May is one of the warmer months of the year in Scranton, with average highs near 18.8°C and lows around 7.3°C (mean 13.1°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 105 mm of rainfall and 80% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Scranton. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Scranton was 2012 — when the month averaged 16.1°C — while the coldest was 1997 at 9.9°C. Typical May days reach 18.8°C with nights near 7.3°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
May is a relatively wet time of year in Scranton, averaging 105 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2025 with 227 mm, while the driest was 2023 at 18 mm.
Relative humidity in Scranton during May averages 80%. The most humid May was 2011 at 86%, and the least humid was 1999 at 73%.
May receives about 5.2 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Scranton. The sunniest May was 2023 at 6.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1989 and 2003 at 4.2.
Average wind speed in Scranton during May is 0 m/s. The windiest Mays were 2015, 2021 and 2023, among others at 0.1 m/s, while the calmest were 2022, 2024 and 2025, among others at 0 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 12.6°C | 12.4°C | 12.8°C | 14.3°C | 13.2°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg High | 18.4°C | 18.2°C | 18.6°C | 19.9°C | 18.8°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg Low | 6.7°C | 6.5°C | 7.1°C | 8.8°C | 7.5°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg Rain | 121 mm | 89 mm | 95 mm | 113 mm | 109 mm | -12 mm |
May temperatures in Scranton have risen by about 1.3°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of -3.6°C (1996) to a record high of 29.7°C (2018).
Rainfall in May is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 105 mm, with a wettest year of 227 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0.3°C per decade while lows rose 0.5°C per decade, narrowing the gap between day and night.
A good time to visit Scranton
May is a good time to visit Scranton, with days averaging 18.8°C and nights around 7.3°C (mean 13.1°C, warmer than Scranton'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 🌧️ | 18.1°C | 13.1°C | 8.1°C | 24.5°C | 2.6°C | 227 mm | 84% | 0 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2024 | 20.3°C | 15.3°C | 10.2°C | 28.1°C | 3.1°C | 107 mm | 82% | 0 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2023 | 18.9°C | 12.2°C | 5.5°C | 27.1°C | -3.0°C | 18 mm | 74% | 0.1 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2022 | 20.5°C | 14.4°C | 8.3°C | 27.7°C | -1.6°C | 101 mm | 81% | 0 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2021 | 18.4°C | 12.7°C | 6.9°C | 27.6°C | -0.4°C | 122 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2020 | 16.9°C | 11.5°C | 6.1°C | 27.7°C | -3.6°C | 79 mm | 79% | 0 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2019 | 19.2°C | 13.8°C | 8.4°C | 26.0°C | 2.6°C | 177 mm | 83% | 0 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 21.3°C | 15.9°C | 10.4°C | 29.7°C | 0.3°C | 132 mm | 82% | 0 m/s | 5 |
| 2017 | 17.5°C | 12.2°C | 7.0°C | 27.6°C | 0.2°C | 130 mm | 81% | 0 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2016 | 18.2°C | 12.8°C | 7.4°C | 28.3°C | -0.5°C | 89 mm | 79% | 0 m/s | 5 |
| 2015 | 22.2°C | 16.0°C | 9.8°C | 27.2°C | -0.6°C | 62 mm | 75% | 0.1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2014 | 19.6°C | 13.6°C | 7.7°C | 25.2°C | -0.1°C | 100 mm | 80% | 0 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2013 | 19.2°C | 13.5°C | 7.8°C | 27.9°C | -2.9°C | 85 mm | 79% | 0 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2012 🔥 | 21.4°C | 16.1°C | 10.8°C | 27.7°C | 1.7°C | 139 mm | 82% | 0.1 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2011 | 20.0°C | 15.0°C | 10.1°C | 28.1°C | 1.6°C | 141 mm | 86% | 0 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2010 | 20.3°C | 14.4°C | 8.6°C | 28.6°C | -1.8°C | 72 mm | 78% | 0 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2009 | 18.9°C | 13.2°C | 7.4°C | 25.9°C | 1.7°C | 131 mm | 78% | 0 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2008 | 16.6°C | 10.8°C | 5.1°C | 24.6°C | -3.3°C | 88 mm | 79% | 0 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2007 | 20.3°C | 13.6°C | 6.9°C | 27.9°C | 0.4°C | 44 mm | 75% | 0 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2006 | 19.0°C | 13.2°C | 7.4°C | 28.5°C | -0.6°C | 81 mm | 78% | 0.1 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2005 | 16.7°C | 10.9°C | 5.0°C | 24.7°C | -1.9°C | 34 mm | 78% | 0 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2004 | 21.0°C | 15.7°C | 10.3°C | 27.1°C | 1.0°C | 147 mm | 82% | 0.1 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2003 | 16.8°C | 12.1°C | 7.3°C | 22.4°C | 1.3°C | 109 mm | 83% | 0.1 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2002 | 17.6°C | 11.5°C | 5.5°C | 25.1°C | -2.4°C | 136 mm | 77% | 0 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2001 | 19.5°C | 13.5°C | 7.6°C | 27.3°C | 0.8°C | 59 mm | 75% | 0 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2000 | 19.1°C | 13.6°C | 8.1°C | 27.3°C | 0.1°C | 119 mm | 81% | 0 m/s | 5 |
| 1999 | 20.1°C | 13.6°C | 7.2°C | 28.9°C | 2.3°C | 56 mm | 73% | 0.1 m/s | 6 |
| 1998 | 20.6°C | 15.3°C | 9.9°C | 27.7°C | 2.0°C | 139 mm | 82% | 0.1 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1997 ❄️ | 15.7°C | 9.9°C | 4.1°C | 23.7°C | -2.9°C | 83 mm | 76% | 0 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1996 | 16.6°C | 10.9°C | 5.2°C | 27.4°C | -3.6°C | 90 mm | 81% | 0 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1995 | 17.0°C | 11.3°C | 5.7°C | 24.7°C | -2.0°C | 61 mm | 79% | 0 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1994 | 17.1°C | 10.9°C | 4.8°C | 25.7°C | -1.8°C | 75 mm | 78% | 0 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1993 | 18.9°C | 12.8°C | 6.6°C | 26.1°C | 1.4°C | 45 mm | 78% | 0 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1992 | 17.8°C | 11.7°C | 5.6°C | 26.0°C | -1.6°C | 120 mm | 79% | 0.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1991 | 21.9°C | 16.0°C | 10.2°C | 26.8°C | 1.2°C | 64 mm | 80% | 0 m/s | 6 |
| 1990 | 16.8°C | 11.3°C | 5.8°C | 22.1°C | -1.6°C | 161 mm | 79% | 0 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1989 | 17.2°C | 12.0°C | 6.9°C | 26.3°C | -0.6°C | 223 mm | 84% | 0 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1988 | 19.0°C | 13.1°C | 7.2°C | 26.3°C | 0.7°C | 126 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1987 | 19.2°C | 13.0°C | 6.8°C | 27.6°C | -1.5°C | 64 mm | 80% | 0 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1986 | 19.7°C | 14.0°C | 8.2°C | 26.0°C | -2.5°C | 80 mm | 79% | 0 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1985 | 19.4°C | 13.4°C | 7.4°C | 25.3°C | -2.9°C | 123 mm | 78% | 0 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1984 | 16.3°C | 10.9°C | 5.5°C | 23.9°C | -0.5°C | 189 mm | 82% | 0 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1983 | 16.5°C | 10.9°C | 5.3°C | 22.4°C | -2.4°C | 107 mm | 82% | 0 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 19.6°C | 13.6°C | 7.5°C | 24.6°C | 0.1°C | 87 mm | 81% | 0.1 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 19.0°C | 12.2°C | 5.4°C | 25.1°C | -2.9°C | 90 mm | 76% | 0.1 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 18.8°C with lows near 7.3°C (mean 13.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 105 mm of rainfall in Scranton, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 227 mm in 2025.
The hottest May reached 29.7°C in 2018. The coldest dipped to -3.6°C in 1996.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.3°C. Daytime highs moved from 18.2°C to 19.2°C and overnight lows from 6.2°C to 7.8°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Scranton and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 18.8°C daytime highs and 7.3°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Scranton, averaging 13.1°C.
For May in Scranton, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 18.8°C and lows of 7.3°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 80% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 0 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 0.1 m/s (1981).
The wettest May on record was 2025 with 227 mm. On average, May sees 105 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 Scranton 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.
