Northampton weather in May

In May, Northampton sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 48°F, with 3.7 in of rain across 11.7 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 63°F in the first days to 72°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 Northampton's 12th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Northampton's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
5th warmest
Overnight low
48°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.7 in
11.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
4:35 AM – 6:59 PM
Cloud cover
65%
12th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.5 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Northampton is county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States.

Density
308/km²
people per km²
Founded
1654

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 72°F by the end.

A typical May day in Northampton 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 55°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 10°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16344
26344
36345
46445
56445
66446
76446
86546
96546
106547
116547
126647
136647
146648
156748
166748
176749
186849
196849
206949
216950
226950
237051
247051
257051
267152
277152
287152
297253
307253
317253

How May really feels in Northampton

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.

Northampton weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan33° / 19°3.59.66.69.30.0
Feb36° / 20°3.28.96.110.30.0
Mar44° / 28°4.210.95.311.60.8
Apr57° / 39°4.011.31.613.13.8
May67° / 48°3.711.7014.45.9
Jun76° / 58°4.111.70156.4
Jul81° / 63°4.010.8014.86.3
Aug79° / 61°4.110.2013.76.6
Sep72° / 54°4.28.8012.36.9
Oct60° / 43°4.69.50.410.84.9
Nov48° / 33°3.59.21.79.61.9
Dec38° / 25°4.410.45.590.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

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 (%)
14060
23961
33961
43961
54060
63961
73961
84060
94060
103961
113961
123961
133961
143961
154060
164060
174060
184060
193961
203961
213961
224159
234159
244159
254159
264159
274258
284159
294258
304258
314159

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Northampton gets around 3.7 in of rain over 11.7 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 38% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
140
240
339
439
538
638
738
838
938
1037
1137
1237
1337
1437
1537
1637
1737
1837
1937
2037
2137
2237
2337
2437
2537
2637
2738
2838
2938
3038
3138

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 (%)
194510
293610
393610
492710
592710
691720
790820
890820
990820
1090820
1189920
1289920
1388930
1488930
1588930
1687940
1787940
18851050
19841051
20821161
21811171
22801271
23781282
24761392
25751492
267215103
277215103
287116103
296917113
306817114
316618124

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 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
46calm
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
316calm

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 4:53 AM to 4:23 AM, and sunset from 6:42 PM to 7:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.84:536:42
213.94:526:43
313.94:516:45
413.94:496:46
514.04:486:47
614.04:476:48
714.14:456:49
814.14:446:50
914.14:436:51
1014.24:426:52
1114.24:406:53
1214.34:396:54
1314.34:386:56
1414.34:376:57
1514.44:366:58
1614.44:356:59
1714.44:347:00
1814.54:337:01
1914.54:327:02
2014.54:317:03
2114.64:307:04
2214.64:297:05
2314.64:287:06
2414.74:287:07
2514.74:277:08
2614.74:267:09
2714.74:257:10
2814.84:257:10
2914.84:247:11
3014.84:247:12
3114.84:237:13

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.5 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.62 kWh/m² to a high of 5.91 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.5 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.5Bright
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
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Northampton?

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
2.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Northampton for sightseeing.

What to pack for Northampton in May

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

In May, Northampton sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 48°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Northampton 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 Northampton 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 22 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 highHighModerateLowJul 10UV 7Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Northampton 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 Northampton is worst in July — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1615 µg/m³Nov 197 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Good
Apr12Good
May13Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct9Good
Nov7Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Northampton?

Northampton sits at 42.3°N, 72.6°W, 249 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Easthampton, 4.3 mi away.

Topography around Northampton

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Northampton has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 338 ft around an average of 190 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,526 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,760 ft.

The land around Northampton is covered by trees (57%) within 2 miles, trees (77%) within 10 miles, and trees (91%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
338 ft
10 miles
1,526 ft
50 miles
3,760 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Easthampton 4.3 mi · South Hadley 5.6 mi · Amherst 6.8 mi · Amherst Center 6.8 mi · Holyoke 8.7 mi · North Chicopee 9.9 mi · Chicopee 12 mi · Ludlow 14 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 Northampton (42.3251°, -72.6412°, elevation 249 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).