Sulphur weather in May

In May, Sulphur sees average daytime highs of 84°F and overnight lows near 68°F, with 4.2 in of rain across 11.1 wet days and about 13.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 81°F in the first days to 86°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 12 min at the start of May to 13 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Sulphur's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sulphur's year-round climate.

Daytime high
84°
5th warmest
Overnight low
68°
8th coldest
Rainfall
4.2 in
11.1 wet days
Daylight
13 h 30 min
5:24 AM – 6:55 PM
Cloud cover
54%
5th clearest
Wind
7 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
6.15 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.6
out of 10

Sulphur is suburb city of Lake Charles, located in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States.

Density
780/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 81°F in the first days to 86°F by the end.

A typical May day in Sulphur reaches about 84°F in the afternoon and slips back to 68°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 79°F and 88°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°F warmer than April and about 5°F cooler than June.

50°60°70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18164
28164
38164
48165
58265
68265
78266
88266
98266
108366
118367
128367
138367
148367
158468
168468
178468
188468
198569
208569
218569
228569
238569
248570
258670
268670
278671
288671
298771
308771
318771

How May really feels in Sulphur

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 6 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
6
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Sulphur 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan61° / 44°5.19.910.35.2
Feb65° / 48°3.79.410.95.9
Mar71° / 54°4.110.311.86.6
Apr77° / 60°4.71012.76.9
May84° / 68°4.211.113.55.6
Jun88° / 74°5.515.413.93.8
Jul90° / 75°4.516.213.83.3
Aug91° / 75°4.915.713.13.3
Sep87° / 70°5.111.512.24.6
Oct80° / 61°3.98.211.37.0
Nov70° / 51°4.38.810.56.8
Dec63° / 46°4.99.710.15.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 44%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15743
25743
35644
45644
55644
65644
75545
85545
95545
105545
115545
125545
135545
145545
155644
165644
175644
185743
195743
205743
215743
225743
235842
245842
255743
265743
275743
285743
295743
305743
315743

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Sulphur gets around 4.2 in of rain over 11.1 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 36% and peaks near 45% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
233
333
433
533
633
733
833
933
1033
1133
1233
1333
1433
1533
1633
1733
1833
1934
2034
2135
2236
2337
2438
2539
2640
2741
2842
2944
3045
3145

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 37% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 71% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
118141730200
217141730220
316131730230
415131730250
515121630260
614121631270
713111631281
813111631291
912101631301
1011101532311
1111101532321
121091532331
131091532331
14991533341
15981433351
16881433361
17871434361
18771334371
19761335381
20661335392
21661235402
22551234422
23451134442
24441034453
25341033473
2634932493
2723932504
2823831524
2913830535
3012828556
3112727567

Wind in May

Winds average 7 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
117light breeze
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 12 min at the start of May to 13 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:36 AM to 5:17 AM, and sunset from 6:45 PM to 7:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.25:366:45
213.25:356:46
313.25:346:47
413.25:336:47
513.35:326:48
613.35:326:49
713.35:316:49
813.35:306:50
913.45:296:51
1013.45:286:51
1113.45:286:52
1213.45:276:53
1313.55:266:53
1413.55:256:54
1513.55:256:55
1613.55:246:55
1713.55:246:56
1813.65:236:57
1913.65:226:57
2013.65:226:58
2113.65:216:59
2213.65:216:59
2313.75:207:00
2413.75:207:00
2513.75:197:01
2613.75:197:02
2713.75:197:02
2813.75:187:03
2913.85:187:03
3013.85:187:04
3113.85:177:05

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.15 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.64 kWh/m² to a high of 6.16 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.15 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Intense
26.1Intense
36.1Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.1Intense
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
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Sulphur

In seasonPeak

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

Sulphur 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 Sulphur?

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

5.6
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
6.8
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Sulphur in May

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

In May, Sulphur sees daytime highs around 84°F and nights near 68°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Sulphur in May

The nearest coast averages about 78°F in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 42 mi away) is warmest in August at about 86°F and coldest in January near 59°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Apr 1 to Nov 22 — about 7.8 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°70°80°90°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan59Cool
Feb60Cool
Mar65Cool
Apr71Refreshing
May78Warm
Jun84Tropical
Jul86Tropical
Aug86Tropical
Sep84Tropical
Oct78Warm
Nov69Refreshing
Dec63Cool

UV index in Sulphur in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sulphur peaks around July 12 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJul 12UV 10Dec 21UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb6High
Mar7High
Apr10Very high
May10Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov5Moderate
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Sulphur 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 Sulphur is worst in July — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.7× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1522 µg/m³Dec 168 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Good
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul22Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Sulphur?

Sulphur sits at 30.2°N, 93.4°W, 16 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Lake Charles, 11 mi away.

Topography around Sulphur

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Sulphur has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 82 ft around an average of 26 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 144 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 381 ft.

The land around Sulphur is covered by trees (55%) and grassland (25%) within 2 miles, trees (53%) and grassland (28%) within 10 miles, and trees (48%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
82 ft
10 miles
144 ft
50 miles
381 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Lake Charles 11 mi · Orange 24 mi · Groves 38 mi · Nederland 41 mi · Port Arthur 42 mi · Beaumont 45 mi · Opelousas 80 mi · Lafayette 81 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 Sulphur (30.2366°, -93.3774°, elevation 16 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). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).