Lowcountry Almanac: May 2026

Steady warmth, long evenings, a bounty of garden produce and the best day to go fishing: here’s everything you can expect in Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Beaufort this month.

Story by Bailey Gilliam

May might be the Lowcountry’s best month, though locals rarely say it out loud. Tucked between the spring break and Heritage crowds of early spring and the rush of summer, it’s when everything feels just right. Warm, breezy days invite bike rides, wildlife-filled wanders and that first long-awaited dip in the ocean. With guidance from the 2026 Old Farmer’s Almanac and Grow Great Vegetables South Carolina, this month’s almanac helps you make the most of nature’s peak.

Weather predictions

May brings steady warmth, longer stretches of sun and the first real taste of humidity, balanced by passing showers.

Average temperature: 72 degrees
Rainfall: 5 inches (about 1 inch above average)

Forecast by week

• May 1-10: Scattered thunderstorms, then sunny and cooler
• May 11-14: Rainy and cool
• May 15-18: Sunny and warming
• May 19-31: Hot with scattered afternoon storms

Night & day

Daylight takes center stage this month, with evenings that seem to stretch forever.

Sunrise: 6:17-6:36 a.m.
Sunset: 8:03-8:24 p.m.

Astronomical events

Clear skies and warming nights make May ideal for stargazing.

• May 1: Full “Flower Moon,” named for the season’s peak blooms
• May 2: Asteroid Vesta will be at its brightest and most visible of the year
• May 6-7: Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks, producing fast-moving meteors from debris left by Halley’s comet
• May 16: The first of two Super New Moons in 2026, where the moon is closest to Earth May 31: Blue moon, the second full moon of the month, a rare break from the usual lunar cycle

Tides & currents

Life here follows the water. Follow the latest tide and current predictions from NOAA, and plan your days accordingly.

In the garden

May is go-time in the Lowcountry garden. Warm soil and long days mean everything grows fast, including what you didn’t plant.

Prep

Plan ahead for fall crops, stake or cage tomatoes and peppers, weed weekly, and protect ripening blueberries with netting.

Plant

The season is wide open.

Outdoors: Sow beans, corn, carrots, radishes, peanuts, edamame, limas, cowpeas, asparagus beans, melons, cucumbers, squash and zucchini. Transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes and melons.
Indoors: Take a well-earned break.

Harvest

Expect a generous mix of late spring and early summer produce, including asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, chard, cherries, collards, garlic scapes, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, peas, radishes, rhubarb, scallions, spinach, squash, strawberries, turnips and zucchini.