Roanoke Rapids weather in May

In May, Roanoke Rapids sees average daytime highs of 78°F and overnight lows near 59°F, with 3.5 in of rain across 10.5 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 75°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 Roanoke Rapids's 10th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Roanoke Rapids's year-round climate.

Daytime high
78°
5th warmest
Overnight low
59°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.5 in
10.5 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
5:09 AM – 7:05 PM
Cloud cover
59%
10th clearest
Wind
7 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Roanoke Rapids is city in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States.

Density
594/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 75°F in the first days to 81°F by the end.

A typical May day in Roanoke Rapids reaches about 78°F in the afternoon and slips back to 59°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 87°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°F warmer than April and about 7°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17455
27456
37556
47556
57556
67557
77657
87657
97657
107658
117658
127758
137758
147759
157759
167859
177860
187860
197860
207860
217961
227961
237961
248062
258062
268062
278063
288163
298163
308164
318264

How May really feels in Roanoke Rapids

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.

Roanoke Rapids weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan50° / 33°3.69.11.49.82.4
Feb53° / 35°3.191.610.63.2
Mar61° / 42°4.110.40.611.75.1
Apr71° / 51°3.39.30.112.96.7
May78° / 59°3.510.5013.96.7
Jun85° / 68°3.711.6014.45.1
Jul88° / 72°4.514.3014.24.0
Aug86° / 70°4.411.8013.44.7
Sep81° / 64°4.99.7012.26.4
Oct71° / 53°3.47.5011.17.1
Nov61° / 42°3.47.60.110.15.5
Dec53° / 37°3.59.30.79.63.2

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 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24951
34951
44951
54951
64951
74852
84852
94852
104951
114951
124951
134951
144951
154951
164951
174753
184753
194852
204852
214753
224753
234753
244654
254852
264852
274852
284951
294852
304852
314951

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Roanoke Rapids gets around 3.5 in of rain over 10.5 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 34% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
135
234
334
434
533
633
733
833
933
1033
1134
1234
1334
1433
1533
1634
1734
1834
1934
2034
2134
2235
2334
2434
2534
2634
2734
2834
2935
3035
3135

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 42% 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 (%)
164161550
262161660
361161760
460161860
558161970
657162070
754172180
853172280
952172290
1050182390
11491823100
12471823110
13461824121
14451824131
15441824141
16431724151
17421724161
18401724171
19391825181
20371825191
21351825211
22331825222
23321825232
24301825252
25281825263
26271925273
27251925284
28231925294
29221925305
30201925306
31191925317

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
206calm
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 5:24 AM to 5:00 AM, and sunset from 6:52 PM to 7:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:246:52
213.55:236:53
313.55:216:54
413.65:206:55
513.65:196:55
613.65:186:56
713.75:176:57
813.75:166:58
913.75:156:59
1013.85:147:00
1113.85:137:01
1213.85:127:01
1313.85:117:02
1413.95:117:03
1513.95:107:04
1613.95:097:05
1714.05:087:06
1814.05:077:07
1914.05:077:07
2014.05:067:08
2114.15:057:09
2214.15:047:10
2314.15:047:11
2414.15:037:11
2514.25:037:12
2614.25:027:13
2714.25:017:14
2814.25:017:14
2914.25:007:15
3014.35:007:16
3114.35:007:16

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.2 kWh/m² to a high of 6.22 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.93 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
125.9Bright
135.9Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
166.0Bright
176.0Bright
186.0Bright
196.0Bright
206.0Bright
216.0Intense
226.0Intense
236.0Intense
246.0Intense
256.0Intense
266.0Intense
276.0Intense
286.0Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Roanoke Rapids

In seasonPeak

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

Roanoke Rapids 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 Roanoke Rapids?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.1
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Roanoke Rapids in May

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

In May, Roanoke Rapids sees daytime highs around 78°F and nights near 59°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Roanoke Rapids 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 Roanoke Rapids peaks around July 13 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 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 highHighModerateJul 13UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Roanoke Rapids 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 Roanoke Rapids is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1517 µg/m³Dec 157 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct8Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Roanoke Rapids?

Roanoke Rapids sits at 36.5°N, 77.7°W, 157 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Rocky Mount, 37 mi away.

Topography around Roanoke Rapids

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Roanoke Rapids has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 226 ft around an average of 144 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 843 ft.

The land around Roanoke Rapids is covered by trees (52%) within 2 miles, trees (65%) within 10 miles, and trees (74%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
226 ft
10 miles
377 ft
50 miles
843 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Rocky Mount 37 mi · Henderson 42 mi · Wilson 53 mi · Petersburg 55 mi · Colonial Heights 57 mi · Wake Forest 58 mi · Greenville 61 mi · South Suffolk 62 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 Roanoke Rapids (36.4615°, -77.6542°, elevation 157 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). 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).