May Overview
- High temperature: 86°F (30°C)
- Low temperature: 76°F (24°C)
- Hours daylight/sun: 11 hours
- Water temperature: 81°F (0°C)
May days in Key West are characterized by hot temperatures and low precipitation levels. With an average of about seven to eight rainy days, humidity is slightly higher than in April, marking the start of the wet season. However, the air temperatures are increasing as well, ranging from 77°F (25°C) to 86°F (30°C). The water temperature is rising steadily, being about 81°F (27°C) on average. Key West visitors in May can enjoy around eleven hours of sunshine per day.
Fans of music should definitely pay a visit to Key West in May. For five days every May, the Key West Songwriters Festival is held, one of the largest songwriting events worldwide. The festival is a gathering of music fans, performers and locals from Key West, together enjoying concerts and shows at Key West’s beaches, boats, bars, theaters, and other popular places. Artists from pop, rock, blues, folk, and country music will delight music fans from all over the world! For your stay in Key West during May, you should also not miss out on the Key West Whiskey Festival. Resembling a food, drink and music festival, it offers a variety of whiskey-related activities, including tastings, workshops, and brunches. Don’t forget to take part in the whiskey walk along Key West’s streets.
Best Time to Visit Key West
As the area of Key West is characterized by traits of tropical climates, air and water temperatures remain typically warm throughout the whole year. However, the amount of rainfall shows significant monthly variations: From May through October, rainy days are very common with an average temperature of 84°F (29°C). This is the wet season. In the dry season however, days only have minimal rain but a lot of sunny and dry weather. The average temperature is slightly less than in the wet season at 74°F (23°C). Yet the range of monthly temperature averages only amounts to 15°F (8°C), implying that there are hardly any variations in temperature throughout the year. Taking the hurricane season into account as well, which occurs from June to November, the best time to pay a visit to Key West is from December to April. Accordingly, Key West has its highest visitor count in the months of December and January. During fall however, the numbers of visitors are at a minimum.
Days in Key West during the wet season (May through October) are characterized by rain and humidity. Heavy showers, especially during morning time, shortly followed by strong sunlight are typical. Precipitation reaches a peak in August through October being additionally affected by hurricanes and tropical thunderstorms at times. Visiting Key West during these months, rapidly changing weather conditions have to be expected.
Dry season (November through April) brings a lot of sunny days with low precipitation levels to Key West. Due to the dry climate, the average precipitation amounts to only 40 mm per year, causing Key West to be the driest place within Florida. While low rainfall is favorable for visits, the temperature at this time of the year can be somewhat cooler than in summer.
Due to changeable weather situations, it is highly recommended to keep an eye on local weather reports during your journey in Key West particularly to avoid major storms during hurricane season.