Charleston weather in May: Charleston, West Virginia: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Charleston in May has a normal high of 76°F and a normal low of 53°F, a daily mean of 65°F, rising from 74°F on the 1st to 79°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 14 days in a normal May, 4.93 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 25°C and low of 12°C, 125 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationCharleston - West Virginia International Yeager Airport
- Station IDUSW00013866
- Location38.38°N 81.59°W
- Elevation910 ft (277 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population46,482
- Jan 44° 26°
- Feb 48° 29°
- Mar 57° 35°
- Apr 69° 45°
- May 76° 53°
- Jun 83° 62°
- Jul 86° 66°
- Aug 85° 64°
- Sep 80° 57°
- Oct 69° 45°
- Nov 57° 36°
- Dec 48° 30°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Charleston in May?
The normal high is 76°F and the normal low 53°F, for a daily mean of 64.7°F. May is 7.8°F warmer than April and 7.6°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Charleston and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 5°F, from 74°F on May 1 to 79°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 61°F and 68°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 47%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 74°F | 49°F | 47% | 30% |
| May 8 | 75°F | 51°F | 47% | 30% |
| May 15 | 76°F | 53°F | 46% | 30% |
| May 22 | 77°F | 55°F | 44% | 29% |
| May 31 | 79°F | 57°F | 43% | 28% |
Every day of May: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon May 31, coldest night May 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 74°F | 49°F | 47% | 30% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 2 | 74°F | 50°F | 47% | 31% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 3 | 74°F | 50°F | 47% | 31% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 4 | 74°F | 50°F | 47% | 31% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 5 | 75°F | 50°F | 47% | 31% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 6 | 75°F | 51°F | 47% | 31% | 14 h |
| May 7 | 75°F | 51°F | 47% | 30% | 14 h |
| May 8 | 75°F | 51°F | 47% | 30% | 14 h |
| May 9 | 75°F | 51°F | 47% | 30% | 14 h |
| May 10 | 75°F | 52°F | 47% | 30% | 14 h |
| May 11 | 75°F | 52°F | 46% | 30% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 12 | 75°F | 52°F | 46% | 30% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 13 | 76°F | 52°F | 46% | 30% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 14 | 76°F | 53°F | 46% | 30% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 15 | 76°F | 53°F | 46% | 30% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 16 | 76°F | 53°F | 46% | 30% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 17 | 76°F | 53°F | 46% | 30% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 18 | 76°F | 54°F | 45% | 30% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 19 | 77°F | 54°F | 45% | 30% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 20 | 77°F | 54°F | 45% | 30% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 21 | 77°F | 55°F | 45% | 30% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 22 | 77°F | 55°F | 44% | 29% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 23 | 77°F | 55°F | 44% | 29% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 24 | 78°F | 55°F | 44% | 29% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 25 | 78°F | 56°F | 44% | 29% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 26 | 78°F | 56°F | 44% | 29% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 27 | 78°F | 56°F | 43% | 29% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 28 | 78°F | 56°F | 43% | 29% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 29 | 79°F | 57°F | 43% | 29% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 30 | 79°F | 57°F | 43% | 29% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 31 | 79°F | 57°F | 43% | 28% | 14 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 76°FMay average
- Normal low
- 53°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.93 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 140.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1
- Daylight
- 13 h 50 min to 14 h 40 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 23
- Days at 80°F or more
- 13
- Sunshine
- 71%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013866; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Charleston in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 45% on average, highest around May 1 (47%). In all, 4.93 in falls on 14 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Charleston, 1 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013866.
How humid and windy is Charleston in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 77°F with 52% relative humidity and a dew point of 58°F; at 6 a.m. it is 60°F with 92% humidity. The wind averages 3.7 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 60°F | 57°F | 92% | 2.0 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 68°F | 59°F | 73% | 4.1 mph | 39% |
| noon | 75°F | 59°F | 57% | 6.0 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 77°F | 58°F | 52% | 6.3 mph | 21% |
| 6 p.m. | 75°F | 58°F | 56% | 5.1 mph | 35% |
| 9 p.m. | 67°F | 60°F | 77% | 2.3 mph | 50% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013866. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for May in Charleston?
The warmest May temperature on Charleston's official record (since 1892) is 98°F, on May 10, 1930; the coldest is 26°F, on May 10, 1966. The wettest May brought 8.93 in (2020).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 64.7°F: 2021 61.7°F (−3.0), 2022 67.0°F (+2.3), 2023 62.1°F (−2.6), 2024 68.4°F (+3.7), 2025 63.5°F (−1.2), 2026 62.9°F (−1.8). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 61.7°F | −3.0°F | 3.00 in |
| 2022 | 67.0°F | +2.3°F | 5.35 in |
| 2023 | 62.1°F | −2.6°F | 3.56 in |
| 2024 | 68.4°F | +3.7°F | 4.49 in |
| 2025 | 63.5°F | −1.2°F | 5.62 in |
| 2026 | 62.9°F | −1.8°F | 2.64 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CRWthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013866. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Charleston compare across West Virginia?
Across the 63 places PlainClimate covers in West Virginia, May normal highs run from 64°F in Davis to 79°F in Logan; Charleston's is 76°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.