May in Nova Scotia. Cold? Buggy?

February 2, 2012 1:55 PM

May in Nova Scotia. Cold? Buggy? Wet?

We're going to be in Maine and Nova Scotia for the first two weeks of May. What kind of weather can I expect?

I can find numbers online, but I am looking for more subjective assessments. Would it be crazy to go camping? Are bugs an issue at this time of year? Will I find that many things are not yet open for the season?

I've seen the other NS threads but am particularly interested in opinions about the weather in early May.

posted by gyusan to travel & transportation around Nova Scotia (7 answers total)

This year's been really wonky (read: warm and wet), so it's hard to say, but early May in Nova Scotia is still pretty solidly spring, rather than summer. It might be warm and lovely, but make sure you have things for cooler weather just in case. It has snowed in May before, but it's not common. Also, always be prepared for wet.

Things should be opening up around that time; May 15 is when the touristy stuff is pretty much guaranteed to be open.
posted by platypus of the universe at 2:17 PM on February 2

Where will you be in Nova Scotia?

May is a fairly wet and a moderately cold season; average temperature in may is around 11 C (50ish F) and at night it will feel colder due to all of the moisture. I camp 10 months a year, but that's primarily overnight that time of year.

Bugs are not an issue yet. In terms of things being open, May 24 weekend is generally the opening for a lot of things so if you aim for the back end of the month, you should be fine. A lot of stuff is open year round, however.
posted by Rodrigo Lamaitre at 2:20 PM on February 2

Where in Maine? That state is deceptively large with a huge north-south distance and as a consequence a significant climate variation. Also proximity to the ocean matters a lot. In spring, inland locations will be much warmer during the day compared to exposed coastal locations (like Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park). Regardless, the black flies will probably be very bad at that time of year, so bring bug dope.
posted by Seymour Zamboni at 2:49 PM on February 2

May in NS is quite pleasant. Not hot, but pleasant. Be prepared for rain. Don't worry about bugs.
posted by fso at 2:55 PM on February 2

Where will you be in Nova Scotia?

We're driving up though NB and then up to Cape Breton Island. Return via Halifax, Shelburne and the Digby ferry. Or something like that.
posted by gyusan at 3:03 PM on February 2

May in NS is pleasant-ish, for NS. People often don't plant gardens until after the May 24 weekend because of the frost risk (also occasionally snowstorms). That doesn't stop people from camping but it could snow, and it is almost guaranteed to be damp. If you're unlucky, it'll rain for days. If you're luckier, fog, haze, or mist. If it isn't damp, buy a lottery ticket.

Honestly, May isn't NS's best month but at least it's not February. And the cool weather means the bugs aren't out yet (hopefully).

There are a lot of pubs to warm up in if necessary. And yes, a lot of tourist attractions won't be open. Usually things open the May 24th weekend.
posted by hydrobatidae at 4:14 PM on February 2

Don't go camping in May. Too cold. We camped for one night the first week in May in Cape Breton and nearly froze to death. Also, everything was closed because tourist season hadn't started yet. I'd recommend booking your accomodation ahead.
posted by Dasein at 3:37 PM on February 4