Weather in Boston in May 2025
Average weather
Average temperature in Boston in May
The temperature in May is +72°F on average, with a range between a maximum of +86°F during the day and a minimum of +39°F at night.
The average maximum temperature goes up 38% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +63°F to +81°F.
Is Boston warm or cold in May?
Boston is typically mild in May.
Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +55°F to +66°F. The minimum temperature also goes up from +41°F to +50°F.
Pack a light jacket as it will be warm in the day and cool in the evenings.
Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Boston:
Water temperature in Boston in May
Water in Boston in May is Cold. It varies from +43°F to +52°F, with an average of +47°F. The air temperature averaging +66°F is higher than the water temperature.
In May, water temperatures are average relative to the rest of the year:
Can you swim in Boston in May?
Climate in Boston in May
| April | May | June | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +55°F | +66°F | +75°F | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| +18°F | +34°F | +45°F | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +88°F | +95°F | +97°F | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 104 mm | 99 mm | 113 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 4 m/s | 4 m/s | 3 m/s | ||||
| Avg. water temperature | ||||||
| +42°F | +47°F | +57°F | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 63% | 67% | 69% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1014 HPa | 1014 HPa | 1013 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | 3 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | 11 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 15 | 16 | 14 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
May often has better weather than April. It’s getting warmer as May arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +55°F to +66°F during the day. As May arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 104 mm to 99 mm. Humidity rises from 63% to 67%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during May, staying around 4 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 4 sunny days during the month.
June brings much the same weather, it remains good.
Wind
The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 8 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Boston is gradually decreasing during May, going from 8 m/s to 2 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
How was the weather last May in Boston?
Climate Change Over the Years
The climate in Boston in May has not changed that much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1992 (+57°F) and the highest in 2022 (+62°F). The driest year was 2016 with only 702 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2021 with 2022 mm.
FAQ
Is May a good time to visit Boston?
Can you sunbathe in Boston in May?
Can you swim in Boston in May?
Is Boston rainy in May?
Is it sunny in Boston in May?
Other cities in USA
Monthly weather in Boston
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Boston, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.