FORT LAUDERDALE · MAY · THE MONTH GUIDE
May is the month Fort Lauderdale crosses from its dry season into its wet one. Highs average 85.8°F at the official airport gauge, the sea surface averages 83.1°F on its daily peak, and measurable rain falls on roughly one day in four. The Atlantic hurricane season is still ahead of you. It opens June 1.
You have picked the city, so we stick to the date: what May adds over April, what it gives up before June, and whether four weeks either way would suit your trip better. The answers lean on NOAA’s official normals, an ocean record for the water, and three state parks that Florida counts down to the parking space.
MAY AT A GLANCE · FORT LAUDERDALE
Go in May for 83.1°F water and dates outside hurricane season, and plan beach mornings around a rain day roughly one in four.
WET SEASON OPENS · OUTSIDE HURRICANE SEASON · SEA 83.1°F
Go for: warm-water swimming, paddling at Hugh Taylor Birch and Oleta River, and long evenings with sunset at 8:01 p.m. on May 15.
Think twice before: landing on a cruise turnover day or counting on dry skies: an average May brings 5.56 inches of rain.
Climate: NOAA NCEI station USW00012849 · Sea: Open-Meteo Marine API · Parks: Florida DEP · full sources at the end
On this page
- Fort Lauderdale weather in May85.8°F highs and 7.4 rain days
- Sea temperature and swimming in May83.1°F water at the daily peak
- Hotel crowds and taxes in MayCruise turnover days and the 6.0% county tax
- State parks to visit in MayVon D. Mizell-Eula Johnson, Hugh Taylor Birch, Oleta River
- Two days in Fort Lauderdale in MayDay one from the 6:32 a.m. sunrise
- May vs April and JuneHighs of 82.9, 85.8 and 88.4°F
- Is May a good month to go?Who should book May and who should pick April
Whatever stays the same all year lives in our state guides: neighborhoods in where to stay in Florida, airports and routes in our Florida flights guide, and the twelve-month picture in the best time to visit Florida.
Fort Lauderdale weather in May: average highs, lows and rain days
| May normal | Value |
|---|---|
| Average high | 85.8°F |
| Average low | 73.5°F |
| Precipitation | 5.56 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 7.4 |
| Days with 1 in or more | 1.9 |
| Sea surface (mean of daily maxima, 2015-2024) | 83.1°F |
| Daylight on May 15 | 13 h 29 min |
| Sunrise / sunset on May 15 | 6:32 a.m. / 8:01 p.m. EDT |
Every figure here for air and rain comes from one thermometer: NOAA station USW00012849 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, averaged over 1991-2020 by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. That makes it an official station normal rather than a reanalysis grid cell, and the gauge sits about three miles inland from the sand. May there averages a high of 85.8°F, a low of 73.5°F and 5.56 inches of rain. Conditions on the beach itself can differ a little from the airport’s, so read the numbers as a close guide to the coast.
Measurable rain, 0.10 inch or more, falls on 7.4 days of an average May, about one day in four. Only 1.9 days bring an inch or more, so a real soaking comes around twice a month and the other wet days are lighter. Florida’s wet season runs May through October, and our state overview describes its near-daily afternoon thunderstorms. Put the beach in the morning and keep a museum or a long lunch in reserve for the afternoon.
The average high and low sit 12.3°F apart, and a 73.5°F low means evenings need nothing heavier than a light shirt. Pack for heat at both ends of the day: breathable clothes, a hat, reef-safe sunscreen and a compact umbrella. The only chill you meet will be air conditioning, so one thin long-sleeve layer for restaurants and the flight home is the warm item to bring.
On May 15 the sun rises at 6:32 a.m. and sets at 8:01 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, for about 13 hours 29 minutes of daylight. An early dinner still leaves an hour of beach light, and the softest glow starts around 7 p.m.
Fort Lauderdale sea temperature in May: can you swim?
The sea surface off Fort Lauderdale averages 83.1°F in May, according to the Open-Meteo Marine API over 2015-2024. That value is the mean of each day’s maximum, so it runs a shade warmer than a 24-hour average, and early-morning water sits a little below it. The source and period also differ from the air normals, which come from NOAA’s airport station over 1991-2020.
At 83.1°F you can wade straight in, and long swims or snorkel sessions stay comfortable. The water runs 3.4°F warmer than April’s 79.7°F. Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park and Hugh Taylor Birch State Park each keep one designated swimming area, counted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
We found no wind or swell record for May off Fort Lauderdale, so we give no wave height and call no week calm. Check the beach flag and the National Weather Service marine forecast on the morning you swim.
How busy is Fort Lauderdale in May? Crowds and prices
May falls after Florida’s dry season, November through April, and before hurricane season opens on June 1. Our Florida overview counts May among the state’s quiet bargain months, alongside early December. We found no Fort Lauderdale hotel-rate or occupancy series, so we crown no month the cheapest.
Port Everglades handled over 4.7 million cruise passengers in fiscal 2025. As a homeport, it starts and ends voyages here, so the airport and the beach hotels fill on the same two days of the week. FLL itself boarded 17,096,131 passengers in 2024, enough for the FAA to class it a large hub. We could not verify a typical booking lead time, so we suggest none; look up the embarkation days at Port Everglades before you fix your dates.
Broward County levies a 6.0% transient rental tax on stays, filed and paid together with Florida’s 6% state sales tax. Together those two lines add 12% to a room rate. We did not check any further local surtax, so treat 12% as the minimum.
If one line deserves extra money in May, make it a room on the beach. On the 7.4 wet days, a storm break then costs an elevator ride, and you are back on the sand the moment it clears. Resort fees and parking often come with these properties, as our Florida overview warns, so price the full nightly total.
Things to do in Fort Lauderdale in May
May pairs sea water at 83.1°F with nearly 13 and a half hours of daylight, all before hurricane season begins June 1. April’s sea runs 79.7°F, and June arrives with 10.5 wet days. The month suits long days in the state parks: sand and swimming early, trails and paddling when the clouds build.
Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park holds 2.2 miles of beach, one designated swimming area, 2.6 miles of hiking trail and 4,531 feet of boardwalk, with 1,410 parking spaces. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is smaller: 0.1 mile of beach, one swimming area, 0.3 mile of trail and a canoe, kayak and tube launch, with 275 spaces. On the bay side, Oleta River State Park adds two paddle launches, 925 spaces and 14 cabins, so you can sleep in a state park without leaving the metropolitan area. All counts come from the Florida DEP’s 2024 facilities inventory.
The sand and the boardwalk look the same in any month. May changes the air around them: at an average high of 85.8°F, the 2.6-mile trail at Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson makes a good early walk, and midday is for the swimming area. By June the high reaches 88.4°F and wet days climb to 10.5, pushing a paddle at Hugh Taylor Birch or Oleta even earlier in the day.
We could not read park entrance fees or opening hours, so we call no park free and give no gate time; check Florida State Parks before you go. Beyond the three state parks, Broward County runs more than 50 regional parks, nature centers and natural areas, plenty of options for an afternoon cut short by rain.
Fort Lauderdale in May: a two-day itinerary
Day one starts with the 6:32 a.m. sunrise. Reach Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park by 8, walk the boardwalk and part of the trail before 10, then swim in the designated area. Lunch and the midday heat go indoors. Around 4, head to Hugh Taylor Birch for a paddle from its launch, and stay out until sunset at 8:01 p.m.
Day two heads south to Oleta River State Park and its two paddle launches, or stays local on Broward County Transit: a ride costs $2.00, and an All Day Pass is $5.00, bought on the bus. If the afternoon turns stormy, as it does on some of May’s 7.4 wet days, swap the paddle for a county nature center and move the beach to the next morning. Our 7-day Florida itinerary folds the city into a longer trip.
Fort Lauderdale in May vs April and June
| Normal | April | May | June |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 82.9°F | 85.8°F | 88.4°F |
| Average low | 69.9°F | 73.5°F | 76.6°F |
| Precipitation | 3.02 in | 5.56 in | 9.55 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 4.1 | 7.4 | 10.5 |
| Sea surface (Open-Meteo, daily maxima) | 79.7°F | 83.1°F | 85.4°F |
| Hurricane season | No | No | Opens June 1 |
At the NOAA station, the average high climbs from 82.9°F in April to 85.8°F in May and 88.4°F in June, and the low rises from 69.9°F to 73.5°F to 76.6°F. Rain grows faster: 3.02 inches, then 5.56, then 9.55, with measurable-rain days going from 4.1 to 7.4 to 10.5. The sea, from the Open-Meteo Marine API’s daily maxima, runs 79.7°F, 83.1°F and 85.4°F.
Moving four weeks earlier into April gives you afternoons 2.9°F cooler and 3.3 fewer wet days, at the cost of water 3.4°F cooler. Moving four weeks later into June adds 2.3°F of sea warmth but brings 3.99 more inches of rain and the first days of hurricane season, which opens June 1. Each neighbor month has its own guide: Fort Lauderdale in April and Fort Lauderdale in June.
Is May a good time to visit Fort Lauderdale?
Yes for swimmers, paddlers and anyone who wants warm water on dates outside hurricane season. Less so for travelers who need dry weather or plan long midday hikes: wet days nearly double from April’s 4.1 to 7.4, and highs average 85.8°F.
If May sounds too wet or too warm, take April: highs of 82.9°F, 3.02 inches of rain over 4.1 measurable days, and a sea at 79.7°F. June suits only travelers who want the warmest water of the three and accept 9.55 inches of rain with the start of storm season.
Of the three months, May is the one where the sea tops 83°F while the calendar still sits outside hurricane season.
The last word
Settle the week before the hotel: keep your arrival off the Port Everglades turnover days, book a room close to the sand, and swim before the clouds stack up. Staying seven nights without a car? Broward County Transit’s 7-day pass costs $20.00, a $15 saving on seven All Day Passes at $5.00 each.
Sources & data for this guide
- May, April and June air normals, rain and wet days · NOAA NCEI monthly normals 1991-2020, station USW00012849 (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Station identity and inland position · NOAA NCEI Search service, station “FT LAUDERDALE HOLLYWOOD AP” · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Sea surface temperature, April to June · Open-Meteo Marine API, mean of daily maxima 2015-2024 · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Daylight, sunrise and sunset on May 15 · sunrise-sunset.org, converted from UTC to Eastern Daylight Time · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Hurricane season dates · NOAA National Hurricane Center · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Broward transient rental tax · Florida Department of Revenue, form DR-15TDT · checked Sep 24, 2026 · we did not verify any further local surtax
- State park counts · Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Recreational Facilities Inventory 2024 · checked Sep 24, 2026
- FLL boardings · Federal Aviation Administration, CY2024 · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Cruise passengers and homeport pattern · Broward County, Port Everglades · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Bus fares and passes · Broward County Transit, fares page · checked Sep 24, 2026
- County park count · Broward County Parks and Recreation · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Park entrance fees, opening hours, wind and swell · we could not read them from our sources as of Sep 11, 2026 · check operators when you book
To plan your stay
- Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale: Three State Parks, 14 Cabins and $2.00 Bus Fares
- Best Time to Visit Fort Lauderdale: Weather, Sea Temperature and the Quiet Months
- Fort Lauderdale in April: Weather, Sea Temperature, Crowds and Things to Do
- Fort Lauderdale in June: Weather, Sea Temperature, Rain Days and Crowds