Tallahassee weather in May

In May, Tallahassee sees average daytime highs of 85°F and overnight lows near 65°F, with 2.3 in of rain across 8.6 wet days and about 13.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 82°F in the first days to 88°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.

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 Tallahassee's 4th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Tallahassee's year-round climate.

Daytime high
85°
5th warmest
Overnight low
65°
8th coldest
Rainfall
2.3 in
8.6 wet days
Daylight
13 h 30 min
5:47 AM – 7:19 PM
Cloud cover
50%
4th clearest
Wind
5 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.4
out of 10

Tallahassee is capital city of the U.S. state of Florida and seat of Leon County.

Density
753/km²
people per km²
Founded
1824

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 82°F in the first days to 88°F by the end.

A typical May day in Tallahassee reaches about 85°F in the afternoon and slips back to 65°F overnight — a 21°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 79°F and 91°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°F warmer than April and about 4°F cooler than June.

50°60°70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18260
28260
38261
48361
58361
68362
78462
88462
98463
108463
118563
128564
138564
148564
158564
168665
178665
188665
198665
208666
218766
228766
238767
248767
258767
268768
278768
288868
298869
308869
318869

How May really feels in Tallahassee

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 4 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
4
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.

Tallahassee weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan63° / 42°3.87.610.35.9
Feb66° / 45°3.37.610.96.4
Mar72° / 51°4.28.211.87.2
Apr78° / 57°2.87.212.77.3
May85° / 65°2.38.613.55.4
Jun89° / 71°5.616.913.93.5
Jul90° / 73°5.72013.83.0
Aug89° / 73°5.820.213.13.1
Sep87° / 69°4.011.712.24.5
Oct80° / 60°2.86.311.37.2
Nov71° / 50°2.46.110.57.5
Dec65° / 45°3.47.410.16.3

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 39%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16634
26634
36535
46535
56535
66535
76436
86436
96436
106436
116436
126337
136238
146238
156238
166238
176139
186139
196238
206139
216139
226040
235941
245941
255842
265743
275743
285644
295545
305446
315446

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Tallahassee gets around 2.3 in of rain over 8.6 wet days in May, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 29% and peaks near 44% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
121
221
321
421
521
621
721
822
922
1023
1123
1224
1325
1426
1526
1627
1728
1829
1930
2031
2132
2233
2334
2435
2536
2637
2738
2840
2941
3042
3144

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 32% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 45% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
13221232130
23121232330
33021232430
42821232530
52720232540
62620232640
72520242740
82420242850
92319252850
102119252960
112018263060
121918263070
131817263180
141717273180
151616273290
1615152732100
1715152733100
1814142733110
1913142734120
2012132735130
2111122736140
2210122636160
239112537170
248112538180
257102438200
26792339220
27692239240
28592139270
29482039290
30381938311
31271838341

Wind in May

Winds average 5 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
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
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 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 5:59 AM to 5:40 AM, and sunset from 7:09 PM to 7:29 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.25:597:09
213.25:587:10
313.25:587:11
413.25:577:11
513.35:567:12
613.35:557:13
713.35:547:13
813.35:537:14
913.45:527:15
1013.45:527:15
1113.45:517:16
1213.45:507:17
1313.55:497:17
1413.55:497:18
1513.55:487:19
1613.55:477:19
1713.65:477:20
1813.65:467:21
1913.65:467:21
2013.65:457:22
2113.65:457:23
2213.75:447:23
2313.75:437:24
2413.75:437:24
2513.75:437:25
2613.75:427:26
2713.75:427:26
2813.85:417:27
2913.85:417:27
3013.85:417:28
3113.85:407:29

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.39 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.78 kWh/m² to a high of 6.39 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 6.39 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.4Intense
56.4Intense
66.4Intense
76.4Intense
86.4Intense
96.4Intense
106.4Intense
116.4Intense
126.4Intense
136.4Intense
146.4Intense
156.4Intense
166.4Intense
176.4Intense
186.4Intense
196.4Intense
206.4Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Tallahassee

In seasonPeak

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

Tallahassee 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 Tallahassee?

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

5.4
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Tallahassee in May

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

In May, Tallahassee sees daytime highs around 85°F and nights near 65°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Tallahassee 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 24 mi away) is warmest in July at about 85°F and coldest in February near 60°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Apr 3 to Nov 21 — about 7.7 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°70°80°90°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan60Cool
Feb60Cool
Mar64Cool
Apr71Refreshing
May78Warm
Jun83Tropical
Jul85Tropical
Aug85Tropical
Sep83Tropical
Oct77Warm
Nov69Refreshing
Dec64Cool

UV index in Tallahassee in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Tallahassee peaks around June 20 at about 10 (extreme) — 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 — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highVery highHighModerateJun 20UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5High
Mar7Very high
Apr8Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Tallahassee 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 Tallahassee is worst in March — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMar 1921 µg/m³Dec 209 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar22Moderate
Apr17Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct11Good
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Tallahassee?

Tallahassee sits at 30.4°N, 84.3°W, 203 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Thomasville, 33 mi away.

Topography around Tallahassee

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Tallahassee has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 249 ft around an average of 157 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 308 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 469 ft.

The land around Tallahassee is covered by trees (61%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 2 miles, trees (75%) within 10 miles, and trees (70%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
249 ft
10 miles
308 ft
50 miles
469 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Thomasville 33 mi · Valdosta 65 mi · Albany 79 mi · Lynn Haven 83 mi · Tifton 84 mi · Panama City 85 mi · Dothan 85 mi · Enterprise 111 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 Tallahassee (30.4383°, -84.2807°, elevation 203 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).