Jacksonville weather in May

In May, Jacksonville sees average daytime highs of 80°F and overnight lows near 63°F, with 5.4 in of rain across 12 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 77°F in the first days to 84°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Jacksonville's 9th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Jacksonville's year-round climate.

Daytime high
80°
5th warmest
Overnight low
63°
8th coldest
Rainfall
5.4 in
12 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:10 AM – 6:59 PM
Cloud cover
57%
9th clearest
Wind
7 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Jacksonville is city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States.

Density
380/km²
people per km²
Founded
1870

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 77°F in the first days to 84°F by the end.

A typical May day in Jacksonville reaches about 80°F in the afternoon and slips back to 63°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 71°F and 88°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 7°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17658
27658
37759
47759
57759
67860
77860
87860
97861
107961
117961
127962
138062
148062
158063
168063
178163
188164
198164
208264
218265
228265
238265
248366
258366
268366
278367
288467
298467
308468
318468

How May really feels in Jacksonville

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.

Jacksonville weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan51° / 34°3.68.90.89.92.5
Feb55° / 37°3.99.30.810.73.5
Mar64° / 45°4.911.20.311.75.5
Apr73° / 54°5.310012.96.7
May80° / 63°5.412013.86.2
Jun88° / 71°3.19.4014.34.6
Jul91° / 74°3.49.8014.13.8
Aug90° / 73°2.88.4013.34.1
Sep84° / 66°3.46.7012.26.2
Oct74° / 54°3.97.6011.17.4
Nov62° / 44°4.28.4010.25.6
Dec53° / 37°4.99.20.39.73.1

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15149
25149
35050
45050
54951
64951
74951
84951
94852
104852
114852
124852
134852
144852
154852
164852
174753
184753
194753
204654
214654
224654
234555
244654
254654
264555
274555
284555
294654
304654
314654

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Jacksonville gets around 5.4 in of rain over 12 wet days in May, the wettest month. 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 39% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
138
238
339
439
539
639
739
839
939
1039
1139
1238
1338
1437
1537
1636
1736
1836
1936
2036
2136
2236
2336
2436
2536
2636
2736
2836
2936
3036
3136

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 30% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 36% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1462020131
2442021141
3422022151
4402022161
5392023172
6372023182
7362023192
8341924212
9331924222
10321924232
11311824243
12301823253
13291823273
14291723283
15281723294
16271622304
17271522314
18261522335
19251421345
20231421356
21221421377
22201321387
23191321398
24171321409
251513214110
261412224111
271212224113
281112224114
29912224116
30812224117
31711224119

Wind in May

Winds average 7 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
27light breeze
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
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 06 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 5:24 AM to 5:01 AM, and sunset from 6:47 PM to 7:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:246:47
213.45:236:48
313.45:226:49
413.55:216:50
513.55:206:50
613.55:196:51
713.65:186:52
813.65:176:53
913.65:166:54
1013.75:156:55
1113.75:146:55
1213.75:136:56
1313.75:126:57
1413.85:126:58
1513.85:116:59
1613.85:106:59
1713.85:097:00
1813.95:097:01
1913.95:087:02
2013.95:077:02
2113.95:077:03
2214.05:067:04
2314.05:057:05
2414.05:057:05
2514.05:047:06
2614.15:047:07
2714.15:037:08
2814.15:037:08
2914.15:027:09
3014.15:027:10
3114.15:017:10

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.91 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.25 kWh/m² to a high of 6.49 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.91 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.9Bright
135.9Bright
145.9Bright
156.0Bright
166.0Intense
176.0Intense
186.0Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Jacksonville?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Jacksonville in May

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

In May, Jacksonville sees daytime highs around 80°F and nights near 63°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville peaks around June 20 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 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 20UV 10Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.9× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1621 µg/m³Jan 17 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May15Moderate
Jun19Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Jacksonville?

Jacksonville sits at 34.9°N, 92.1°W, 285 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Sherwood, 7.5 mi away.

Topography around Jacksonville

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Jacksonville has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 174 ft around an average of 285 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 413 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,585 ft.

The land around Jacksonville is covered by trees (60%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 2 miles, trees (59%) and grassland (22%) within 10 miles, and trees (58%) and cropland (20%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
174 ft
10 miles
413 ft
50 miles
1,585 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Sherwood 7.5 mi · Cabot 9.3 mi · North Little Rock 11 mi · Little Rock 13 mi · Maumelle 17 mi · Conway 24 mi · Bryant 29 mi · Searcy 34 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 Jacksonville (34.8662°, -92.1102°, elevation 285 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).