Richmond weather in May: Richmond, Virginia: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Richmond in May has a normal high of 78°F and a normal low of 56°F, a daily mean of 67°F, rising from 75°F on the 1st to 81°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal May, 4.00 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 25°C and low of 13°C, 102 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationRichmond International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013740
- Location37.51°N 77.32°W
- Elevation164 ft (50 m)
- From the center9 miles
- Population233,655
- Jan 48° 29°
- Feb 52° 30°
- Mar 60° 37°
- Apr 70° 46°
- May 78° 56°
- Jun 86° 65°
- Jul 90° 69°
- Aug 88° 68°
- Sep 81° 61°
- Oct 71° 49°
- Nov 60° 39°
- Dec 52° 32°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Richmond in May?
The normal high is 78°F and the normal low 56°F, for a daily mean of 66.7°F. May is 8.3°F warmer than April and 8.3°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Richmond and the 5th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 6°F, from 75°F on May 1 to 81°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 64°F and 70°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 37%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 75°F | 51°F | 37% | 24% |
| May 8 | 76°F | 53°F | 37% | 24% |
| May 15 | 78°F | 55°F | 36% | 23% |
| May 22 | 79°F | 57°F | 36% | 23% |
| May 31 | 81°F | 60°F | 36% | 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 | 75°F | 51°F | 37% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 2 | 75°F | 52°F | 37% | 24% | 13 h 40 min |
| May 3 | 75°F | 52°F | 37% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 4 | 75°F | 52°F | 37% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 5 | 76°F | 53°F | 37% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 6 | 76°F | 53°F | 37% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 7 | 76°F | 53°F | 37% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 8 | 76°F | 53°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 9 | 76°F | 54°F | 37% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 10 | 77°F | 54°F | 36% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 11 | 77°F | 54°F | 36% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 12 | 77°F | 55°F | 36% | 24% | 14 h |
| May 13 | 77°F | 55°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 14 | 77°F | 55°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 15 | 78°F | 55°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 16 | 78°F | 56°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 17 | 78°F | 56°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 18 | 78°F | 56°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 19 | 78°F | 57°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 20 | 79°F | 57°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 21 | 79°F | 57°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 22 | 79°F | 57°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 23 | 79°F | 58°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 24 | 79°F | 58°F | 36% | 23% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 25 | 80°F | 58°F | 36% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 26 | 80°F | 59°F | 36% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 27 | 80°F | 59°F | 36% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 28 | 80°F | 59°F | 36% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 29 | 81°F | 60°F | 36% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 30 | 81°F | 60°F | 36% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 31 | 81°F | 60°F | 36% | 22% | 14 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 78°FMay average
- Normal low
- 56°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.00 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Days at 90°F or more
- 3
- Daylight
- 13 h 40 min to 14 h 30 minMay 1 to May 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 25
- Days at 80°F or more
- 15
- Sunshine
- 75%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013740; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Richmond in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 36% on average, highest around May 1 (37%). In all, 4.00 in falls on 11 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Richmond, 3 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013740.
How humid and windy is Richmond in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 80°F with 50% relative humidity and a dew point of 60°F; at 6 a.m. it is 64°F with 86% humidity. The wind averages 7.3 mph, most often from the southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 64°F | 60°F | 86% | 5.7 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 72°F | 61°F | 66% | 8.2 mph | – |
| noon | 78°F | 60°F | 54% | 9.1 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 80°F | 60°F | 50% | 9.9 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 77°F | 60°F | 57% | 8.9 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 69°F | 61°F | 76% | 6.0 mph | 33% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013740. 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 Richmond?
The warmest May temperature on Richmond's official record (since 1897) is 100°F, on May 28, 1941; the coldest is 31°F, on May 9, 1956. The wettest May brought 10.35 in (2018).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 66.7°F: 2021 65.9°F (−0.8), 2022 68.5°F (+1.8), 2023 64.8°F (−1.9), 2024 70.1°F (+3.4), 2025 67.0°F (+0.3), 2026 66.4°F (−0.3). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 65.9°F | −0.8°F | 2.33 in |
| 2022 | 68.5°F | +1.8°F | 3.86 in |
| 2023 | 64.8°F | −1.9°F | 4.47 in |
| 2024 | 70.1°F | +3.4°F | 6.89 in |
| 2025 | 67.0°F | +0.3°F | 6.50 in |
| 2026 | 66.4°F | −0.3°F | 3.97 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record RICthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013740. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Richmond compare across Virginia?
Across the 81 places PlainClimate covers in Virginia, May normal highs run from 71°F in Floyd to 82°F in Chesapeake; Richmond's is 78°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.