Poplar Bluff weather in May

In May, Poplar Bluff sees average daytime highs of 77°F and overnight lows near 60°F, with 4.9 in of rain across 12.8 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 73°F in the first days to 81°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Poplar Bluff's 11th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Poplar Bluff's year-round climate.

Daytime high
77°
5th warmest
Overnight low
60°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.9 in
12.8 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
4:59 AM – 6:56 PM
Cloud cover
60%
11th clearest
Wind
7 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.9 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Poplar Bluff is city in and county seat of Butler County, Missouri, United States.

Density
505/km²
people per km²

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 73°F in the first days to 81°F by the end.

A typical May day in Poplar Bluff reaches about 77°F in the afternoon and slips back to 60°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 67°F and 86°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 8°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17355
27355
37355
47456
57456
67456
77557
87557
97557
107658
117658
127658
137659
147759
157759
167760
177860
187860
197861
207861
217961
227962
238062
248062
258063
268063
278163
288164
298164
308264
318265

How May really feels in Poplar Bluff

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.

Poplar Bluff weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan45° / 29°3.68.71.69.81.0
Feb50° / 32°3.37.91.310.62.2
Mar59° / 40°4.711.40.711.74.5
Apr69° / 50°5.210.9012.96.2
May77° / 60°4.912.8013.96.3
Jun86° / 68°3.410014.55.0
Jul89° / 72°3.010.9014.34.0
Aug88° / 69°2.98.7013.44.6
Sep82° / 62°3.37.4012.26.6
Oct70° / 50°3.88.30.1117.0
Nov58° / 40°4.290.4104.4
Dec48° / 32°3.78.61.19.51.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 55%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14456
24456
34456
44456
54555
64456
74555
84555
94555
104555
114555
124555
134555
144555
154654
164555
174654
184654
194654
204654
214555
224654
234654
244555
254555
264654
274555
284456
294555
304555
314555

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Poplar Bluff gets around 4.9 in of rain over 12.8 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 41% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
142
241
341
441
541
641
741
841
941
1041
1141
1241
1341
1441
1541
1641
1741
1841
1941
2041
2141
2241
2341
2441
2541
2641
2741
2840
2940
3040
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 37% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 25% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
156211760
254211870
352211980
450212090
5492120100
6472021110
7462021120
8452022140
9441922150
10431922160
11421822170
12411822181
13411722191
14401622201
15401622211
16391522221
17381522242
18371422252
19361422262
20351422273
21331422293
22311421303
23291421314
24281421325
25261521335
26241521346
27221621357
28201621358
29191720368
30171720369
311617203710

Wind in May

Winds average 7 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
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 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 5:14 AM to 4:50 AM, and sunset from 6:43 PM to 7:08 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:146:43
213.55:136:44
313.65:126:45
413.65:116:46
513.65:106:47
613.75:096:48
713.75:086:49
813.75:076:50
913.75:066:50
1013.85:056:51
1113.85:046:52
1213.85:036:53
1313.95:026:54
1413.95:016:55
1513.95:006:56
1614.04:596:56
1714.04:586:57
1814.04:586:58
1914.04:576:59
2014.14:567:00
2114.14:557:01
2214.14:557:01
2314.14:547:02
2414.24:537:03
2514.24:537:04
2614.24:527:05
2714.24:527:05
2814.24:517:06
2914.34:517:07
3014.34:507:07
3114.34:507:08

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.9 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.07 kWh/m² to a high of 6.52 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.9 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.9Bright
135.9Bright
145.9Bright
156.0Bright
166.0Bright
176.0Intense
186.0Intense
196.0Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Poplar Bluff?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
5.8
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Poplar Bluff for sightseeing.

What to pack for Poplar Bluff in May

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

In May, Poplar Bluff sees daytime highs around 77°F and nights near 60°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Poplar Bluff 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 Poplar Bluff peaks around June 20 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 20UV 10Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct4Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Poplar Bluff 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 Poplar Bluff is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodGoodModerateGoodJul 1317 µg/m³Nov 237 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct9Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Poplar Bluff?

Poplar Bluff sits at 36.8°N, 90.4°W, 361 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Sikeston, 45 mi away.

Topography around Poplar Bluff

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Poplar Bluff has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 164 ft around an average of 361 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 344 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,270 ft.

The land around Poplar Bluff is covered by trees (50%) within 2 miles, trees (45%) and cropland (40%) within 10 miles, and trees (50%) and cropland (40%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
164 ft
10 miles
344 ft
50 miles
1,270 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Sikeston 45 mi · Paragould 48 mi · Cape Girardeau 62 mi · Jonesboro 65 mi · Farmington 71 mi · Dyersburg 75 mi · Carbondale 93 mi · Paducah 101 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 Poplar Bluff (36.757°, -90.3929°, elevation 361 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).