Monroe weather in May

In May, Monroe sees average daytime highs of 80°F and overnight lows near 60°F, with 3.2 in of rain across 10.5 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 77°F in the first days to 83°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 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Monroe's 8th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Monroe's year-round climate.

Daytime high
80°
5th warmest
Overnight low
60°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.2 in
10.5 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:24 AM – 7:13 PM
Cloud cover
58%
8th clearest
Wind
6 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
6.04 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

Monroe is city in and county seat of Union County, North Carolina, United States.

Density
440/km²
people per km²
Founded
1843

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 77°F in the first days to 83°F by the end.

A typical May day in Monroe reaches about 80°F in the afternoon and slips back to 60°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 70°F and 88°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°F warmer than April and about 6°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17656
27656
37757
47757
57757
67858
77858
87858
97858
107959
117959
127959
137959
148060
158060
168060
178060
188061
198161
208161
218162
228262
238262
248262
258263
268263
278364
288364
298364
308364
318465

How May really feels in Monroe

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.

Monroe weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan52° / 34°3.79.419.93.0
Feb56° / 37°3.38.90.810.73.8
Mar64° / 43°3.99.80.311.75.7
Apr73° / 52°3.58.6012.97.0
May80° / 60°3.210.5013.86.4
Jun86° / 68°4.313.2014.34.5
Jul89° / 72°4.415.6014.13.6
Aug87° / 70°4.413013.34.4
Sep82° / 64°4.29.4012.26.3
Oct72° / 53°3.37.1011.17.3
Nov62° / 42°3.27.80.110.25.8
Dec55° / 37°3.79.10.49.73.6

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 49%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25347
35347
45347
55347
65347
75347
85347
95248
105248
115248
125149
135149
145050
155050
165050
175050
184951
194951
205050
214951
224951
234852
245050
254951
264951
275050
285050
294951
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Monroe gets around 3.2 in of rain over 10.5 wet days in May, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 34% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
233
333
433
533
632
732
832
932
1032
1132
1231
1331
1431
1531
1631
1732
1832
1933
2034
2134
2235
2336
2436
2537
2638
2738
2839
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 38% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 18% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
160181570
259181670
356191780
454201880
553201980
651211990
750212090
848222190
946222290
10452323100
11432324100
12422325100
13402325110
14392326120
15382326130
16372227141
17362227151
18352227161
19342127171
20332127191
21312127202
22302026212
23292026222
24272026243
25262026253
26252026273
27231926284
28221926294
29211925314
30191925325
31181825336

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
37calm
47calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:38 AM to 5:15 AM, and sunset from 7:01 PM to 7:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:387:01
213.45:377:02
313.55:367:03
413.55:347:04
513.55:337:04
613.55:327:05
713.65:317:06
813.65:307:07
913.65:307:08
1013.75:297:09
1113.75:287:09
1213.75:277:10
1313.75:267:11
1413.85:257:12
1513.85:247:13
1613.85:247:13
1713.95:237:14
1813.95:227:15
1913.95:217:16
2013.95:217:16
2114.05:207:17
2214.05:197:18
2314.05:197:19
2414.05:187:19
2514.05:187:20
2614.15:177:21
2714.15:177:22
2814.15:167:22
2914.15:167:23
3014.15:157:24
3114.25:157:24

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.04 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.31 kWh/m² to a high of 6.18 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.04 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
56.0Bright
66.0Bright
76.0Intense
86.0Intense
96.0Intense
106.0Intense
116.0Intense
126.1Intense
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
266.0Intense
276.0Intense
286.0Intense
296.0Intense
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Monroe?

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

6.4
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Monroe in May

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

In May, Monroe sees daytime highs around 80°F and nights near 60°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

UV index in Monroe 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 Monroe peaks around July 13 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 13UV 9Dec 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Monroe 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 Monroe is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 2418 µg/m³Dec 207 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb11Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr12Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Monroe?

Monroe sits at 35.0°N, 80.5°W, 591 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Indian Trail, 9.3 mi away.

Topography around Monroe

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Monroe has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 161 ft around an average of 600 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 377 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,617 ft.

The land around Monroe is covered by trees (50%) and grassland (21%) within 2 miles, trees (49%), grassland (24%) and cropland (22%) within 10 miles, and trees (76%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
161 ft
10 miles
377 ft
50 miles
1,617 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Indian Trail 9.3 mi · Stallings 11 mi · Matthews 14 mi · Mint Hill 14 mi · Charlotte 24 mi · Rock Hill 27 mi · Concord 29 mi · Albemarle 32 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 Monroe (34.9854°, -80.5495°, elevation 591 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).