Columbia weather in May: Columbia, Missouri: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Columbia in May has a normal high of 76°F and a normal low of 56°F, a daily mean of 66°F, rising from 72°F on the 1st to 81°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 4.77 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 24°C and low of 13°C, 121 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationColumbia Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00003945
- Location38.82°N 92.22°W
- Elevation893 ft (272 m)
- From the center11 miles
- Population130,900
- Jan 40° 23°
- Feb 45° 26°
- Mar 56° 36°
- Apr 67° 46°
- May 76° 56°
- Jun 85° 65°
- Jul 89° 69°
- Aug 88° 67°
- Sep 80° 58°
- Oct 68° 47°
- Nov 55° 36°
- Dec 44° 27°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Columbia in May?
The normal high is 76°F and the normal low 56°F, for a daily mean of 65.8°F. May is 9.4°F warmer than April and 8.8°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Columbia and the 2nd wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 9°F, from 72°F on May 1 to 81°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 63°F and 69°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 41%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 72°F | 51°F | 41% | 27% |
| May 8 | 74°F | 53°F | 41% | 27% |
| May 15 | 76°F | 55°F | 40% | 26% |
| May 22 | 78°F | 58°F | 39% | 25% |
| May 31 | 81°F | 61°F | 37% | 23% |
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 | 72°F | 51°F | 41% | 27% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 2 | 72°F | 51°F | 41% | 27% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 3 | 72°F | 51°F | 41% | 27% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 4 | 72°F | 52°F | 41% | 27% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 5 | 73°F | 52°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 6 | 73°F | 52°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 7 | 73°F | 53°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 8 | 74°F | 53°F | 41% | 27% | 14 h |
| May 9 | 74°F | 53°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h |
| May 10 | 74°F | 54°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 11 | 74°F | 54°F | 41% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 12 | 75°F | 54°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 13 | 75°F | 55°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 14 | 75°F | 55°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 15 | 76°F | 55°F | 40% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 16 | 76°F | 56°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 17 | 76°F | 56°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 18 | 76°F | 56°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 19 | 77°F | 57°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 20 | 77°F | 57°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 21 | 77°F | 57°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 22 | 78°F | 58°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 23 | 78°F | 58°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 24 | 78°F | 58°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 25 | 79°F | 59°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 26 | 79°F | 59°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 27 | 79°F | 59°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 28 | 80°F | 60°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 29 | 80°F | 60°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 30 | 80°F | 60°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 31 | 81°F | 61°F | 37% | 23% | 14 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 76°FMay average
- Normal low
- 56°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.77 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 130.01 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
- 11
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00003945; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Columbia in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 40% on average, highest around May 3 (41%). In all, 4.77 in falls on 13 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Columbia, 1 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00003945.
How humid and windy is Columbia in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 77°F with 56% relative humidity and a dew point of 60°F; at 6 a.m. it is 62°F with 87% humidity. The wind averages 8.5 mph, most often from the south-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 62°F | 59°F | 87% | 7.1 mph | 56% |
| 9 a.m. | 70°F | 60°F | 70% | 9.8 mph | 54% |
| noon | 76°F | 61°F | 60% | 10.6 mph | 48% |
| 3 p.m. | 77°F | 60°F | 56% | 10.5 mph | 48% |
| 6 p.m. | 75°F | 61°F | 62% | 8.8 mph | 59% |
| 9 p.m. | 68°F | 60°F | 77% | 6.8 mph | 65% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00003945. 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 Columbia?
The warmest May temperature on Columbia's official record (since 1889) is 101°F, on May 31, 1934; the coldest is 28°F, on May 4, 1907. The wettest May brought 13.34 in (1943).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 65.8°F: 2021 63.9°F (−1.9), 2022 67.4°F (+1.6), 2023 68.2°F (+2.4), 2024 69.0°F (+3.2), 2025 63.3°F (−2.5), 2026 64.3°F (−1.5). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 63.9°F | −1.9°F | 6.17 in |
| 2022 | 67.4°F | +1.6°F | 5.11 in |
| 2023 | 68.2°F | +2.4°F | 3.94 in |
| 2024 | 69.0°F | +3.2°F | 5.05 in |
| 2025 | 63.3°F | −2.5°F | 2.46 in |
| 2026 | 64.3°F | −1.5°F | 8.35 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record COUthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00003945. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Columbia compare across Missouri?
Across the 134 places PlainClimate covers in Missouri, May normal highs run from 71°F in Green City to 81°F in Malden; Columbia's is 76°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.