Lincoln weather in May

In May, Lincoln sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 49°F, with 3.1 in of rain across 10.7 wet days and about 14.3 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 63°F in the first days to 71°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Lincoln's 12th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lincoln's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
5th warmest
Overnight low
49°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.1 in
10.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
4:31 AM – 6:53 PM
Cloud cover
65%
12th clearest
Wind
7 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.49 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Lincoln is town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States.

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 63°F in the first days to 71°F by the end.

A typical May day in Lincoln reaches about 67°F in the afternoon and slips back to 49°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 79°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 10°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16245
26345
36346
46346
56446
66446
76447
86447
96547
106547
116548
126548
136648
146649
156749
166749
176749
186750
196850
206850
216951
226951
236951
247052
257052
267152
277153
287153
297153
307254
317254

How May really feels in Lincoln

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.

Lincoln 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.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan36° / 22°3.49.85.79.30.0
Feb38° / 23°3.18.4510.30.0
Mar46° / 30°4.310.74.511.71.2
Apr57° / 40°3.710.7113.14.0
May67° / 49°3.110.7014.36.0
Jun77° / 59°3.610.70156.6
Jul82° / 65°3.310.6014.76.0
Aug80° / 63°3.810.4013.76.5
Sep73° / 56°3.58.4012.37.0
Oct62° / 45°3.99.50.210.95.3
Nov51° / 35°3.58.90.99.62.5
Dec41° / 28°4.210.34.690.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 60%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23961
33961
43862
53862
63961
73961
83961
94060
104060
113961
123961
134060
144060
154159
164159
174159
184159
194159
204159
214159
224060
234159
244159
254159
264258
274258
284159
294258
304159
314159

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Lincoln gets around 3.1 in of rain over 10.7 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 35% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
137
237
337
436
536
636
736
836
936
1036
1136
1236
1336
1436
1536
1636
1736
1836
1935
2035
2135
2234
2334
2433
2533
2633
2732
2832
2932
3032
3132

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 83% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
194510
293610
393610
492620
591720
691720
791720
890820
990820
1090820
1189920
1288930
1388930
14871030
15871030
16871030
17861040
18841141
19831151
20811261
21801361
22791371
23771481
24741592
25731692
267117102
277017112
286818113
296718123
306519133
316519133

Wind in May

Winds average 7 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17light breeze
27light breeze
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of May to 14 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 60 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:49 AM to 4:19 AM, and sunset from 6:37 PM to 7:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.84:496:37
213.84:486:38
313.94:466:39
413.94:456:40
514.04:446:41
614.04:436:42
714.04:416:43
814.14:406:44
914.14:396:45
1014.14:386:47
1114.24:376:48
1214.24:356:49
1314.34:346:50
1414.34:336:51
1514.34:326:52
1614.44:316:53
1714.44:306:54
1814.44:296:55
1914.54:286:56
2014.54:276:57
2114.54:266:58
2214.64:266:59
2314.64:257:00
2414.64:247:01
2514.64:237:02
2614.74:227:03
2714.74:227:03
2814.74:217:04
2914.74:217:05
3014.84:207:06
3114.84:197:07

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.49 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.64 kWh/m² to a high of 5.88 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.49 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.3Bright
115.3Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Lincoln

In seasonPeak

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

Lincoln 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 Lincoln?

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

6.0
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
2.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Lincoln for sightseeing.

What to pack for Lincoln in May

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

In May, Lincoln sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 49°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Lincoln in May

The nearest coast averages about 53°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 35 mi away) is warmest in August at about 70°F and coldest in February near 37°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 16 to Sep 8 — about 1.8 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan41Bracing
Feb37Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May53Bracing
Jun61Cool
Jul68Refreshing
Aug70Refreshing
Sep67Cool
Oct62Cool
Nov54Bracing
Dec47Bracing

UV index in Lincoln 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 Lincoln peaks around July 10 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 10UV 8Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May8Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Lincoln 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 Lincoln is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1516 µg/m³Nov 189 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Lincoln?

Lincoln sits at 41.9°N, 71.4°W, 138 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Central Falls, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Lincoln

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Lincoln has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 400 ft around an average of 223 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 682 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,198 ft.

The land around Lincoln is covered by trees (78%) within 2 miles, trees (72%) within 10 miles, and trees (68%) and water (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
400 ft
10 miles
682 ft
50 miles
2,198 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Central Falls 3.1 mi · Cumberland 3.1 mi · Pawtucket 3.7 mi · North Providence 5.0 mi · Smithfield 5.6 mi · North Attleborough Center 6.8 mi · Providence 6.8 mi · Woonsocket 6.8 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 Lincoln (41.9211°, -71.435°, elevation 138 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).