | 13.2 | 5:41 | 6:55 |
| 6 | 13.3 | 5:40 | 6:56 |
| 7 | 13.3 | 5:39 | 6:57 |
| 8 | 13.3 | 5:39 | 6:57 |
| 9 | 13.3 | 5:38 | 6:58 |
| 10 | 13.4 | 5:37 | 6:59 |
| 11 | 13.4 | 5:36 | 6:59 |
| 12 | 13.4 | 5:36 | 7:00 |
| 13 | 13.4 | 5:35 | 7:00 |
| 14 | 13.4 | 5:34 | 7:01 |
| 15 | 13.5 | 5:34 | 7:02 |
| 16 | 13.5 | 5:33 | 7:02 |
| 17 | 13.5 | 5:32 | 7:03 |
| 18 | 13.5 | 5:32 | 7:04 |
| 19 | 13.6 | 5:31 | 7:04 |
| 20 | 13.6 | 5:31 | 7:05 |
| 21 | 13.6 | 5:30 | 7:06 |
| 22 | 13.6 | 5:30 | 7:06 |
| 23 | 13.6 | 5:29 | 7:07 |
| 24 | 13.6 | 5:29 | 7:07 |
| 25 | 13.7 | 5:28 | 7:08 |
| 26 | 13.7 | 5:28 | 7:09 |
| 27 | 13.7 | 5:28 | 7:09 |
| 28 | 13.7 | 5:27 | 7:10 |
| 29 | 13.7 | 5:27 | 7:10 |
| 30 | 13.7 | 5:27 | 7:11 |
| 31 | 13.8 | 5:26 | 7:11 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.94 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.6 kWh/m² to a high of 6.21 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.94 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 16 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 17 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 18 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 19 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.1 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Houston
None of Houston's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Houston sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Is May a good time to visit Houston?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Houston for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Houston in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Houston sees daytime highs around 85°F and nights near 69°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.
UV index in Houston in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Houston peaks around July 20 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 4 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 4 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Level | Moderate | High | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | Moderate |
| Feb | 6 | High |
| Mar | 6 | High |
| Apr | 10 | Very high |
| May | 10 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 8 | Very high |
| Oct | 6 | High |
| Nov | 5 | Moderate |
| Dec | 4 | Moderate |
Air quality in Houston in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Houston is worst in July — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 10 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| Level | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Good |
| Feb | 10 | Good |
| Mar | 12 | Moderate |
| Apr | 12 | Moderate |
| May | 16 | Moderate |
| Jun | 20 | Moderate |
| Jul | 24 | Moderate |
| Aug | 18 | Moderate |
| Sep | 15 | Moderate |
| Oct | 11 | Good |
| Nov | 10 | Good |
| Dec | 10 | Good |
Where is Houston?
Houston sits at 29.8°N, 95.4°W, 39 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is West University Place, 5.0 mi away.
Topography around Houston
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Houston.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Houston has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 190 ft around an average of 49 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 259 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 476 ft.
The land around Houston is covered by artificial surfaces (72%) within 2 miles, artificial surfaces (47%) and trees (41%) within 10 miles, and trees (43%) and grassland (27%) within 50 miles.
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
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 Houston (29.7633°, -95.3633°, elevation 39 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).