Weather in Boston in May
May in Boston is mild enough that walking is the default. This is a city-break month more than a sea-holiday month.
In United States, this is how Boston actually wears May, not how a country centroid would. Compared with July and January, May sits in the middle of Boston's year.
- Average temp
- 15°C
10–19°C
- Rainfall
- 83 mm
Showers likely
- Sunshine
- 7.4 h
hours per day
- Wind
- 18 km/h
What to expect
Daytime
Mild afternoons in Boston are the prize in May. You can eat outside on the good days. You still want something for the breeze.
This is walking weather. Shade is useful, not essential the way it is in the hot months. A long outdoor day is a reasonable plan.
Rain
May is on the drier side of the year in Boston. Showers are possible. They do not define the month.
A shell that lives in the bag is enough. This is not March, and it should not be packed as if it were.
Evening
Evenings are cooler. A layer helps after sunset.
What to pack
Sun protection
Rain jacket
A layer for cooler evenings
Where to stay in Boston
Dates are a starting point for May.
Travel guides for Boston
What to read before you book.
Average weather in Boston
TemperatureRainfall
Similar weather in May
Other destinations whose May averages sit close to this one.
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FAQs about Boston
Climate averages for Boston, 1991–2020.
The best time to visit Boston is between May and October, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.
July is the hottest month, with an average around 24°C.
December is the wettest month, with about 107 mm of rain.
No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.
