May is one of the warmer months of the year in New Bedford, with average highs near 14.3°C and lows around 9.9°C (mean 12.1°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 88 mm of rainfall and 85% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in New Bedford. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in New Bedford was 2012 — when the month averaged 14.4°C — while the coldest was 2005 at 10°C. Typical May days reach 14.3°C with nights near 9.9°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is about average for rainfall in New Bedford, averaging 88 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2006 with 160 mm, while the driest was 2015 at 27 mm.
Relative humidity in New Bedford during May averages 85%. The most humid May was 2018 at 90%, and the least humid was 2023 at 77%.
May receives about 5.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in New Bedford. The sunniest May was 2023 at 6.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1988 and 2009 at 4.8.
Average wind speed in New Bedford during May is 4.8 m/s. The windiest Mays were 1997, 2008 and 2020 at 5.4 m/s, while the calmest was 1982 at 3.6 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.9°C | 11.6°C | 11.8°C | 12.8°C | 12.8°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg High | 14.1°C | 13.9°C | 14.0°C | 14.9°C | 15.0°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg Low | 9.6°C | 9.3°C | 9.6°C | 10.8°C | 10.7°C | +1.1°C |
| Avg Rain | 89 mm | 81 mm | 91 mm | 83 mm | 100 mm | +11 mm |
May temperatures in New Bedford have risen by about 1.1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 3.9°C (1986) to a record high of 24.2°C (2007).
Rainfall in May is about average for rainfall, averaging 88 mm, with a wettest year of 160 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0.2°C per decade while lows rose 0.4°C per decade, narrowing the gap between day and night.
A good time to visit New Bedford
May is a good time to visit New Bedford, with days averaging 14.3°C and nights around 9.9°C (mean 12.1°C, warmer than New Bedford's yearly average) and higher rainfall. July and August are marginally more temperate, but May still suits most travellers.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15.2°C | 13.3°C | 11.4°C | 19.1°C | 7.5°C | 145 mm | 86% | 5.1 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2024 | 14.6°C | 12.8°C | 11.0°C | 20.2°C | 7.6°C | 138 mm | 89% | 4.7 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2023 | 15.8°C | 13.2°C | 10.7°C | 20.2°C | 7.1°C | 64 mm | 77% | 4.8 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2022 | 14.9°C | 13.0°C | 11.0°C | 21.8°C | 6.2°C | 65 mm | 84% | 5.2 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2021 | 15.5°C | 13.1°C | 10.8°C | 22.2°C | 6.1°C | 113 mm | 80% | 4.7 m/s | 6 |
| 2020 | 13.7°C | 11.3°C | 9.0°C | 18.1°C | 4.0°C | 75 mm | 83% | 5.4 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2019 | 13.8°C | 11.7°C | 9.6°C | 19.3°C | 5.7°C | 99 mm | 86% | 5 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2018 | 14.6°C | 12.6°C | 10.7°C | 20.4°C | 6.5°C | 50 mm | 90% | 4.6 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2017 | 13.6°C | 11.9°C | 10.2°C | 18.0°C | 6.8°C | 156 mm | 86% | 4.9 m/s | 5 |
| 2016 | 14.7°C | 12.6°C | 10.6°C | 19.9°C | 6.5°C | 88 mm | 85% | 4.7 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2015 | 15.8°C | 13.4°C | 11.0°C | 21.7°C | 5.6°C | 27 mm | 85% | 4.9 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2014 | 14.8°C | 12.6°C | 10.4°C | 20.9°C | 7.6°C | 45 mm | 84% | 4.6 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2013 | 15.0°C | 12.8°C | 10.7°C | 20.5°C | 7.1°C | 112 mm | 86% | 5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2012 🔥 | 16.3°C | 14.4°C | 12.4°C | 23.9°C | 8.6°C | 129 mm | 86% | 4.2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2011 | 14.6°C | 12.7°C | 10.9°C | 21.6°C | 6.6°C | 56 mm | 89% | 4.8 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2010 | 15.9°C | 13.6°C | 11.3°C | 23.2°C | 5.2°C | 67 mm | 83% | 4.6 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2009 | 14.4°C | 12.5°C | 10.5°C | 19.9°C | 7.8°C | 78 mm | 86% | 4.7 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2008 | 13.9°C | 11.6°C | 9.3°C | 18.9°C | 5.4°C | 74 mm | 82% | 5.4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2007 | 15.0°C | 12.5°C | 10.0°C | 24.2°C | 5.9°C | 64 mm | 82% | 4.5 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2006 🌧️ | 14.1°C | 12.0°C | 10.0°C | 20.0°C | 6.5°C | 160 mm | 87% | 5.3 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2005 ❄️ | 11.9°C | 10.0°C | 8.1°C | 18.1°C | 5.5°C | 140 mm | 87% | 4.9 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2004 | 14.2°C | 11.9°C | 9.7°C | 18.4°C | 6.4°C | 66 mm | 87% | 4.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2003 | 12.7°C | 10.7°C | 8.7°C | 19.7°C | 6.3°C | 56 mm | 88% | 4.4 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2002 | 14.1°C | 11.8°C | 9.6°C | 17.9°C | 5.7°C | 107 mm | 81% | 5.3 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2001 | 14.9°C | 12.5°C | 10.0°C | 22.3°C | 6.3°C | 83 mm | 82% | 4.7 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2000 | 14.5°C | 12.1°C | 9.7°C | 22.8°C | 5.2°C | 77 mm | 86% | 4.6 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1999 | 15.0°C | 12.8°C | 10.5°C | 21.0°C | 6.2°C | 97 mm | 81% | 4 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1998 | 14.2°C | 12.2°C | 10.2°C | 20.7°C | 6.3°C | 100 mm | 88% | 5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1997 | 12.8°C | 10.7°C | 8.6°C | 16.0°C | 5.0°C | 92 mm | 83% | 5.4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1996 | 13.9°C | 11.4°C | 8.9°C | 21.0°C | 4.0°C | 67 mm | 84% | 4.4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1995 | 13.4°C | 11.0°C | 8.6°C | 20.3°C | 5.0°C | 82 mm | 82% | 4.6 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1994 | 12.9°C | 10.7°C | 8.5°C | 17.5°C | 5.7°C | 94 mm | 86% | 5.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1993 | 14.3°C | 12.0°C | 9.6°C | 18.0°C | 6.1°C | 43 mm | 86% | 4.1 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1992 | 13.1°C | 10.6°C | 8.0°C | 22.7°C | 4.5°C | 38 mm | 81% | 4.4 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1991 | 16.3°C | 13.7°C | 11.1°C | 22.7°C | 6.9°C | 50 mm | 83% | 4.4 m/s | 6 |
| 1990 | 12.9°C | 10.8°C | 8.7°C | 16.2°C | 5.9°C | 149 mm | 84% | 5 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1989 | 14.0°C | 11.9°C | 9.8°C | 18.3°C | 6.4°C | 109 mm | 88% | 4.7 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1988 | 13.9°C | 11.7°C | 9.6°C | 21.7°C | 5.2°C | 72 mm | 87% | 4.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1987 | 13.3°C | 11.1°C | 8.9°C | 21.8°C | 5.1°C | 64 mm | 87% | 4.7 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1986 | 14.2°C | 12.0°C | 9.7°C | 21.8°C | 3.9°C | 52 mm | 84% | 5 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1985 | 14.4°C | 12.0°C | 9.7°C | 20.4°C | 4.3°C | 133 mm | 82% | 4.9 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1984 | 14.4°C | 12.1°C | 9.8°C | 19.3°C | 6.1°C | 159 mm | 87% | 4.9 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1983 | 13.7°C | 11.6°C | 9.5°C | 17.0°C | 6.1°C | 89 mm | 87% | 5.3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 15.0°C | 12.5°C | 9.9°C | 21.8°C | 7.7°C | 61 mm | 83% | 3.6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 14.4°C | 12.0°C | 9.6°C | 20.1°C | 5.5°C | 61 mm | 83% | 5 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 14.3°C with lows near 9.9°C (mean 12.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 88 mm of rainfall in New Bedford, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 160 mm in 2006.
The hottest May reached 24.2°C in 2007. The coldest dipped to 3.9°C in 1986.
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 14.4°C to 15.2°C and overnight lows from 9.7°C to 11°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in New Bedford and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 14.3°C daytime highs and 9.9°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 7th coolest month in New Bedford, averaging 12.1°C.
For May in New Bedford, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 14.3°C and lows of 9.9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 85% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 4.8 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 5.4 m/s (1997).
The wettest May on record was 2006 with 160 mm. On average, May sees 88 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 New Bedford 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.
