Best time to visit Cape May

The best time to visit Cape May is May–June, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.

Cape May, New Jersey, United States

°C

mm

−10°0°10°20°30°40°
0100200300400500
  • Average daily high and low
  • Precipitation
  • Good month
  • Best month
  • Made good or best by an event
Average daily high and low temperature, average precipitation and each month's verdict
MonthAverage daily highAverage daily lowPrecipitationVerdict
January5.4 °C / 42 °F1 °C / 34 °F91 mm / 3.6 inneither best nor good
February5.9 °C / 43 °F1.4 °C / 35 °F94 mm / 3.7 inneither best nor good
March9.1 °C / 48 °F4.6 °C / 40 °F108 mm / 4.3 inneither best nor good
April13.9 °C / 57 °F9.7 °C / 49 °F94 mm / 3.7 ingood month
May18.4 °C / 65 °F14.7 °C / 58 °F89 mm / 3.5 inbest month
June23.6 °C / 74 °F20.2 °C / 68 °F78 mm / 3.1 inbest month
July26.6 °C / 80 °F23.5 °C / 74 °F89 mm / 3.5 ingood month
August25.9 °C / 79 °F23 °C / 73 °F94 mm / 3.7 ingood month
September23.2 °C / 74 °F20.2 °C / 68 °F90 mm / 3.5 ingood month
October18.4 °C / 65 °F14.8 °C / 59 °F123 mm / 4.8 ingood month
November12.6 °C / 55 °F8.6 °C / 47 °F84 mm / 3.3 ingood month
December8.3 °C / 47 °F4.2 °C / 40 °F119 mm / 4.7 inneither best nor good
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen

Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:

  • Daytime highs
  • Night-time lows
  • How warm it feels
  • Humidity
  • How much of the day is sunny
  • Hours of daylight
  • Monthly rainfall
  • How many days it rains
  • Days of heavy rain
  • Wind
  • Snowfall and days with snow
  • Major events, such as festivals

The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.

The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.

Best months by activity

Exploring outdoors

Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.

  1. JJanuary: neither
  2. FFebruary: neither
  3. MMarch: neither
  4. AApril: good
  5. MMay: best
  6. JJune: best
  7. JJuly: good
  8. AAugust: good
  9. SSeptember: good
  10. OOctober: good
  11. NNovember: good
  12. DDecember: neither
Best
May–June
Good
April, July–November
Why these months
  • April · good

    In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 75%, precipitation 94 mm / 3.7 in, average daily high 13.9 °C / 57 °F, wet days 9.6 days, days with heavy rain 3.1 days, average daily low 9.7 °C / 49 °F, relative humidity 72%.

    Against: feels like (high) 11.7 °C / 53 °F.

  • May · best

    In its favour: feels like (high) 18.4 °C / 65 °F, average daily high 18.4 °C / 65 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 77%, precipitation 89 mm / 3.5 in, days with heavy rain 2.8 days, wet days 9.8 days, average daily low 14.7 °C / 58 °F.

    Against: relative humidity 78%.

  • June · best

    In its favour: feels like (high) 25.8 °C / 78 °F, average daily high 23.6 °C / 74 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 81%, precipitation 78 mm / 3.1 in, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, wet days 9.6 days, average daily low 20.2 °C / 68 °F.

    Against: relative humidity 79%.

  • July · good

    In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 85%, average daily high 26.6 °C / 80 °F, precipitation 89 mm / 3.5 in, days with heavy rain 3 days, wet days 9.8 days.

    Against: feels like (high) 30.7 °C / 87 °F, average daily low 23.5 °C / 74 °F, relative humidity 80%.

  • August · good

    In its favour: feels like (high) 29.2 °C / 85 °F, average daily high 25.9 °C / 79 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, precipitation 94 mm / 3.7 in, days with heavy rain 2.9 days, wet days 9.3 days.

    Against: average daily low 23 °C / 73 °F, relative humidity 78%.

  • September · good

    In its favour: feels like (high) 24.6 °C / 76 °F, average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 77%, precipitation 90 mm / 3.5 in, days with heavy rain 2.8 days, wet days 9.2 days, average daily low 20.2 °C / 68 °F.

    Against: relative humidity 77%.

  • October · good

    In its favour: feels like (high) 17.1 °C / 63 °F, average daily high 18.4 °C / 65 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 76%, wet days 8.4 days, precipitation 123 mm / 4.8 in, average daily low 14.8 °C / 59 °F, days with heavy rain 3.8 days, relative humidity 73%.

  • November · good

    In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 73%, precipitation 84 mm / 3.3 in, wet days 8.3 days, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, average daily low 8.6 °C / 47 °F, relative humidity 70%.

    Against: feels like (high) 9.4 °C / 49 °F, average daily high 12.6 °C / 55 °F.

Beach and swimming

Hot, dry and sunny. Penalises the monsoon hard.

  1. JJanuary: neither
  2. FFebruary: neither
  3. MMarch: neither
  4. AApril: neither
  5. MMay: neither
  6. JJune: good
  7. JJuly: good
  8. AAugust: good
  9. SSeptember: neither
  10. OOctober: neither
  11. NNovember: neither
  12. DDecember: neither
Good
June–August
Why these months
  • June · good

    In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 81%, precipitation 78 mm / 3.1 in, feels like (high) 25.8 °C / 78 °F, average daily high 23.6 °C / 74 °F, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, average daily low 20.2 °C / 68 °F, wind (daily max) 23 km/h / 14 mph.

    Against: wet days 9.6 days.

  • July · good

    In its favour: average daily high 26.6 °C / 80 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, feels like (high) 30.7 °C / 87 °F, precipitation 89 mm / 3.5 in, days with heavy rain 3 days, average daily low 23.5 °C / 74 °F, wind (daily max) 21 km/h / 13 mph.

    Against: wet days 9.8 days.

  • August · good

    In its favour: average daily high 25.9 °C / 79 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, feels like (high) 29.2 °C / 85 °F, precipitation 94 mm / 3.7 in, days with heavy rain 2.9 days, average daily low 23 °C / 73 °F, wind (daily max) 21 km/h / 13 mph.

    Against: wet days 9.3 days.

An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Blue Mountain Resort, 215 km away.

Weather averages

Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.

  JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Feels like (high) 0.7 °C1.4 °C5.3 °C11.7 °C18.4 °C25.8 °C30.7 °C29.2 °C24.6 °C17.1 °C9.4 °C4.3 °C
Days with heavy rain 3.1 days3.6 days3.6 days3.1 days2.8 days2.6 days3 days2.9 days2.8 days3.8 days2.6 days4 days
Time rain usually falls 1 am1 pm10 am11 am5 am6 pm3 am9 am5 pm5 pm3 pm5 pm
Sunshine per day 7 h7.5 h8.7 h10 h11 h12 h12.4 h11.3 h9.6 h8.4 h7.4 h6.2 h
Relative humidity 70%70%70%72%78%79%80%78%77%73%70%72%

Sea temperature

Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above.

  JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sea temperature 2022–20254.3 °C4.9 °C7.3 °C11.8 °C16.8 °C21.4 °C25.5 °C24.5 °C23.2 °C18.6 °C12.8 °C6.9 °C
Sea temperature (daily max) 2022–20254.4 °C5.1 °C7.6 °C12 °C17.2 °C21.9 °C26 °C24.9 °C23.5 °C18.8 °C13 °C7.2 °C
  • Very cold 10 °C or less
  • Cold 10 to 15 °C
  • Cool 15 to 20 °C
  • Comfortable 20 to 25 °C
  • Warm 25 to 28 °C
  • Very warm over 28 °C

The words describe how the water feels to swim in. They are ours, not an official standard.

Air quality

Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.

  JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–20259.2 µg/m³11.1 µg/m³12 µg/m³13.6 µg/m³14.2 µg/m³17.8 µg/m³14.4 µg/m³14.1 µg/m³11.4 µg/m³9.1 µg/m³8.5 µg/m³8.1 µg/m³
Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–202514.7 µg/m³16.7 µg/m³17.9 µg/m³19.4 µg/m³20.5 µg/m³25.7 µg/m³19.9 µg/m³20.1 µg/m³15.9 µg/m³13.1 µg/m³12.8 µg/m³12.4 µg/m³
  • Good 15 µg/m³ or less
  • Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
  • Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
  • Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
  • Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
  • Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³

Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.

Other places in United States

Compare places month by month on the travel calendar

Monthly averages over 2006–2025, unless stated otherwise.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC-BY 4.0), generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information (ERA5). City data from GeoNames (CC-BY 4.0). Air quality from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and sea temperature from Météo-France / Copernicus Marine, both via Open-Meteo.com. Coastline from Natural Earth. Ski areas from OpenSkiMap.org, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Skimap.org. World Heritage sites from Wikidata (CC0), from the World Heritage List © UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Readership from Wikimedia pageview data (CC0). Destination classification derived from English Wikivoyage, © Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).