Sterling weather in May: Sterling, Virginia: normal highs, lows, rain and records for May
Sterling in May has a normal high of 75°F and a normal low of 53°F, a daily mean of 64°F, rising from 72°F on the 1st to 79°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 13 days in a normal May, 4.72 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 24°C and low of 12°C, 120 mm of precipitation in May.
- NOAA stationWashington Dulles International Airport
- Station IDUSW00093738
- Location38.94°N 77.46°W
- Elevation290 ft (88 m)
- From the center5 miles
- Population (census place)31,251
- Jan 43° 25°
- Feb 46° 27°
- Mar 55° 34°
- Apr 67° 43°
- May 75° 53°
- Jun 83° 62°
- Jul 88° 67°
- Aug 86° 65°
- Sep 79° 58°
- Oct 68° 45°
- Nov 57° 36°
- Dec 47° 29°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Sterling in May?
The normal high is 75°F and the normal low 53°F, for a daily mean of 64.0°F. May is 9.0°F warmer than April and 8.5°F cooler than June. May is the 5th warmest month of the year in Sterling and the wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 7°F, from 72°F on May 1 to 79°F on May 31. From one year to the next May's mean temperature typically moves about 3.3°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Mays in three average between 61°F and 67°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 | 48°F | 40% | 24% |
| May 8 | 73°F | 51°F | 41% | 25% |
| May 15 | 75°F | 53°F | 40% | 25% |
| May 22 | 76°F | 55°F | 39% | 25% |
| May 31 | 79°F | 57°F | 38% | 24% |
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 | 48°F | 40% | 24% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 2 | 72°F | 49°F | 40% | 25% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 3 | 72°F | 49°F | 40% | 25% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 4 | 72°F | 49°F | 40% | 25% | 13 h 50 min |
| May 5 | 73°F | 50°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h |
| May 6 | 73°F | 50°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h |
| May 7 | 73°F | 50°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h |
| May 8 | 73°F | 51°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h |
| May 9 | 74°F | 51°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h |
| May 10 | 74°F | 51°F | 41% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 11 | 74°F | 52°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 12 | 74°F | 52°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 13 | 74°F | 52°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 14 | 75°F | 52°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 10 min |
| May 15 | 75°F | 53°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 16 | 75°F | 53°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 17 | 75°F | 53°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 18 | 75°F | 54°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 19 | 76°F | 54°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 20 | 76°F | 54°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 20 min |
| May 21 | 76°F | 55°F | 40% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 22 | 76°F | 55°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 23 | 77°F | 55°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 24 | 77°F | 55°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 25 | 77°F | 56°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 26 | 77°F | 56°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 30 min |
| May 27 | 78°F | 56°F | 39% | 25% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 28 | 78°F | 57°F | 39% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 29 | 78°F | 57°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 30 | 78°F | 57°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
| May 31 | 79°F | 57°F | 38% | 24% | 14 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 75°FMay average
- Normal low
- 53°FMay average
- Precipitation
- 4.72 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
- 22
- Days at 80°F or more
- 11
- Sunshine
- 73%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00093738; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Sterling in May?
On a given May day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 40% on average, highest around May 8 (41%). In all, 4.72 in falls on 13 days of a normal May, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal May in Sterling, 1 days reach 90°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00093738.
How humid and windy is Sterling in May?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 77°F with 51% relative humidity and a dew point of 58°F; at 6 a.m. it is 61°F with 86% humidity. The wind averages 6.4 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 61°F | 57°F | 86% | 4.2 mph | – |
| 9 a.m. | 70°F | 58°F | 66% | 7.5 mph | 32% |
| noon | 76°F | 58°F | 54% | 8.6 mph | – |
| 3 p.m. | 77°F | 58°F | 51% | 8.9 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 75°F | 58°F | 55% | 8.0 mph | – |
| 9 p.m. | 68°F | 59°F | 73% | 5.3 mph | 36% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093738. 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 Sterling?
The warmest May temperature on this station's record (since 1960) is 97°F, on May 29, 1969; the coldest is 28°F, on May 7, 1970. The wettest May brought 10.26 in (1988).
The May mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 64.0°F: 2021 62.7°F (−1.3), 2022 65.8°F (+1.8), 2023 62.1°F (−1.9), 2024 67.6°F (+3.6), 2025 64.5°F (+0.5), 2026 63.3°F (−0.7). 3 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| May | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 62.7°F | −1.3°F | 2.87 in |
| 2022 | 65.8°F | +1.8°F | 6.85 in |
| 2023 | 62.1°F | −1.9°F | 1.48 in |
| 2024 | 67.6°F | +3.6°F | 4.22 in |
| 2025 | 64.5°F | +0.5°F | 6.07 in |
| 2026 | 63.3°F | −0.7°F | 4.60 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00093738; recent months: ACIS, station USW00093738. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does May in Sterling 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; Sterling's is 75°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.