Oxford weather in May

In May, Oxford sees average daytime highs of 80°F and overnight lows near 60°F, with 3.4 in of rain across 10.2 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 76°F in the first days to 83°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 18 min at the start of May to 14 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Oxford's 5th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Oxford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
80°
5th warmest
Overnight low
60°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.4 in
10.2 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
4:48 AM – 6:32 PM
Cloud cover
56%
5th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.12 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Oxford is city in Calhoun and Talladega counties, Alabama, USA.

Density
263/km²
people per km²
Founded
1850

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 76°F in the first days to 83°F by the end.

A typical May day in Oxford reaches about 80°F in the afternoon and slips back to 60°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 71°F and 87°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
37656
47656
57757
67757
77757
87858
97858
107858
117859
127959
137959
147960
157960
168060
178061
188061
198061
208162
218162
228162
238163
248263
258263
268264
278264
288264
298365
308365
318365

How May really feels in Oxford

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.

Oxford 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
Jan53° / 35°4.610.50.7103.0
Feb57° / 38°4.710.60.510.84.0
Mar65° / 44°5.0110.211.75.8
Apr72° / 52°4.19.8012.86.8
May80° / 60°3.410.2013.76.6
Jun85° / 68°4.013.1014.24.7
Jul88° / 71°4.414.70144.0
Aug87° / 70°3.713.2013.24.3
Sep83° / 64°3.19012.26.1
Oct74° / 53°3.07011.27.4
Nov63° / 43°4.08.2010.35.9
Dec55° / 38°4.610.30.39.83.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% 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 47%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25347
35248
45347
55347
65248
75248
85248
95347
105347
115347
125347
135347
145347
155545
165545
175545
185644
195545
205545
215545
225446
235446
245347
255347
265347
275248
285149
295149
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Oxford gets around 3.4 in of rain over 10.2 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 33% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
331
431
531
632
732
832
932
1032
1132
1232
1332
1432
1532
1632
1732
1832
1932
2032
2132
2233
2333
2434
2535
2635
2736
2837
2937
3038
3139

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 27% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 24% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
148242180
246252190
3442522100
4422522110
5402523120
6392623130
7372623140
8362624150
9342624160
10332624170
11322625180
12302625190
13292625200
14282526210
15272526220
16262426230
17262427240
18252327250
19242227261
20232228261
21222128271
22202129292
23192029302
24182029313
25161930323
26151930334
27141830344
28121830355
29111830365
30101729386
3191729397

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
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
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 14 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:01 AM to 4:39 AM, and sunset from 6:20 PM to 6:42 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.35:016:20
213.45:006:21
313.44:596:22
413.44:586:22
513.44:576:23
613.54:566:24
713.54:556:25
813.54:546:26
913.64:536:26
1013.64:526:27
1113.64:516:28
1213.64:516:29
1313.74:506:29
1413.74:496:30
1513.74:486:31
1613.74:486:32
1713.84:476:32
1813.84:466:33
1913.84:456:34
2013.84:456:35
2113.94:446:35
2213.94:446:36
2313.94:436:37
2413.94:426:37
2513.94:426:38
2614.04:416:39
2714.04:416:40
2814.04:416:40
2914.04:406:41
3014.04:406:41
3114.04:396:42

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.12 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.33 kWh/m² to a high of 6.12 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 6.12 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
26.0Bright
36.0Bright
46.0Bright
56.0Intense
66.0Intense
76.0Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.2Intense
236.2Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.0Intense
296.0Intense
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Oxford?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Oxford in May

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

In May, Oxford sees daytime highs around 80°F and nights near 60°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

UV index in Oxford in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Oxford peaks around July 12 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 12UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Oxford 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 Oxford is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.0× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1820 µg/m³Jan 117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb12Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Oxford?

Oxford sits at 33.6°N, 85.8°W, 656 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Anniston, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Oxford

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Oxford has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,024 ft around an average of 768 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,886 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,133 ft.

The land around Oxford is covered by trees (58%) and grassland (25%) within 2 miles, trees (79%) within 10 miles, and trees (79%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
1,024 ft
10 miles
1,886 ft
50 miles
2,133 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Anniston 3.1 mi · Talladega 20 mi · Gadsden 29 mi · Carrollton 43 mi · Trussville 45 mi · Dixiana 48 mi · Center Point 49 mi · Albertville 50 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 Oxford (33.6143°, -85.835°, elevation 656 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).