Needham weather in May

In May, Needham sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 50°F, with 3.0 in of rain across 10.3 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 12th-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 Needham's 11th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Needham's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
5th warmest
Overnight low
50°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.0 in
10.3 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
4:29 AM – 6:53 PM
Cloud cover
65%
11th clearest
Wind
7 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.49 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Needham is town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States.

Founded
1680

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 Needham reaches about 67°F in the afternoon and slips back to 50°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 80°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
26246
36346
46346
56347
66447
76447
86447
96547
106548
116548
126548
136649
146649
156649
166749
176750
186750
196850
206851
216951
226951
236952
247052
257052
267053
277153
287153
297154
307254
317254

How May really feels in Needham

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.

Needham 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
Jan36° / 22°3.49.75.79.30.0
Feb38° / 23°3.08.65.110.30.0
Mar46° / 30°4.310.94.711.61.1
Apr57° / 40°3.610.9113.13.9
May67° / 50°3.010.3014.46.0
Jun76° / 59°3.410.70156.6
Jul82° / 65°3.010.5014.86.0
Aug80° / 64°3.59.6013.76.6
Sep73° / 56°3.48.1012.37.1
Oct62° / 46°3.99.40.210.85.4
Nov51° / 36°3.49.10.89.62.5
Dec41° / 28°4.210.54.690.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May.

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 (%)
13961
23961
33961
44060
53961
63961
73961
84060
94060
103961
114060
124060
134159
144159
154159
164060
174060
183961
194060
204060
214060
224060
234060
244060
254060
264159
274159
284060
294060
304060
314060

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Needham gets around 3.0 in of rain over 10.3 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 36% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
136
236
335
435
535
634
734
834
934
1034
1134
1234
1334
1434
1534
1634
1734
1834
1934
2034
2133
2233
2333
2432
2532
2632
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 84% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
195410
294510
394510
494510
592620
692620
792620
891720
991720
1091720
1190820
1290820
1390820
1490820
1588930
1687931
1787931
18851041
19851041
20831151
21821161
22791272
23771382
24761482
25741592
267215103
277016113
286917113
296817123
306518134
316518134

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 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 4:48 AM to 4:17 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)
113.84:486:37
213.94:466:38
313.94:456:39
413.94:446:40
514.04:426:41
614.04:416:42
714.14:406:43
814.14:386:44
914.14:376:45
1014.24:366:47
1114.24:356:48
1214.34:346:49
1314.34:336:50
1414.34:316:51
1514.44:306:52
1614.44:296:53
1714.44:286:54
1814.54:276:55
1914.54:266:56
2014.54:256:57
2114.64:256:58
2214.64:246:59
2314.64:237:00
2414.64:227:01
2514.74:217:02
2614.74:217:03
2714.74:207:04
2814.84:197:05
2914.84:197:06
3014.84:187:06
3114.84:177:07

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 1.62 kWh/m² to a high of 5.88 kWh/m² in July 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
65.2Bright
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
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Needham

In seasonPeak

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

Needham 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 Needham?

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
2.8
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Needham for sightseeing.

What to pack for Needham in May

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

In May, Needham sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 50°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Needham in May

The nearest coast averages about 50°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 19 mi away) is warmest in August at about 66°F and coldest in February near 38°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
Jan41Bracing
Feb38Bracing
Mar38Bracing
Apr42Bracing
May50Bracing
Jun58Bracing
Jul65Cool
Aug66Cool
Sep63Cool
Oct56Bracing
Nov50Bracing
Dec46Bracing

UV index in Needham 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 Needham 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 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 highHighHighModerateLowJul 10UV 7Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul7Very high
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Needham 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 Needham 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 Needham?

Needham sits at 42.3°N, 71.2°W, 174 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Wellesley, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Needham

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Needham has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 249 ft around an average of 157 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 630 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,215 ft.

The land around Needham is covered by trees (76%) within 2 miles, trees (72%) within 10 miles, and trees (68%) and water (23%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
249 ft
10 miles
630 ft
50 miles
2,215 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Wellesley 3.1 mi · Newton 3.7 mi · West Roxbury 4.3 mi · Dedham 4.3 mi · Chestnut Hill 5.0 mi · Roslindale 5.6 mi · Hyde Park 5.6 mi · Natick 6.2 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 Needham (42.2834°, -71.2328°, elevation 174 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).