Olympia weather in May: Olympia, Washington: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Olympia in May has a normal high of 66°F and a normal low of 43°F, a daily mean of 55°F, rising from 63°F on the 1st to 68°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal May, 2.26 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 19°C and low of 6°C, 57 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationOlympia Airport
- Station IDUSW00024227
- Location46.97°N 122.90°W
- Elevation188 ft (57 m)
- Population56,271
- Jan 46° 33°
- Feb 49° 32°
- Mar 54° 35°
- Apr 59° 38°
- May 66° 43°
- Jun 71° 47°
- Jul 78° 51°
- Aug 78° 51°
- Sep 72° 46°
- Oct 60° 41°
- Nov 51° 36°
- Dec 45° 33°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Olympia in May?
The normal high is 66°F and the normal low 43°F, for a daily mean of 54.5°F. May is 6.3°F warmer than April and 4.6°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Olympia and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 5°F, from 63°F on May 1 to 68°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 2.4°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 52°F and 57°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 45%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 63°F | 40°F | 45% | 26% |
| May 8 | 65°F | 41°F | 41% | 23% |
| May 15 | 66°F | 43°F | 38% | 21% |
| May 22 | 67°F | 44°F | 36% | 20% |
| May 31 | 68°F | 46°F | 33% | 18% |
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 | 63°F | 40°F | 45% | 26% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 2 | 63°F | 40°F | 45% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 3 | 63°F | 40°F | 44% | 26% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 4 | 64°F | 41°F | 43% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 5 | 64°F | 41°F | 43% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 6 | 64°F | 41°F | 42% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 7 | 64°F | 41°F | 41% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 8 | 65°F | 41°F | 41% | 23% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 9 | 65°F | 42°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 10 | 65°F | 42°F | 40% | 23% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 11 | 65°F | 42°F | 39% | 22% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 12 | 66°F | 42°F | 39% | 22% | 14 h 50 min |
| May 13 | 66°F | 43°F | 39% | 22% | 15 h |
| May 14 | 66°F | 43°F | 38% | 21% | 15 h |
| May 15 | 66°F | 43°F | 38% | 21% | 15 h |
| May 16 | 66°F | 43°F | 38% | 21% | 15 h |
| May 17 | 67°F | 43°F | 37% | 21% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 18 | 67°F | 44°F | 37% | 21% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 19 | 67°F | 44°F | 37% | 20% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 20 | 67°F | 44°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 10 min |
| May 21 | 67°F | 44°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 22 | 67°F | 44°F | 36% | 20% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 23 | 68°F | 45°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 24 | 68°F | 45°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 25 | 68°F | 45°F | 35% | 19% | 15 h 20 min |
| May 26 | 68°F | 45°F | 34% | 19% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 27 | 68°F | 45°F | 34% | 19% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 28 | 68°F | 45°F | 34% | 19% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 29 | 68°F | 46°F | 34% | 18% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 30 | 68°F | 46°F | 33% | 18% | 15 h 30 min |
| May 31 | 68°F | 46°F | 33% | 18% | 15 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 66°FMay average
- Normal low
- 43°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 2.26 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 1
- Daylight
- 14 h 20 min to 15 h 30 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 10
- Days at 80°F or more
- 3
- Sunshine
- 66%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024227; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Olympia in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 38% on average, highest around May 1 (45%). In all, 2.26 in falls on 11 days of a normal May.
In a normal May in Olympia, 1 nights fall to freezing.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024227.
How humid and windy is Olympia in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 67°F with 50% relative humidity and a dew point of 48°F; at 6 a.m. it is 51°F with 89% humidity. The wind averages 5.6 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 51°F | 47°F | 89% | 3.6 mph | 39% |
| 9 a.m. | 58°F | 48°F | 70% | 6.0 mph | – |
| noon | 64°F | 48°F | 56% | 7.4 mph | 36% |
| 3 p.m. | 67°F | 48°F | 50% | 7.7 mph | 36% |
| 6 p.m. | 65°F | 47°F | 53% | 7.9 mph | 44% |
| 9 p.m. | 56°F | 47°F | 71% | 4.7 mph | 55% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024227. 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 Olympia?
The warmest May temperature on Olympia's official record (since 1948) is 96°F, on May 28, 1983; the coldest is 25°F, on May 1, 1954. The wettest May brought 5.83 in (1948).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 54.5°F: 2021 54.3°F (−0.2), 2022 51.1°F (−3.4), 2023 58.6°F (+4.1), 2024 53.7°F (−0.8), 2025 53.7°F (−0.8), 2026 56.1°F (+1.6). 2 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 54.3°F | −0.2°F | 1.81 in |
| 2022 | 51.1°F | −3.4°F | 4.33 in |
| 2023 | 58.6°F | +4.1°F | 0.59 in |
| 2024 | 53.7°F | −0.8°F | 1.38 in |
| 2025 | 53.7°F | −0.8°F | 0.96 in |
| 2026 | 56.1°F | +1.6°F | 1.56 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record OLMthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024227. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Olympia compare across Washington?
Across the 96 places PlainClimate covers in Washington, May normal highs run from 59°F in Long Beach to 77°F in Pasco; Olympia's is 66°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.