Washington DC weather in May (United States of America)

Planning a trip to Washington DC in May? Check out this comprehensive weather guide.

In May, Washington DC generally has high temperatures and high rainfall. Throughout the day, temperatures typically settle at around 24°C. But by evening, they drop to around 14°C.

Washington DC in May usually receives high rainfall, averaging around 104 mm for the month. When we look at the climate data from the last 30 years, we can expect around 12 days of rain.

The city usually sees around 259 hours of sunlight, indicating many sunny days.

In case you lean more towards enjoying temperate temperatures and rain-free days April and September typically offer the most optimal weather. In contrast, January, February and December tend to have less optimal conditions.

For an in-depth look at the yearly conditions, visit our specialized Washington DC climate page with graphs.

 

Washington DC, monthly averages in May

Min TemperatureMin Temperature 14°C  
Max TemperatureMax Temperature 24°C  
Chance of RainChance of Rain 40%  
PrecipitationPrecipitation 104 mm  
Rainy daysRainy days 12 days  
HumidityHumidity 64%  
WindspeedWindspeed 14 km/h  
SunshineSunshine 259 hours  
Percentage SunshinePercentage Sunshine 59%  

Where to go in the United States of America in May

Find out more about the weather in the United States of America in May and which places have the best weather conditions in this month.

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

So, what should you wear in Washington DC in May?

For visitors traveling to Washington DC, we recommend wearing layers. So maybe a skirt, t-shirt, shorts for during the day and jeans and a warm jacket for some days and evenings. Bring a rain jacket in case it rains during your stay. Plan on layering your clothes.

What To Do

We rated the following activities from 1 (least suitable) to 10 (best) to do in May.

Swimming
9/10
Cycling
9/10
Walking
9/10
Camping
6/10
Outdoor sports
9/10

Interested in more climate information?

Weather and Climate provides you with all the information you need about the climate in Washington DC.

Our site offers climate and forecast data for every country in the world. Are you going to the United States of America? On this website you can find historical weather averages for many cities in the United States of America. Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.