Manchester weather in May

In May, Manchester sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 48°F, with 3.1 in of precipitation across 10.6 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 62°F in the first days to 71°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Manchester's 12th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Manchester's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
5th warmest
Overnight low
48°
8th coldest
Precipitation
3.1 in
10.6 wet days
Daylight
14 h 30 min
4:28 AM – 6:56 PM
Cloud cover
66%
12th clearest
Wind
7 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Manchester is city in Hillsborough County in southern New Hampshire, United States.

Density
1,218/km²
people per km²
Founded
1722

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 62°F in the first days to 71°F by the end.

A typical May day in Manchester reaches about 67°F in the afternoon and slips back to 48°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 54°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 11°F warmer than April and about 10°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16243
26244
36244
46344
56344
66345
76445
86445
96446
106446
116546
126546
136547
146647
156647
166647
176748
186748
196748
206849
216849
226949
236950
246950
257051
267051
277151
287152
297152
307152
317253

How May really feels in Manchester

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.

Manchester weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 17°3.19.46.79.20.0
Feb35° / 18°3.08.76.410.20.0
Mar43° / 27°3.910.75.711.60.6
Apr56° / 38°3.710.51.713.13.6
May67° / 48°3.110.60.114.45.9
Jun76° / 57°3.611.6015.16.4
Jul82° / 63°3.510.4014.86.2
Aug80° / 61°3.49.7013.86.6
Sep72° / 53°3.48.4012.36.9
Oct60° / 42°4.09.40.410.84.8
Nov48° / 33°3.49.41.79.51.7
Dec37° / 23°4.110.25.98.90.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 62%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23862
33763
43763
53664
63664
73664
83763
93664
103664
113664
123565
133565
143565
153664
163664
173664
183763
193763
203961
213961
223961
233961
244060
254060
264159
274159
284258
294159
304159
314159

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Manchester gets around 3.1 in of rain and snow over 10.6 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 34% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1362
2361
3361
4351
5351
6341
7340
8340
9340
10340
11340
12340
13340
14340
15340
16340
17340
18340
19340
20340
21340
22340
23340
24340
25340
26340
27340
28340
29340
30340
31350

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 88% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
195410
295410
395410
494510
594510
694510
793610
893610
993610
1093610
1193610
1292710
1392710
1491720
1591720
1691720
1790820
1889830
1988930
2087940
21851041
22831151
23831151
24811261
25801361
26791371
27781471
28771481
29761581
30751591
31741592

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
17calm
27calm
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 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 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 4:47 AM to 4:16 AM, and sunset from 6:39 PM to 7:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.94:476:39
213.94:466:40
313.94:446:41
414.04:436:42
514.04:426:43
614.14:406:45
714.14:396:46
814.24:386:47
914.24:366:48
1014.24:356:49
1114.34:346:50
1214.34:336:51
1314.34:326:52
1414.44:316:54
1514.44:296:55
1614.54:286:56
1714.54:276:57
1814.54:266:58
1914.64:256:59
2014.64:247:00
2114.64:237:01
2214.74:237:02
2314.74:227:03
2414.74:217:04
2514.74:207:05
2614.84:197:06
2714.84:197:07
2814.84:187:08
2914.94:177:09
3014.94:177:09
3114.94:167:10

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.43 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.56 kWh/m² to a high of 5.86 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.43 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.1Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.2Bright
75.2Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.3Bright
115.3Bright
125.3Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.4Bright
165.4Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.6Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Manchester

In seasonPeak

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

Manchester 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 Manchester?

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

5.9
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.7
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Manchester for sightseeing.

What to pack for Manchester in May

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

In May, Manchester sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 48°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Manchester in May

The nearest coast averages about 49°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 43 mi away) is warmest in August at about 65°F and coldest in March near 39°F.

The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan42Bracing
Feb40Bracing
Mar39Bracing
Apr42Bracing
May49Bracing
Jun57Bracing
Jul64Cool
Aug65Cool
Sep62Cool
Oct56Bracing
Nov49Bracing
Dec46Bracing

UV index in Manchester in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Manchester peaks around July 10 at about 7 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 23 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 highHighHighModerateLowJul 10UV 7Dec 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Manchester 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 Manchester is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.0× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1715 µg/m³Nov 188 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun13Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct9Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Manchester?

Manchester sits at 43.0°N, 71.5°W, 262 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Bedford, 4.3 mi away.

Topography around Manchester

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Manchester has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 459 ft around an average of 295 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,237 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,176 ft.

The land around Manchester is covered by artificial surfaces (50%) and trees (37%) within 2 miles, trees (81%) within 10 miles, and trees (82%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
459 ft
10 miles
1,237 ft
50 miles
3,176 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Bedford 4.3 mi · Merrimack 9.3 mi · Derry Village 9.9 mi · Derry 9.9 mi · Concord 16 mi · Nashua 16 mi · East Concord 17 mi · Salem 19 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 Manchester (42.9956°, -71.4548°, elevation 262 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).