Madison weather in May

In May, Madison sees average daytime highs of 79°F and overnight lows near 61°F, with 4.1 in of rain across 10.8 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 75°F in the first days to 82°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% 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 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Madison's 7th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Madison's year-round climate.

Daytime high
79°
5th warmest
Overnight low
61°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.1 in
10.8 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
4:49 AM – 6:38 PM
Cloud cover
57%
7th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.03 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.5
out of 10

Madison is city in Alabama, United States.

Density
610/km²
people per km²
Founded
1818

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 75°F in the first days to 82°F by the end.

A typical May day in Madison 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 70°F and 86°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)
17456
27556
37556
47557
57657
67658
77658
87658
97758
107759
117759
127860
137860
147860
157860
167961
177961
187962
198062
208062
218062
228063
238163
248164
258164
268164
278265
288265
298265
308265
318266

How May really feels in Madison

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.

Madison weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan50° / 34°5.010.10.79.92.2
Feb54° / 37°4.810.70.910.73.1
Mar62° / 44°5.611.60.311.75.2
Apr71° / 52°5.010.2012.86.5
May79° / 61°4.110.8013.86.5
Jun85° / 69°4.112.9014.34.8
Jul88° / 72°4.313.2014.14.2
Aug88° / 71°3.111.1013.34.5
Sep83° / 64°3.57.4012.26.3
Oct72° / 52°3.47.1011.17.3
Nov61° / 42°4.18.9010.25.2
Dec53° / 37°5.410.80.39.72.8

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% 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 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24951
34951
45050
55050
65050
75050
85050
95050
105050
115149
125149
135149
145149
155248
165248
175149
185248
195248
205248
215149
225149
235149
245149
255149
265149
275050
285050
294951
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Madison gets around 4.1 in of rain over 10.8 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 36% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
135
235
336
436
536
636
736
836
936
1036
1135
1235
1335
1435
1534
1634
1734
1834
1933
2033
2134
2234
2334
2435
2535
2636
2737
2838
2939
3040
3140

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 28% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 25% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
149242070
247242170
345242280
443252390
5412524100
6392525110
7382525120
8362425140
9352425150
10342426160
11332426170
12322326190
13312226200
14302227210
15292127220
16292027230
17282027250
18271927261
19261927271
20251827291
21241827301
22231827312
23211727322
24201727333
25181727344
26171727354
27151727365
28141727376
29121726387
30111725398
31101725399

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 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
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

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 5:03 AM to 4:40 AM, and sunset from 6:25 PM to 6:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:036:25
213.45:026:26
313.45:016:27
413.55:006:28
513.54:596:29
613.54:586:30
713.64:576:30
813.64:566:31
913.64:556:32
1013.64:546:33
1113.74:536:34
1213.74:526:34
1313.74:516:35
1413.84:516:36
1513.84:506:37
1613.84:496:38
1713.84:486:38
1813.94:476:39
1913.94:476:40
2013.94:466:41
2113.94:456:41
2214.04:456:42
2314.04:446:43
2414.04:446:44
2514.04:436:44
2614.04:436:45
2714.14:426:46
2814.14:426:46
2914.14:416:47
3014.14:416:48
3114.14:406:48

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.03 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.17 kWh/m² to a high of 6.2 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.03 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
86.0Bright
96.0Bright
106.0Intense
116.0Intense
126.0Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.0Intense
296.0Intense
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Madison?

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

6.5
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.2
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Madison in May

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

In May, Madison sees daytime highs around 79°F and nights near 61°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

UV index in Madison 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 Madison peaks around July 12 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highVery highHighModerateJul 12UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Madison 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 Madison is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.3× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1719 µg/m³Jan 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Madison?

Madison sits at 34.7°N, 86.7°W, 705 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Huntsville, 9.3 mi away.

Topography around Madison

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Madison has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 312 ft around an average of 696 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 735 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,611 ft.

The land around Madison is covered by trees (43%), artificial surfaces (30%) and grassland (20%) within 2 miles, trees (43%), grassland (22%) and cropland (20%) within 10 miles, and trees (60%) and grassland (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
312 ft
10 miles
735 ft
50 miles
1,611 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Huntsville 9.3 mi · Athens 14 mi · Decatur 15 mi · Cullman 37 mi · Albertville 43 mi · East Florence 52 mi · Florence 53 mi · Tullahoma 55 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 Madison (34.6993°, -86.7483°, elevation 705 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).