May is one of the warmer months of the year in Cookeville, with average highs near 24°C and lows around 13.2°C (mean 18.6°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 129 mm of rainfall and 79% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Cookeville. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Cookeville was 2018 — when the month averaged 21.8°C — while the coldest were 1989 and 1997 at 15.8°C. Typical May days reach 24°C with nights near 13.2°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is a relatively wet time of year in Cookeville, averaging 129 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 1984 with 271 mm, while the driest was 2005 at 41 mm.
Relative humidity in Cookeville during May averages 79%. The most humid May was 2009 at 85%, and the least humid was 2007 at 64%.
May receives about 5.7 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Cookeville. The sunniest Mays were 1999 and 2005 at 6.7 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1990 at 4.7.
Average wind speed in Cookeville during May is 0.4 m/s. The windiest Mays were 2022, 2024 and 2025, among others at 0.4 m/s, while the calmest were 2018, 2020 and 2023, among others at 0.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 18.0°C | 18.2°C | 18.6°C | 19.5°C | 18.7°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg High | 23.7°C | 23.7°C | 24.0°C | 24.7°C | 23.9°C | +0.2°C |
| Avg Low | 12.2°C | 12.8°C | 13.1°C | 14.3°C | 13.5°C | +1.3°C |
| Avg Rain | 136 mm | 122 mm | 129 mm | 119 mm | 148 mm | +12 mm |
May temperatures in Cookeville have risen by about 1.4°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 0.2°C (2020) to a record high of 34.3°C (2012).
Rainfall in May is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 129 mm, with a wettest year of 271 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.
A good time to visit Cookeville
May is a good time to visit Cookeville, with days averaging 24°C and nights around 13.2°C (mean 18.6°C, warmer than Cookeville's yearly average) and higher rainfall. September and June 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 | 23.2°C | 18.7°C | 14.1°C | 26.9°C | 8.0°C | 198 mm | 83% | 0.4 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2024 | 25.3°C | 20.3°C | 15.3°C | 30.3°C | 9.2°C | 251 mm | 83% | 0.4 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2023 | 24.0°C | 18.5°C | 12.9°C | 29.2°C | 4.9°C | 105 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2022 | 25.6°C | 20.2°C | 14.8°C | 31.6°C | 8.6°C | 102 mm | 79% | 0.4 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2021 | 22.9°C | 17.4°C | 11.9°C | 31.3°C | 5.5°C | 103 mm | 77% | 0.4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2020 | 22.3°C | 17.1°C | 11.8°C | 27.7°C | 0.2°C | 130 mm | 82% | 0.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2019 | 25.6°C | 20.6°C | 15.7°C | 29.6°C | 6.3°C | 92 mm | 81% | 0.4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2018 🔥 | 26.8°C | 21.8°C | 16.7°C | 31.4°C | 8.0°C | 128 mm | 83% | 0.3 m/s | 6 |
| 2017 | 23.8°C | 18.6°C | 13.4°C | 29.1°C | 3.6°C | 181 mm | 80% | 0.4 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2016 | 23.5°C | 18.0°C | 12.6°C | 31.7°C | 3.1°C | 72 mm | 79% | 0.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2015 | 25.0°C | 19.6°C | 14.2°C | 29.2°C | 5.4°C | 73 mm | 79% | 0.4 m/s | 6 |
| 2014 | 24.5°C | 19.2°C | 13.9°C | 28.1°C | 5.5°C | 62 mm | 79% | 0.4 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2013 | 22.8°C | 17.9°C | 13.0°C | 27.9°C | 3.8°C | 146 mm | 82% | 0.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2012 | 26.6°C | 21.1°C | 15.6°C | 34.3°C | 7.0°C | 79 mm | 76% | 0.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2011 | 23.5°C | 18.2°C | 12.9°C | 33.4°C | 2.1°C | 103 mm | 82% | 0.4 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2010 | 24.8°C | 19.8°C | 14.9°C | 28.8°C | 4.5°C | 249 mm | 82% | 0.4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2009 | 23.0°C | 18.2°C | 13.4°C | 26.6°C | 3.0°C | 226 mm | 85% | 0.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2008 | 23.2°C | 17.6°C | 12.0°C | 28.3°C | 5.9°C | 114 mm | 78% | 0.4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2007 | 27.0°C | 20.2°C | 13.4°C | 32.0°C | 5.2°C | 57 mm | 64% | 0.4 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2006 | 23.2°C | 17.8°C | 12.5°C | 32.4°C | 6.8°C | 106 mm | 81% | 0.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2005 | 23.2°C | 17.0°C | 10.8°C | 29.8°C | 2.3°C | 41 mm | 75% | 0.4 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2004 | 25.2°C | 20.5°C | 15.7°C | 28.7°C | 4.1°C | 134 mm | 82% | 0.4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2003 | 23.3°C | 18.8°C | 14.2°C | 27.2°C | 7.7°C | 263 mm | 84% | 0.4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2002 | 22.9°C | 17.3°C | 11.7°C | 28.0°C | 2.3°C | 142 mm | 79% | 0.4 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2001 | 24.6°C | 18.9°C | 13.2°C | 29.3°C | 7.7°C | 99 mm | 75% | 0.4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2000 | 24.9°C | 19.4°C | 13.8°C | 28.1°C | 6.6°C | 109 mm | 78% | 0.4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1999 | 24.4°C | 18.4°C | 12.4°C | 27.6°C | 7.7°C | 107 mm | 76% | 0.4 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1998 | 25.4°C | 20.4°C | 15.3°C | 30.8°C | 8.3°C | 95 mm | 82% | 0.4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1997 | 21.6°C | 15.8°C | 10.0°C | 27.1°C | 2.8°C | 163 mm | 78% | 0.4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1996 | 24.9°C | 19.8°C | 14.7°C | 31.4°C | 3.7°C | 142 mm | 82% | 0.4 m/s | 6 |
| 1995 | 24.0°C | 18.6°C | 13.3°C | 27.9°C | 5.0°C | 175 mm | 80% | 0.4 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1994 | 22.1°C | 16.1°C | 10.1°C | 28.8°C | 4.2°C | 88 mm | 78% | 0.4 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1993 | 23.2°C | 18.0°C | 12.7°C | 29.1°C | 5.5°C | 129 mm | 80% | 0.4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1992 | 22.6°C | 17.1°C | 11.6°C | 28.7°C | 3.9°C | 74 mm | 78% | 0.4 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1991 | 25.8°C | 21.1°C | 16.4°C | 31.0°C | 6.7°C | 117 mm | 84% | 0.3 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1990 | 22.5°C | 17.1°C | 11.6°C | 26.6°C | 4.5°C | 127 mm | 81% | 0.4 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1989 ❄️ | 21.3°C | 15.8°C | 10.3°C | 28.8°C | 1.5°C | 141 mm | 79% | 0.4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1988 | 24.4°C | 17.6°C | 10.9°C | 32.6°C | 5.3°C | 48 mm | 68% | 0.4 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1987 | 26.1°C | 20.9°C | 15.6°C | 29.9°C | 8.0°C | 92 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1986 | 25.1°C | 19.4°C | 13.6°C | 29.7°C | 2.0°C | 136 mm | 72% | 0.4 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1985 | 24.3°C | 18.6°C | 12.9°C | 29.9°C | 6.7°C | 74 mm | 77% | 0.4 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1984 🌧️ | 22.0°C | 16.2°C | 10.5°C | 26.4°C | 4.4°C | 271 mm | 81% | 0.4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1983 | 22.0°C | 16.5°C | 11.1°C | 25.2°C | 3.8°C | 257 mm | 81% | 0.4 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 25.6°C | 20.2°C | 14.7°C | 29.5°C | 7.8°C | 94 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 22.6°C | 16.5°C | 10.4°C | 27.3°C | 4.8°C | 112 mm | 76% | 0.4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 24°C with lows near 13.2°C (mean 18.6°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 129 mm of rainfall in Cookeville, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 271 mm in 1984.
The hottest May reached 34.3°C in 2012. The coldest dipped to 0.2°C in 2020.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.4°C. Daytime highs moved from 23.3°C to 24.2°C and overnight lows from 11.9°C to 13.8°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Cookeville and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 24°C daytime highs and 13.2°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Cookeville, averaging 18.6°C.
For May in Cookeville, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 24°C and lows of 13.2°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 79% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 0.4 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 0.4 m/s (1981).
The wettest May on record was 1984 with 271 mm. On average, May sees 129 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 Cookeville 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.
