Jackson weather in May

In May, Jackson sees average daytime highs of 79°F and overnight lows near 61°F, with 4.7 in of rain across 11.5 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 4th-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 Jackson's 8th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Jackson's year-round climate.

Daytime high
79°
5th warmest
Overnight low
61°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.7 in
11.5 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
4:55 AM – 6:48 PM
Cloud cover
59%
8th clearest
Wind
6 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.98 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

Jackson is city in and county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States.

Density
442/km²
people per km²
Founded
1821

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 Jackson reaches about 79°F in the afternoon and slips back to 61°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 69°F and 88°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 8°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17556
27556
37657
47657
57657
67658
77758
87758
97759
107859
117859
127860
137860
147960
157961
167961
178061
188062
198062
208062
218163
228163
238163
248264
258264
268264
278265
288365
298365
308365
318366

How May really feels in Jackson

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.

Jackson weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan49° / 33°4.21019.92.0
Feb53° / 35°4.59.3110.73.0
Mar62° / 43°4.911.50.511.75.2
Apr71° / 52°5.110.2012.96.6
May79° / 61°4.711.5013.96.4
Jun87° / 69°3.810.9014.44.6
Jul90° / 72°3.912.4014.23.8
Aug89° / 70°3.310013.34.2
Sep84° / 64°3.17.6012.26.1
Oct73° / 52°3.87.8011.17.2
Nov60° / 42°4.090.210.15.1
Dec51° / 35°5.110.20.59.62.6

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 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 53%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24852
34852
44753
54753
64753
74654
84753
94753
104753
114753
124753
134753
144753
154753
164753
174753
184753
194753
204753
214753
224654
234654
244753
254654
264654
274555
284654
294654
304654
314654

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Jackson gets around 4.7 in of rain over 11.5 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 37% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
138
237
337
437
537
636
736
836
935
1035
1134
1234
1334
1434
1534
1634
1734
1834
1935
2035
2136
2237
2338
2438
2539
2640
2741
2841
2942
3042
3142

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 32% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 27% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
151222061
250222171
348222281
446212391
5452124101
6432124111
7422024121
8412025141
9401925151
10391925161
11381925181
12371825191
13361825201
14351824212
15341724232
16331724242
17331723262
18321623272
19311622293
20291622303
21281621314
22261621334
23251621345
24231621355
25211621356
26191622367
27181622377
28161623378
29151623389
301316233810
311215243811

Wind in May

Winds average 6 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
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 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 5:10 AM to 4:46 AM, and sunset from 6:35 PM to 6:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:106:35
213.55:096:36
313.55:086:37
413.55:066:38
513.65:056:39
613.65:046:39
713.65:036:40
813.65:026:41
913.75:016:42
1013.75:006:43
1113.75:006:44
1213.84:596:44
1313.84:586:45
1413.84:576:46
1513.84:566:47
1613.94:556:48
1713.94:556:49
1813.94:546:49
1914.04:536:50
2014.04:526:51
2114.04:526:52
2214.04:516:52
2314.04:506:53
2414.14:506:54
2514.14:496:55
2614.14:496:55
2714.14:486:56
2814.24:486:57
2914.24:476:58
3014.24:476:58
3114.24:466:59

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.98 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.13 kWh/m² to a high of 6.39 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.98 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
126.0Bright
136.0Intense
146.0Intense
156.0Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Jackson?

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
6.2
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Jackson in May

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

In May, Jackson sees daytime highs around 79°F and nights near 61°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Jackson 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 Jackson peaks around June 21 at about 10 (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 highHighModerateJun 21UV 10Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar7High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Jackson 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 Jackson is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.1× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1518 µg/m³Dec 196 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar10Good
Apr9Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Jackson?

Jackson sits at 35.6°N, 88.8°W, 410 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Dyersburg, 43 mi away.

Topography around Jackson

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Jackson has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 223 ft around an average of 400 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 358 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 558 ft.

The land around Jackson is covered by trees (62%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 2 miles, trees (63%) within 10 miles, and trees (61%) and cropland (29%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
223 ft
10 miles
358 ft
50 miles
558 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Dyersburg 43 mi · Collierville 62 mi · Cordova 63 mi · Ellendale 63 mi · Bartlett 66 mi · Germantown 67 mi · Olive Branch 73 mi · Murray 74 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 Jackson (35.6145°, -88.814°, elevation 410 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).