South Burlington weather in May

In May, South Burlington sees average daytime highs of 65°F and overnight lows near 46°F, with 3.4 in of precipitation across 11.9 wet days and about 14.6 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 61°F in the first days to 69°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 14 hours at the start of May to 15 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is South Burlington's 5th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see South Burlington's year-round climate.

Daytime high
65°
5th warmest
Overnight low
46°
8th coldest
Precipitation
3.4 in
11.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 36 min
4:31 AM – 7:07 PM
Cloud cover
66%
5th clearest
Wind
6 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.45 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.6
out of 10

South Burlington is city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States.

Density
245/km²
people per km²
Founded
1865

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 61°F in the first days to 69°F by the end.

A typical May day in South Burlington reaches about 65°F in the afternoon and slips back to 46°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 79°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 13°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16041
26142
36142
46142
56243
66243
76343
86344
96344
106444
116444
126445
136545
146545
156546
166546
176646
186647
196747
206747
216748
226748
236848
246849
256849
266949
276950
286950
296950
307051
317051

How May really feels in South Burlington

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.

South Burlington weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 13°2.510.19.390.0
Feb29° / 13°2.28.98.110.10.0
Mar38° / 23°2.911711.60.1
Apr53° / 36°3.411.62.713.22.7
May65° / 46°3.411.90.114.65.6
Jun74° / 55°3.812015.36.4
Jul79° / 61°3.311.80156.4
Aug77° / 60°3.111.4013.96.7
Sep69° / 53°3.39.8012.36.4
Oct56° / 42°4.212.40.510.73.6
Nov44° / 32°3.212.549.40.7
Dec33° / 22°3.012.19.38.70.0

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 61%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23961
33961
43961
53961
63862
73862
83862
93961
103961
113961
124060
134060
144060
154060
164159
174159
184159
194159
204060
214060
224060
233961
243961
253961
263961
273862
283862
293862
303862
313862

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

South Burlington gets around 3.4 in of rain and snow over 11.9 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 38% and peaks near 41% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1382
2372
3372
4371
5361
6361
7361
8361
9361
10361
11361
12361
13360
14370
15370
16370
17370
18370
19380
20380
21380
22390
23390
24400
25400
26400
27410
28410
29410
30410
31410

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 88% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
196400
296400
395500
495500
595500
695500
794510
894510
994510
1094510
1194510
1294510
1393520
1492620
1592620
1692620
1791630
1890730
1989740
2088840
2187850
2286950
23831061
24821071
25811171
26791281
27791281
28771391
29761491
30751591
31731692

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 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
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 hours at the start of May to 15 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 66 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:51 AM to 4:18 AM, and sunset from 6:49 PM to 7:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.04:516:49
214.04:506:50
314.14:486:51
414.14:476:52
514.14:456:54
614.24:446:55
714.24:426:56
814.34:416:57
914.34:406:58
1014.44:387:00
1114.44:377:01
1214.44:367:02
1314.54:357:03
1414.54:337:04
1514.64:327:06
1614.64:317:07
1714.64:307:08
1814.74:297:09
1914.74:287:10
2014.74:277:11
2114.84:267:12
2214.84:257:13
2314.84:247:14
2414.94:237:15
2514.94:227:16
2614.94:227:17
2715.04:217:18
2815.04:207:19
2915.04:197:20
3015.04:197:21
3115.14:187:22

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.45 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.18 kWh/m² to a high of 5.89 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 5.45 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for South Burlington

In seasonPeak

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

South Burlington 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 South Burlington?

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

5.6
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit South Burlington for sightseeing.

What to pack for South Burlington in May

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

In May, South Burlington sees daytime highs around 65°F and nights near 46°F. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

UV index in South Burlington 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 South Burlington peaks around July 13 at about 8 (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 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highModerateModerateLowJul 13UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun6High
Jul8Very high
Aug3Moderate
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is South Burlington?

South Burlington sits at 44.5°N, 73.2°W, 328 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Burlington, 1.9 mi away.

Topography around South Burlington

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around South Burlington has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 374 ft around an average of 305 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,473 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,308 ft.

The land around South Burlington is covered by trees (49%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 2 miles, trees (50%) and water (28%) within 10 miles, and trees (79%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
374 ft
10 miles
1,473 ft
50 miles
5,308 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Burlington 1.9 mi · Colchester 5.6 mi · Plattsburgh 21 mi · Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu 58 mi · Rutland 60 mi · Saint-Constant 65 mi · Candiac 65 mi · Sainte-Catherine 68 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 South Burlington (44.467°, -73.171°, elevation 328 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).