Lafayette weather in May
In May, Lafayette sees average daytime highs of 85°F and overnight lows near 67°F, with 3.6 in of rain across 9.7 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 42% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.
Daylight stretches from about 13 h 12 min at the start of May to 13 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Lafayette's 4th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lafayette's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 85°
- 5th warmest
- Overnight low
- 67°
- 8th coldest
- Rainfall
- 3.6 in
- 9.7 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 h 30 min
- 5:19 AM – 6:50 PM
- Cloud cover
- 51%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 7 mph
- 7th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.18 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.5
- out of 10
Lafayette is city in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States.
- Density
- 950/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1821
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 Lafayette reaches about 85°F in the afternoon and slips back to 67°F overnight — a 18°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 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 88 |
| Avg low (°F) | 63 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 71 |
| Avg high (°F) | Avg low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 82 | 63 |
| 2 | 82 | 63 |
| 3 | 82 | 64 |
| 4 | 82 | 64 |
| 5 | 82 | 64 |
| 6 | 83 | 64 |
| 7 | 83 | 65 |
| 8 | 83 | 65 |
| 9 | 83 | 65 |
| 10 | 84 | 65 |
| 11 | 84 | 66 |
| 12 | 84 | 66 |
| 13 | 84 | 66 |
| 14 | 84 | 66 |
| 15 | 85 | 67 |
| 16 | 85 | 67 |
| 17 | 85 | 67 |
| 18 | 85 | 67 |
| 19 | 85 | 68 |
| 20 | 86 | 68 |
| 21 | 86 | 68 |
| 22 | 86 | 68 |
| 23 | 86 | 69 |
| 24 | 86 | 69 |
| 25 | 87 | 69 |
| 26 | 87 | 69 |
| 27 | 87 | 70 |
| 28 | 87 | 70 |
| 29 | 87 | 70 |
| 30 | 87 | 70 |
| 31 | 88 | 71 |
How May really feels in Lafayette
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 6 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.
Lafayette 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 | 62° / 44° | 5.0 | 9.5 | 10.3 | 5.4 |
| Feb | 65° / 47° | 4.2 | 8.8 | 10.9 | 6.0 |
| Mar | 72° / 53° | 4.3 | 10.1 | 11.8 | 6.7 |
| Apr | 78° / 59° | 4.3 | 9.1 | 12.7 | 7.0 |
| May | 85° / 67° | 3.6 | 9.7 | 13.5 | 5.5 |
| Jun | 89° / 73° | 4.5 | 14.2 | 13.9 | 3.7 |
| Jul | 90° / 75° | 4.9 | 17.5 | 13.8 | 3.2 |
| Aug | 91° / 74° | 4.8 | 16.1 | 13.1 | 3.2 |
| Sep | 88° / 70° | 3.8 | 11.2 | 12.2 | 4.5 |
| Oct | 80° / 60° | 3.8 | 7.7 | 11.3 | 7.0 |
| Nov | 71° / 51° | 3.5 | 8.2 | 10.5 | 7.1 |
| Dec | 64° / 46° | 4.6 | 9.2 | 10.1 | 5.9 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 40%.
| 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 (%) | 62 | 62 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 57 |
| Cloudier (%) | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 62 | 38 |
| 2 | 62 | 38 |
| 3 | 62 | 38 |
| 4 | 61 | 39 |
| 5 | 61 | 39 |
| 6 | 60 | 40 |
| 7 | 60 | 40 |
| 8 | 60 | 40 |
| 9 | 60 | 40 |
| 10 | 60 | 40 |
| 11 | 60 | 40 |
| 12 | 60 | 40 |
| 13 | 60 | 40 |
| 14 | 61 | 39 |
| 15 | 61 | 39 |
| 16 | 61 | 39 |
| 17 | 62 | 38 |
| 18 | 62 | 38 |
| 19 | 61 | 39 |
| 20 | 61 | 39 |
| 21 | 61 | 39 |
| 22 | 61 | 39 |
| 23 | 61 | 39 |
| 24 | 61 | 39 |
| 25 | 59 | 41 |
| 26 | 59 | 41 |
| 27 | 59 | 41 |
| 28 | 58 | 42 |
| 29 | 58 | 42 |
| 30 | 58 | 42 |
| 31 | 57 | 43 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Lafayette gets around 3.6 in of rain over 9.7 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 42% 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 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 27 |
| 2 | 27 |
| 3 | 27 |
| 4 | 27 |
| 5 | 27 |
| 6 | 27 |
| 7 | 27 |
| 8 | 27 |
| 9 | 27 |
| 10 | 27 |
| 11 | 28 |
| 12 | 28 |
| 13 | 28 |
| 14 | 29 |
| 15 | 29 |
| 16 | 29 |
| 17 | 30 |
| 18 | 30 |
| 19 | 31 |
| 20 | 32 |
| 21 | 33 |
| 22 | 34 |
| 23 | 34 |
| 24 | 35 |
| 25 | 36 |
| 26 | 37 |
| 27 | 38 |
| 28 | 39 |
| 29 | 40 |
| 30 | 41 |
| 31 | 42 |
Humidity in May
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 36% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 63% 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 (%) | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Comfortable (%) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Humid (%) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| Muggy (%) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 35 |
| Oppressive (%) | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 47 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 14 | 20 | 30 | 13 | 0 |
| 2 | 21 | 14 | 20 | 30 | 14 | 0 |
| 3 | 20 | 14 | 20 | 30 | 15 | 0 |
| 4 | 19 | 14 | 19 | 31 | 16 | 0 |
| 5 | 18 | 14 | 19 | 32 | 17 | 0 |
| 6 | 17 | 14 | 19 | 32 | 18 | 0 |
| 7 | 16 | 13 | 18 | 33 | 19 | 0 |
| 8 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 33 | 20 | 0 |
| 9 | 14 | 13 | 18 | 34 | 21 | 0 |
| 10 | 14 | 12 | 18 | 34 | 21 | 0 |
| 11 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 35 | 22 | 0 |
| 12 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 36 | 23 | 0 |
| 13 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 36 | 24 | 0 |
| 14 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 37 | 24 | 0 |
| 15 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 37 | 25 | 0 |
| 16 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 37 | 26 | 0 |
| 17 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 37 | 26 | 1 |
| 18 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 38 | 27 | 1 |
| 19 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 38 | 28 | 1 |
| 20 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 38 | 29 | 1 |
| 21 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 39 | 30 | 1 |
| 22 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 39 | 31 | 1 |
| 23 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 39 | 32 | 1 |
| 24 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 39 | 34 | 1 |
| 25 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 39 | 35 | 1 |
| 26 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 39 | 37 | 1 |
| 27 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 38 | 39 | 2 |
| 28 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 38 | 41 | 2 |
| 29 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 37 | 43 | 2 |
| 30 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 36 | 45 | 3 |
| 31 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 35 | 47 | 3 |
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.
| 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) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Feels | 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 | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (mph) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | light breeze |
| 2 | 8 | light breeze |
| 3 | 8 | light breeze |
| 4 | 8 | light breeze |
| 5 | 8 | light breeze |
| 6 | 8 | light breeze |
| 7 | 8 | light breeze |
| 8 | 8 | light breeze |
| 9 | 8 | light breeze |
| 10 | 7 | light breeze |
| 11 | 7 | calm |
| 12 | 7 | calm |
| 13 | 7 | calm |
| 14 | 7 | calm |
| 15 | 7 | calm |
| 16 | 7 | calm |
| 17 | 7 | calm |
| 18 | 7 | calm |
| 19 | 7 | calm |
| 20 | 7 | calm |
| 21 | 7 | calm |
| 22 | 7 | calm |
| 23 | 7 | calm |
| 24 | 7 | calm |
| 25 | 7 | calm |
| 26 | 7 | calm |
| 27 | 6 | calm |
| 28 | 6 | calm |
| 29 | 6 | calm |
| 30 | 6 | calm |
| 31 | 6 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 13 h 12 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 36 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:31 AM to 5:12 AM, and sunset from 6:40 PM to 6:59 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) | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.8 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:31 | 5:30 | 5:29 | 5:28 | 5:27 | 5:26 | 5:25 | 5:25 | 5:24 | 5:23 | 5:22 | 5:21 | 5:21 | 5:20 | 5:19 | 5:19 | 5:18 | 5:18 | 5:17 | 5:16 | 5:16 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:12 | 5:12 | 5:12 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:40 | 6:41 | 6:41 | 6:42 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:44 | 6:45 | 6:45 | 6:46 | 6:47 | 6:47 | 6:48 | 6:49 | 6:49 | 6:50 | 6:51 | 6:51 | 6:52 | 6:52 | 6:53 | 6:54 | 6:54 | 6:55 | 6:56 | 6:56 | 6:57 | 6:57 | 6:58 | 6:59 | 6:59 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.2 | 5:31 | 6:40 |
| 2 | 13.2 | 5:30 | 6:41 |
| 3 | 13.2 | 5:29 | 6:41 |
| 4 | 13.2 | 5:28 | 6:42 |
| 5 | 13.3 | 5:27 | 6:43 |
| 6 | 13.3 | 5:26 | 6:43 |
| 7 | 13.3 | 5:25 | 6:44 |
| 8 | 13.3 | 5:25 | 6:45 |
| 9 | 13.4 | 5:24 | 6:45 |
| 10 | 13.4 | 5:23 | 6:46 |
| 11 | 13.4 | 5:22 | 6:47 |
| 12 | 13.4 | 5:21 | 6:47 |
| 13 | 13.5 | 5:21 | 6:48 |
| 14 | 13.5 | 5:20 | 6:49 |
| 15 | 13.5 | 5:19 | 6:49 |
| 16 | 13.5 | 5:19 | 6:50 |
| 17 | 13.5 | 5:18 | 6:51 |
| 18 | 13.6 | 5:18 | 6:51 |
| 19 | 13.6 | 5:17 | 6:52 |
| 20 | 13.6 | 5:16 | 6:52 |
| 21 | 13.6 | 5:16 | 6:53 |
| 22 | 13.6 | 5:15 | 6:54 |
| 23 | 13.7 | 5:15 | 6:54 |
| 24 | 13.7 | 5:14 | 6:55 |
| 25 | 13.7 | 5:14 | 6:56 |
| 26 | 13.7 | 5:14 | 6:56 |
| 27 | 13.7 | 5:13 | 6:57 |
| 28 | 13.7 | 5:13 | 6:57 |
| 29 | 13.8 | 5:12 | 6:58 |
| 30 | 13.8 | 5:12 | 6:59 |
| 31 | 13.8 | 5:12 | 6:59 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.18 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.67 kWh/m² to a high of 6.18 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 6.18 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) | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.1 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Lafayette
None of Lafayette's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Lafayette sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Is May a good time to visit Lafayette?
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 Lafayette for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Lafayette in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Lafayette sees daytime highs around 85°F and nights near 67°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Lafayette in May
The nearest coast averages about 78°F in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 42 mi away) is warmest in August at about 86°F and coldest in January near 58°F.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Mar 30 to Nov 15 — about 7.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°F) | 58 | 60 | 65 | 72 | 78 | 84 | 86 | 86 | 83 | 76 | 68 | 62 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Cool | Cool | Refreshing | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Cool | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°F) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | Bracing |
| Feb | 60 | Cool |
| Mar | 65 | Cool |
| Apr | 72 | Refreshing |
| May | 78 | Warm |
| Jun | 84 | Tropical |
| Jul | 86 | Tropical |
| Aug | 86 | Tropical |
| Sep | 83 | Tropical |
| Oct | 76 | Warm |
| Nov | 68 | Cool |
| Dec | 62 | Cool |
UV index in Lafayette 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 Lafayette peaks around July 13 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Level | Moderate | High | High | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | Moderate |
| Feb | 6 | High |
| Mar | 7 | High |
| Apr | 10 | Extreme |
| May | 10 | Very high |
| Jun | 10 | Very high |
| Jul | 10 | Extreme |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 8 | Very high |
| Oct | 6 | High |
| Nov | 5 | Moderate |
| Dec | 4 | Moderate |
Air quality in Lafayette 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 Lafayette is worst in July — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.7× the cleanest month (December, 8 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) | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 8 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Moderate | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | Moderate |
| Feb | 13 | Moderate |
| Mar | 11 | Good |
| Apr | 11 | Good |
| May | 14 | Moderate |
| Jun | 18 | Moderate |
| Jul | 22 | Moderate |
| Aug | 16 | Moderate |
| Sep | 12 | Moderate |
| Oct | 9 | Good |
| Nov | 13 | Moderate |
| Dec | 8 | Good |
Where is Lafayette?
Lafayette sits at 30.2°N, 92.0°W, 36 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is New Iberia, 19 mi away.
Topography around Lafayette
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Lafayette.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Lafayette has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 85 ft around an average of 43 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 121 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 233 ft.
The land around Lafayette is covered by trees (41%) and artificial surfaces (41%) within 2 miles, trees (40%) and grassland (37%) within 10 miles, and trees (38%) and cropland (26%) 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 Lafayette (30.2241°, -92.0198°, elevation 36 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). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).