Washington, D.C. weather in May
Temperature, sea and sunshine in May: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in May
Good
Best time to visit: April – June, September – October
What is the weather like in Washington, D.C. in May?
In May, Washington, D.C. is warm: daytime highs average 24 °C, and nights cool down to about 13 °C. The sea averages 15.3 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 95 mm in total. All in all, May is a good month for a holiday in Washington, D.C..
May compared
How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.
More details for May
- Daylight
- 14 h 16 min05:56 – 20:12
- UV index
- 9 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 3 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 15 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 61 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 4 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 0 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−4America/New_York
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %65 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %46 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in May
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Washington, D.C. in May: quick answers
Is Washington, D.C. hot in May?
Warm rather than hot: in May, daytime highs in Washington, D.C. average 24 °C and nights cool to about 13 °C. On about 4 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more.
Can you swim in Washington, D.C. in May?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in May the sea averages just 15.3 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from June to September.
Does it rain much in Washington, D.C. in May?
Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 95 mm in total.
Washington, D.C. month by month
The whole year in Washington, D.C.All destinations: USAWhere to go in MaySea temperature in May
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences