Meridian weather in May

In May, Meridian sees average daytime highs of 83°F and overnight lows near 63°F, with 4.0 in of rain across 10 wet days and about 13.6 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 80°F in the first days to 86°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 18 min at the start of May to 13 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Meridian's 5th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Meridian's year-round climate.

Daytime high
83°
5th warmest
Overnight low
63°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.0 in
10 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
5:01 AM – 6:41 PM
Cloud cover
53%
5th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.17 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Meridian is city in and the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States.

Density
281/km²
people per km²
Founded
1854

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 80°F in the first days to 86°F by the end.

A typical May day in Meridian reaches about 83°F in the afternoon and slips back to 63°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 75°F and 90°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°F warmer than April and about 5°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17958
28059
38059
48060
58060
68160
78160
88161
98261
108261
118262
128262
138362
148363
158363
168363
178464
188464
198464
208464
218565
228565
238565
248566
258566
268666
278667
288667
298667
308667
318768

How May really feels in Meridian

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.

Meridian weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan57° / 38°4.49.410.14.2
Feb62° / 42°4.59.810.85.2
Mar69° / 48°4.810.111.86.4
Apr76° / 55°4.18.712.87.1
May83° / 63°4.01013.65.9
Jun89° / 70°3.712.114.14.0
Jul91° / 73°4.415.913.93.2
Aug91° / 72°4.112.913.23.5
Sep87° / 67°3.18.312.25.1
Oct77° / 56°3.36.911.27.5
Nov67° / 46°3.67.910.36.6
Dec59° / 40°4.69.89.94.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25644
35644
45545
55644
65545
75545
85545
95545
105545
115545
125644
135644
145644
155644
165743
175743
185743
195743
205743
215644
225644
235644
245644
255545
265545
275347
285347
295347
305347
315248

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Meridian gets around 4.0 in of rain over 10 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 32% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
229
329
429
530
630
730
830
930
1030
1130
1230
1330
1430
1531
1631
1731
1831
1931
2032
2132
2233
2334
2434
2535
2636
2736
2837
2937
3038
3138

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 31% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 39% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1381925162
2361926172
3351826182
4341826193
5321826203
6311826213
7301926223
8291926234
9281925244
10271925254
11261925264
12251925275
13241924285
14231924295
15221924305
16211923316
17201923326
18191823337
19181822357
20171822368
21161722379
22141721389
231316214010
241215214111
251015214212
26914214313
27813214414
28713214415
29612204517
30511204518
31411204420

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 18 min at the start of May to 13 h 54 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 5:14 AM to 4:54 AM, and sunset from 6:30 PM to 6:51 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.35:146:30
213.35:136:30
313.35:126:31
413.35:116:32
513.45:106:33
613.45:096:33
713.45:096:34
813.55:086:35
913.55:076:36
1013.55:066:36
1113.55:056:37
1213.65:046:38
1313.65:046:39
1413.65:036:39
1513.65:026:40
1613.75:016:41
1713.75:016:41
1813.75:006:42
1913.74:596:43
2013.74:596:43
2113.84:586:44
2213.84:586:45
2313.84:576:46
2413.84:576:46
2513.84:566:47
2613.94:566:48
2713.94:556:48
2813.94:556:49
2913.94:546:49
3013.94:546:50
3113.94:546:51

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.17 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.47 kWh/m² to a high of 6.18 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.17 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Intense
26.0Intense
36.0Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.1Intense
86.1Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Meridian?

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
6.9
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Meridian in May

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

In May, Meridian sees daytime highs around 83°F and nights near 63°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

UV index in Meridian in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Meridian peaks around July 14 at about 10 (very high) — 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 highHighModerateJul 14UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar6High
Apr9Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Meridian 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 Meridian is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.4× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1721 µg/m³Jan 146 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Meridian?

Meridian sits at 32.4°N, 88.7°W, 344 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Laurel, 53 mi away.

Topography around Meridian

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Meridian has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 292 ft around an average of 364 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 413 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 696 ft.

The land around Meridian is covered by trees (58%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 2 miles, trees (82%) within 10 miles, and trees (89%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
292 ft
10 miles
413 ft
50 miles
696 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Laurel 53 mi · Brandon 75 mi · Starkville 75 mi · Hattiesburg 80 mi · Columbus 80 mi · Madison 83 mi · Ridgeland 83 mi · Pearl 84 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 Meridian (32.3643°, -88.7037°, elevation 344 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).