Columbia weather in May: Columbia, South Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Columbia in May has a normal high of 84°F and a normal low of 61°F, a daily mean of 72°F, rising from 81°F on the 1st to 87°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal May, 3.49 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 29°C and low of 16°C, 89 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationColumbia Metropolitan Airport
- Station IDUSW00013883
- Location33.95°N 81.12°W
- Elevation231 ft (70 m)
- Population144,788
- Jan 57° 35°
- Feb 61° 37°
- Mar 68° 44°
- Apr 77° 52°
- May 84° 61°
- Jun 90° 69°
- Jul 93° 72°
- Aug 91° 71°
- Sep 86° 65°
- Oct 77° 53°
- Nov 66° 42°
- Dec 59° 37°
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 84°F and the normal low 61°F, for a daily mean of 72.2°F. May is 8.1°F warmer than April and 6.9°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Columbia and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 6°F, from 81°F on May 1 to 87°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 70°F and 75°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 33%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 81°F | 56°F | 27% | 17% |
| May 8 | 82°F | 58°F | 27% | 17% |
| May 15 | 84°F | 60°F | 28% | 18% |
| May 22 | 85°F | 62°F | 30% | 19% |
| May 31 | 87°F | 65°F | 33% | 22% |
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 | 81°F | 56°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 2 | 81°F | 56°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 3 | 81°F | 56°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 30 min |
| May 4 | 81°F | 57°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 5 | 82°F | 57°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 6 | 82°F | 57°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 7 | 82°F | 58°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 8 | 82°F | 58°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 9 | 83°F | 58°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 10 | 83°F | 59°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 83°F | 59°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 83°F | 59°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 13 | 83°F | 60°F | 27% | 17% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 14 | 84°F | 60°F | 27% | 18% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 15 | 84°F | 60°F | 28% | 18% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 16 | 84°F | 61°F | 28% | 18% | 14 h |
| May 17 | 84°F | 61°F | 28% | 18% | 14 h |
| May 18 | 84°F | 61°F | 28% | 19% | 14 h |
| May 19 | 84°F | 62°F | 29% | 19% | 14 h |
| May 20 | 85°F | 62°F | 29% | 19% | 14 h |
| May 21 | 85°F | 62°F | 29% | 19% | 14 h |
| May 22 | 85°F | 62°F | 30% | 19% | 14 h |
| May 23 | 85°F | 63°F | 30% | 20% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 24 | 85°F | 63°F | 30% | 20% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 25 | 86°F | 63°F | 31% | 20% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 26 | 86°F | 64°F | 31% | 20% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 27 | 86°F | 64°F | 31% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 28 | 86°F | 64°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 29 | 86°F | 65°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 30 | 87°F | 65°F | 32% | 21% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 31 | 87°F | 65°F | 33% | 22% | 14 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 84°FMay average
- Normal low
- 61°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 3.49 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 7
- Daylight
- 13 h 30 min to 14 h 10 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 30
- Days at 80°F or more
- 24
- Sunshine
- 80%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013883; 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 29% on average, highest around May 31 (33%). In all, 3.49 in falls on 9 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Columbia, 7 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013883.
How humid and windy is Columbia in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 85°F with 46% relative humidity and a dew point of 62°F; at 6 a.m. it is 67°F with 86% humidity. The wind averages 6.2 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 67°F | 63°F | 86% | 3.6 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 76°F | 64°F | 66% | 7.0 mph | 40% |
| noon | 83°F | 63°F | 50% | 8.1 mph | 24% |
| 3 p.m. | 85°F | 62°F | 46% | 9.0 mph | 17% |
| 6 p.m. | 83°F | 62°F | 50% | 8.7 mph | 29% |
| 9 p.m. | 76°F | 64°F | 68% | 5.1 mph | 44% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013883. 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 1887) is 101°F, on May 30, 1898; the coldest is 34°F, on May 2, 1963. The wettest May brought 9.39 in (2002).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 72.2°F: 2021 70.3°F (−1.9), 2022 74.7°F (+2.5), 2023 68.9°F (−3.3), 2024 74.4°F (+2.2), 2025 72.8°F (+0.6), 2026 72.3°F (+0.1). 4 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 70.3°F | −1.9°F | 2.64 in |
| 2022 | 74.7°F | +2.5°F | 2.92 in |
| 2023 | 68.9°F | −3.3°F | 4.95 in |
| 2024 | 74.4°F | +2.2°F | 5.10 in |
| 2025 | 72.8°F | +0.6°F | 8.81 in |
| 2026 | 72.3°F | +0.1°F | 5.27 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CAEthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013883. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Columbia compare across South Carolina?
Across the 73 places PlainClimate covers in South Carolina, May normal highs run from 70°F in Caesars Head to 86°F in Hampton; Columbia's is 84°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.