May is one of the warmer months of the year in Nashville, with average highs near 24.5°C and lows around 13.9°C (mean 19.2°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 132 mm of rainfall and 80% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Nashville. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Nashville was 2018 — when the month averaged 22.4°C — while the coldest was 1997 at 16.6°C. Typical May days reach 24.5°C with nights near 13.9°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is a relatively wet time of year in Nashville, averaging 132 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2010 with 324 mm, while the driest was 2005 at 27 mm.
Relative humidity in Nashville during May averages 80%. The most humid May was 1991 at 85%, and the least humid was 2007 at 67%.
May receives about 5.7 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Nashville. The sunniest May was 2005 at 6.7 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1990 at 4.8.
Average wind speed in Nashville during May is 1.6 m/s. The windiest May was 1983 at 2.1 m/s, while the calmest were 1987 and 2012 at 1.2 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 18.6°C | 18.9°C | 19.2°C | 20.0°C | 19.3°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg High | 24.1°C | 24.1°C | 24.6°C | 25.1°C | 24.4°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Low | 13.0°C | 13.6°C | 13.8°C | 14.9°C | 14.2°C | +1.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 139 mm | 126 mm | 130 mm | 129 mm | 143 mm | +5 mm |
May temperatures in Nashville have risen by about 1.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 1.6°C (2020) to a record high of 32.9°C (2011).
Rainfall in May is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 132 mm, with a wettest year of 324 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.
One of the best times to visit Nashville
May is one of the best times to visit Nashville. Expect days averaging 24.5°C and nights around 13.9°C (mean 19.2°C) — warmer than Nashville's yearly average — with higher rainfall (132 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 | 23.8°C | 19.4°C | 15.0°C | 27.9°C | 8.0°C | 178 mm | 84% | 1.6 m/s | 5 |
| 2024 | 26.1°C | 21.2°C | 16.3°C | 29.6°C | 10.4°C | 233 mm | 82% | 1.5 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2023 | 24.6°C | 19.2°C | 13.9°C | 28.9°C | 5.3°C | 114 mm | 80% | 1.4 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 25.7°C | 20.4°C | 15.1°C | 29.9°C | 7.9°C | 101 mm | 81% | 1.7 m/s | 6 |
| 2021 | 23.4°C | 17.8°C | 12.2°C | 30.4°C | 5.7°C | 118 mm | 78% | 1.6 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2020 | 23.0°C | 17.8°C | 12.6°C | 29.2°C | 1.6°C | 116 mm | 82% | 1.7 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2019 | 26.2°C | 21.2°C | 16.1°C | 31.0°C | 6.7°C | 76 mm | 82% | 1.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2018 🔥 | 27.2°C | 22.4°C | 17.6°C | 30.9°C | 8.6°C | 133 mm | 83% | 1.4 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2017 | 24.7°C | 19.3°C | 14.0°C | 29.0°C | 4.6°C | 138 mm | 79% | 1.7 m/s | 6 |
| 2016 | 23.5°C | 18.3°C | 13.1°C | 29.4°C | 4.8°C | 103 mm | 80% | 1.6 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2015 | 25.1°C | 19.9°C | 14.7°C | 28.1°C | 4.8°C | 109 mm | 81% | 1.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2014 | 25.0°C | 19.8°C | 14.6°C | 28.8°C | 5.4°C | 66 mm | 80% | 1.6 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2013 | 23.4°C | 18.5°C | 13.6°C | 28.3°C | 4.3°C | 118 mm | 82% | 1.7 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2012 | 26.8°C | 21.4°C | 16.1°C | 32.0°C | 8.6°C | 98 mm | 77% | 1.2 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2011 | 23.9°C | 18.8°C | 13.6°C | 32.9°C | 3.5°C | 123 mm | 83% | 1.6 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2010 🌧️ | 25.3°C | 20.5°C | 15.7°C | 29.9°C | 5.1°C | 324 mm | 83% | 1.6 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2009 | 23.4°C | 18.7°C | 14.1°C | 27.4°C | 4.3°C | 219 mm | 85% | 1.6 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2008 | 23.9°C | 18.4°C | 12.8°C | 28.9°C | 5.7°C | 138 mm | 80% | 1.9 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2007 | 27.2°C | 20.9°C | 14.5°C | 31.6°C | 6.3°C | 59 mm | 67% | 1.4 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2006 | 24.0°C | 18.5°C | 13.1°C | 30.8°C | 5.8°C | 118 mm | 82% | 1.5 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2005 | 23.6°C | 17.6°C | 11.5°C | 29.5°C | 3.2°C | 27 mm | 76% | 1.4 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2004 | 25.6°C | 21.0°C | 16.4°C | 29.4°C | 4.7°C | 151 mm | 84% | 1.8 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2003 | 24.0°C | 19.4°C | 14.7°C | 28.1°C | 8.8°C | 226 mm | 85% | 2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2002 | 23.4°C | 17.8°C | 12.2°C | 28.9°C | 3.2°C | 125 mm | 80% | 1.9 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2001 | 25.1°C | 19.4°C | 13.7°C | 29.5°C | 8.0°C | 114 mm | 76% | 1.6 m/s | 6 |
| 2000 | 25.5°C | 20.0°C | 14.5°C | 29.1°C | 7.2°C | 123 mm | 79% | 1.9 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1999 | 24.7°C | 18.9°C | 13.2°C | 27.6°C | 8.4°C | 95 mm | 77% | 1.6 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1998 | 26.3°C | 21.1°C | 15.9°C | 30.9°C | 9.1°C | 109 mm | 81% | 1.5 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1997 ❄️ | 22.4°C | 16.6°C | 10.8°C | 28.1°C | 3.8°C | 154 mm | 78% | 1.9 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1996 | 25.5°C | 20.5°C | 15.6°C | 31.4°C | 5.7°C | 120 mm | 83% | 1.8 m/s | 6 |
| 1995 | 24.3°C | 19.2°C | 14.1°C | 28.1°C | 5.5°C | 170 mm | 81% | 1.7 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1994 | 22.6°C | 16.7°C | 10.8°C | 28.2°C | 4.2°C | 89 mm | 79% | 1.7 m/s | 6 |
| 1993 | 23.7°C | 18.6°C | 13.6°C | 28.1°C | 7.7°C | 126 mm | 81% | 1.5 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1992 | 23.1°C | 17.7°C | 12.4°C | 27.7°C | 4.0°C | 85 mm | 78% | 1.5 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1991 | 25.8°C | 21.5°C | 17.2°C | 29.8°C | 7.2°C | 183 mm | 85% | 1.4 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1990 | 22.8°C | 17.7°C | 12.6°C | 27.2°C | 6.2°C | 125 mm | 82% | 1.8 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1989 | 22.5°C | 16.9°C | 11.4°C | 29.7°C | 1.8°C | 131 mm | 79% | 1.9 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1988 | 24.7°C | 18.3°C | 11.9°C | 32.0°C | 6.0°C | 57 mm | 70% | 1.5 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1987 | 26.2°C | 21.2°C | 16.2°C | 29.6°C | 9.1°C | 74 mm | 81% | 1.2 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1986 | 25.7°C | 20.1°C | 14.4°C | 30.4°C | 2.8°C | 136 mm | 73% | 1.6 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1985 | 24.4°C | 19.0°C | 13.5°C | 29.7°C | 7.0°C | 82 mm | 80% | 1.7 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1984 | 22.5°C | 16.8°C | 11.1°C | 27.6°C | 4.7°C | 250 mm | 82% | 1.9 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1983 | 22.3°C | 17.1°C | 11.8°C | 26.0°C | 5.4°C | 300 mm | 83% | 2.1 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 25.8°C | 20.7°C | 15.6°C | 29.2°C | 8.4°C | 114 mm | 80% | 1.3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 23.0°C | 17.1°C | 11.2°C | 28.5°C | 5.1°C | 103 mm | 76% | 1.7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 24.5°C with lows near 13.9°C (mean 19.2°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 132 mm of rainfall in Nashville, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 324 mm in 2010.
The hottest May reached 32.9°C in 2011. The coldest dipped to 1.6°C in 2020.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 23.6°C to 24.7°C and overnight lows from 12.6°C to 14.5°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Nashville and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 24.5°C daytime highs and 13.9°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Nashville, averaging 19.2°C.
For May in Nashville, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 24.5°C and lows of 13.9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 80% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in May is 1.6 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 2.1 m/s (1983).
The wettest May on record was 2010 with 324 mm. On average, May sees 132 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 Nashville 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.
