May is one of the warmer months of the year in Tuscaloosa, with average highs near 27.5°C and lows around 15.9°C (mean 21.7°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 112 mm of rainfall and 78% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Tuscaloosa. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Tuscaloosa was 2018 — when the month averaged 24°C — while the coldest was 1997 at 19.7°C. Typical May days reach 27.5°C with nights near 15.9°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is about average for rainfall in Tuscaloosa, averaging 112 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2025 with 303 mm, while the driest was 2007 at 18 mm.
Relative humidity in Tuscaloosa during May averages 78%. The most humid May was 1991 at 87%, and the least humid was 2007 at 62%.
May receives about 6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Tuscaloosa. The sunniest May was 2007 at 6.7 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1991 at 4.5.
Average wind speed in Tuscaloosa during May is 0.1 m/s. The windiest Mays were 2007, 2012 and 2018, among others at 0.2 m/s, while the calmest were 2023, 2024 and 2025, among others at 0.1 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 21.2°C | 21.5°C | 22.0°C | 22.0°C | 22.0°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg High | 27.3°C | 27.2°C | 27.9°C | 27.7°C | 27.5°C | +0.2°C |
| Avg Low | 15.1°C | 15.7°C | 16.0°C | 16.3°C | 16.6°C | +1.5°C |
| Avg Rain | 115 mm | 103 mm | 114 mm | 104 mm | 131 mm | +17 mm |
May temperatures in Tuscaloosa have risen by about 1.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 5.2°C (2013) to a record high of 35.5°C (1998).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 112 mm, with a wettest year of 303 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0.1°C per decade while lows rose 0.4°C per decade, narrowing the gap between day and night.
One of the best times to visit Tuscaloosa
May is one of the best times to visit Tuscaloosa. Expect days averaging 27.5°C and nights around 15.9°C (mean 21.7°C) — warmer than Tuscaloosa's yearly average — with higher rainfall (112 mm), so conditions are generally comfortable for sightseeing and outdoor plans.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 🌧️ | 27.3°C | 22.5°C | 17.7°C | 34.4°C | 9.3°C | 303 mm | 84% | 0.1 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2024 | 29.3°C | 23.9°C | 18.6°C | 33.7°C | 13.0°C | 101 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2023 | 27.4°C | 21.7°C | 16.1°C | 34.2°C | 6.3°C | 81 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 28.5°C | 22.9°C | 17.4°C | 31.6°C | 10.3°C | 125 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2021 | 26.7°C | 20.9°C | 15.1°C | 32.3°C | 9.6°C | 111 mm | 77% | 0.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2020 | 26.0°C | 20.2°C | 14.5°C | 30.0°C | 5.6°C | 67 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2019 | 29.2°C | 23.5°C | 17.8°C | 34.5°C | 11.1°C | 86 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2018 🔥 | 29.7°C | 24.0°C | 18.2°C | 33.6°C | 12.0°C | 177 mm | 78% | 0.2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2017 | 27.3°C | 21.4°C | 15.4°C | 31.2°C | 6.0°C | 147 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 6 |
| 2016 | 26.8°C | 21.1°C | 15.4°C | 33.6°C | 7.2°C | 42 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2015 | 27.5°C | 22.1°C | 16.7°C | 31.6°C | 8.3°C | 94 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2014 | 26.6°C | 21.2°C | 15.7°C | 32.6°C | 7.8°C | 70 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2013 | 25.5°C | 19.8°C | 14.2°C | 30.3°C | 5.2°C | 90 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2012 | 29.0°C | 23.1°C | 17.2°C | 34.0°C | 11.4°C | 120 mm | 76% | 0.2 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2011 | 26.9°C | 20.6°C | 14.3°C | 33.2°C | 6.2°C | 36 mm | 76% | 0.1 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2010 | 28.6°C | 23.2°C | 17.7°C | 33.4°C | 9.4°C | 176 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 6 |
| 2009 | 26.0°C | 21.6°C | 17.1°C | 30.7°C | 7.2°C | 203 mm | 85% | 0.1 m/s | 5 |
| 2008 | 27.2°C | 21.3°C | 15.4°C | 32.7°C | 8.8°C | 135 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2007 | 30.3°C | 23.0°C | 15.6°C | 34.1°C | 8.9°C | 18 mm | 62% | 0.2 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2006 | 27.9°C | 21.8°C | 15.7°C | 34.8°C | 8.7°C | 100 mm | 77% | 0.1 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2005 | 26.4°C | 20.3°C | 14.2°C | 33.0°C | 7.0°C | 132 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2004 | 28.7°C | 23.0°C | 17.3°C | 32.5°C | 6.1°C | 103 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 6 |
| 2003 | 27.4°C | 22.5°C | 17.6°C | 31.1°C | 10.8°C | 217 mm | 85% | 0.1 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2002 | 27.6°C | 21.3°C | 15.1°C | 32.4°C | 5.9°C | 90 mm | 75% | 0.1 m/s | 6 |
| 2001 | 27.2°C | 21.3°C | 15.3°C | 30.9°C | 9.5°C | 104 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2000 | 30.2°C | 23.4°C | 16.6°C | 35.0°C | 9.7°C | 41 mm | 71% | 0.1 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1999 | 27.5°C | 21.1°C | 14.7°C | 31.3°C | 7.8°C | 77 mm | 76% | 0.2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1998 | 29.6°C | 23.3°C | 16.9°C | 35.5°C | 10.5°C | 61 mm | 77% | 0.2 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1997 ❄️ | 25.3°C | 19.7°C | 14.0°C | 30.2°C | 6.4°C | 152 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1996 | 28.9°C | 23.0°C | 17.1°C | 35.3°C | 6.0°C | 52 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1995 | 28.0°C | 22.5°C | 16.9°C | 32.6°C | 7.7°C | 99 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1994 | 26.2°C | 20.4°C | 14.6°C | 31.6°C | 7.9°C | 72 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1993 | 26.4°C | 20.9°C | 15.5°C | 31.8°C | 8.3°C | 105 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1992 | 26.4°C | 20.3°C | 14.1°C | 30.3°C | 6.0°C | 38 mm | 76% | 0.1 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1991 | 27.4°C | 23.1°C | 18.7°C | 32.3°C | 8.4°C | 253 mm | 87% | 0.1 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1990 | 26.4°C | 20.5°C | 14.6°C | 30.4°C | 7.8°C | 122 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1989 | 26.0°C | 20.3°C | 14.7°C | 32.3°C | 6.1°C | 117 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1988 | 28.2°C | 20.8°C | 13.4°C | 34.3°C | 6.1°C | 43 mm | 65% | 0.2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1987 | 28.0°C | 22.9°C | 17.8°C | 32.8°C | 12.2°C | 123 mm | 84% | 0.1 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1986 | 29.2°C | 22.7°C | 16.1°C | 35.1°C | 7.2°C | 162 mm | 69% | 0.1 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1985 | 27.4°C | 21.3°C | 15.1°C | 33.6°C | 9.5°C | 76 mm | 77% | 0.1 m/s | 6 |
| 1984 | 26.6°C | 20.5°C | 14.5°C | 32.6°C | 7.0°C | 125 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1983 | 25.9°C | 20.3°C | 14.7°C | 29.2°C | 8.3°C | 230 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 28.3°C | 22.3°C | 16.2°C | 32.2°C | 9.7°C | 71 mm | 77% | 0.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 26.4°C | 19.9°C | 13.4°C | 32.3°C | 6.2°C | 85 mm | 74% | 0.1 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 27.5°C with lows near 15.9°C (mean 21.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 112 mm of rainfall in Tuscaloosa, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 303 mm in 2025.
The hottest May reached 35.5°C in 1998. The coldest dipped to 5.2°C in 2013.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 26.9°C to 27.8°C and overnight lows from 14.8°C to 17°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Tuscaloosa and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 27.5°C daytime highs and 15.9°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Tuscaloosa, averaging 21.7°C.
For May in Tuscaloosa, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 27.5°C and lows of 15.9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 78% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 0.1 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 0.2 m/s (1982).
The wettest May on record was 2025 with 303 mm. On average, May sees 112 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Tuscaloosa behaves each May, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for May specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
