May is one of the warmer months of the year in Gainesville, with average highs near 25°C and lows around 13.2°C (mean 19.1°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 111 mm of rainfall and 78% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Gainesville. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Gainesville was 2019 — when the month averaged 21.6°C — while the coldest was 1989 at 16.2°C. Typical May days reach 25°C with nights near 13.2°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is about average for rainfall in Gainesville, averaging 111 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2018 with 256 mm, while the driest was 2007 at 34 mm.
Relative humidity in Gainesville during May averages 78%. The most humid May was 2009 at 85%, and the least humid was 2007 at 63%.
May receives about 6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Gainesville. The sunniest May was 2007 at 6.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1991 and 2003 at 4.9.
Average wind speed in Gainesville during May is 0.1 m/s. The windiest Mays were 2015, 2018 and 2024, among others at 0.2 m/s, while the calmest were 2022, 2023 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 | 18.5°C | 18.7°C | 19.3°C | 19.9°C | 19.1°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg High | 24.7°C | 24.5°C | 25.5°C | 25.6°C | 24.6°C | -0.1°C |
| Avg Low | 12.3°C | 12.9°C | 13.2°C | 14.2°C | 13.6°C | +1.3°C |
| Avg Rain | 110 mm | 103 mm | 97 mm | 127 mm | 124 mm | +14 mm |
May temperatures in Gainesville have risen by about 1.1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 1.3°C (2011) to a record high of 33.6°C (2006).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 111 mm, with a wettest year of 256 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0.2°C per decade while lows rose 0.5°C per decade, narrowing the gap between day and night.
One of the best times to visit Gainesville
May is one of the best times to visit Gainesville. Expect days averaging 25°C and nights around 13.2°C (mean 19.1°C) — warmer than Gainesville's yearly average — with higher rainfall (111 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 | 24.0°C | 19.2°C | 14.4°C | 28.6°C | 7.9°C | 180 mm | 83% | 0.1 m/s | 5 |
| 2024 | 25.9°C | 20.7°C | 15.6°C | 29.1°C | 8.6°C | 154 mm | 81% | 0.2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2023 | 24.0°C | 18.6°C | 13.1°C | 31.5°C | 4.3°C | 66 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2022 | 26.3°C | 20.2°C | 14.2°C | 30.4°C | 7.9°C | 109 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2021 | 24.0°C | 18.2°C | 12.4°C | 31.6°C | 6.0°C | 111 mm | 77% | 0.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2020 | 23.1°C | 17.6°C | 12.1°C | 29.4°C | 3.0°C | 121 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2019 🔥 | 27.4°C | 21.6°C | 15.8°C | 32.1°C | 6.6°C | 80 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2018 🌧️ | 26.5°C | 21.3°C | 16.1°C | 32.0°C | 9.9°C | 256 mm | 82% | 0.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2017 | 25.1°C | 19.3°C | 13.4°C | 31.3°C | 5.0°C | 188 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 6 |
| 2016 | 24.7°C | 18.8°C | 12.9°C | 31.6°C | 6.0°C | 85 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2015 | 26.6°C | 20.5°C | 14.4°C | 30.2°C | 7.1°C | 74 mm | 76% | 0.2 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2014 | 25.3°C | 19.6°C | 13.8°C | 31.1°C | 6.5°C | 109 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2013 | 23.0°C | 17.6°C | 12.2°C | 30.0°C | 3.4°C | 162 mm | 82% | 0.1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2012 | 26.1°C | 20.6°C | 15.2°C | 31.9°C | 8.3°C | 113 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2011 | 25.5°C | 19.2°C | 12.9°C | 32.2°C | 1.3°C | 55 mm | 76% | 0.2 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2010 | 26.1°C | 20.7°C | 15.4°C | 30.6°C | 7.1°C | 142 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2009 | 23.8°C | 19.1°C | 14.4°C | 28.7°C | 4.6°C | 167 mm | 85% | 0.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2008 | 24.7°C | 18.3°C | 11.9°C | 31.6°C | 6.7°C | 86 mm | 76% | 0.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2007 | 27.5°C | 20.1°C | 12.7°C | 31.6°C | 5.5°C | 34 mm | 63% | 0.2 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2006 | 25.0°C | 18.9°C | 12.9°C | 33.6°C | 6.8°C | 80 mm | 76% | 0.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2005 | 23.8°C | 17.5°C | 11.3°C | 33.0°C | 4.6°C | 57 mm | 77% | 0.1 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2004 | 27.8°C | 21.4°C | 15.0°C | 33.2°C | 2.4°C | 98 mm | 73% | 0.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2003 | 24.2°C | 19.4°C | 14.6°C | 28.4°C | 9.0°C | 200 mm | 85% | 0.1 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2002 | 25.1°C | 18.6°C | 12.0°C | 31.6°C | 3.2°C | 101 mm | 74% | 0.2 m/s | 6 |
| 2001 | 25.7°C | 19.3°C | 12.9°C | 31.0°C | 7.3°C | 104 mm | 74% | 0.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2000 | 27.8°C | 20.8°C | 13.9°C | 33.0°C | 7.3°C | 46 mm | 70% | 0.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1999 | 24.8°C | 18.3°C | 11.8°C | 28.0°C | 4.9°C | 94 mm | 76% | 0.2 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1998 | 26.8°C | 21.1°C | 15.3°C | 31.1°C | 7.4°C | 93 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1997 | 22.3°C | 16.3°C | 10.3°C | 27.0°C | 4.2°C | 137 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 6 |
| 1996 | 25.7°C | 20.1°C | 14.5°C | 32.8°C | 3.7°C | 95 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1995 | 25.1°C | 19.2°C | 13.3°C | 30.6°C | 4.7°C | 83 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1994 | 23.3°C | 17.1°C | 10.8°C | 28.7°C | 6.3°C | 75 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1993 | 24.1°C | 18.6°C | 13.1°C | 29.3°C | 5.5°C | 110 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1992 | 22.8°C | 17.1°C | 11.4°C | 28.6°C | 3.9°C | 66 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1991 | 26.1°C | 21.0°C | 16.0°C | 32.5°C | 7.5°C | 156 mm | 84% | 0.1 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1990 | 23.9°C | 18.0°C | 12.2°C | 28.0°C | 4.5°C | 116 mm | 79% | 0.2 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1989 ❄️ | 22.2°C | 16.2°C | 10.2°C | 30.6°C | 2.3°C | 125 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1988 | 25.1°C | 18.1°C | 11.0°C | 33.1°C | 6.2°C | 36 mm | 68% | 0.2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1987 | 25.8°C | 20.6°C | 15.4°C | 30.0°C | 9.0°C | 84 mm | 80% | 0.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1986 | 27.1°C | 20.1°C | 13.2°C | 31.5°C | 3.8°C | 97 mm | 66% | 0.1 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1985 | 24.4°C | 18.5°C | 12.7°C | 30.9°C | 6.6°C | 111 mm | 75% | 0.2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1984 | 23.5°C | 17.3°C | 11.1°C | 29.1°C | 4.2°C | 170 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1983 | 23.0°C | 17.3°C | 11.6°C | 26.3°C | 5.4°C | 140 mm | 80% | 0.1 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 25.8°C | 20.1°C | 14.5°C | 29.2°C | 5.9°C | 84 mm | 79% | 0.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 25.4°C | 18.1°C | 10.8°C | 30.7°C | 5.2°C | 140 mm | 68% | 0.2 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 25°C with lows near 13.2°C (mean 19.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 111 mm of rainfall in Gainesville, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 256 mm in 2018.
The hottest May reached 33.6°C in 2006. The coldest dipped to 1.3°C in 2011.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.1°C. Daytime highs moved from 24.4°C to 24.8°C and overnight lows from 12.1°C to 13.9°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Gainesville and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 25°C daytime highs and 13.2°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Gainesville, averaging 19.1°C.
For May in Gainesville, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 25°C and lows of 13.2°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 (1981).
The wettest May on record was 2018 with 256 mm. On average, May sees 111 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 Gainesville 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.
