Climate averages 1991–2020
Columbia (South Carolina), United States weather
in May.
A warm, moderately wet month: the 5th warmest and the 2nd driest of the year.
Long-term climate patterns, not a forecast for a particular trip.
May is a warm month in Columbia (South Carolina), United States: daytime highs average 27.6°C and nights cool to about 16.3°C. By daytime temperature it is the 5th warmest of the 12 months.
Expect about 76 mm of rain on roughly 9 days, which makes May a moderately wet month (the 2nd driest of the 12 months). Daylight, from sunrise to sunset, lasts about 13 h 55 min on an average May day.
The nearest other city in this atlas is Rock Hill (103 km away). In May its highs average 26.2°C, 1.4°C cooler than Columbia (South Carolina), United States, with 73 mm of rain.
Among the 498 cities listed in the United States, Columbia (South Carolina), United States ranks joint 111th of 498 for the warmest May highs and joint 198th of 498 for the driest May (rainfall, lowest first). The mean May high of those 498 cities is 23.8°C; Columbia (South Carolina), United States is 3.8°C warmer than that mean.
From May to June, average highs rise by 3.1°C to 30.7°C, and monthly rainfall rises from 76 mm to 108 mm.
The annual picture
May in context
Monthly rainfall
Average total · mmAverages from hourly ERA5 reanalysis data. Actual weather varies from year to year. How these numbers are calculated
Every month, side by side
Columbia (South Carolina), United States climate table
| Month | Average highHigh / low | Average low | Rainfall mm/month | Rain days ≥1 mm/day | Daylight hours/dayDaylight h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.3°C2.7°C | 2.7°C | 89 | 9.1 | 10.210 h |
| February | 14.4°C3.9°C | 3.9°C | 87 | 8.3 | 10.911 h |
| March | 18.4°C7.1°C | 7.1°C | 89 | 9.3 | 12.012 h |
| April | 23.4°C11.4°C | 11.4°C | 85 | 8.1 | 13.013 h |
| May, selected | 27.6°C16.3°C | 16.3°C | 76 | 9.3 | 13.914 h |
| June | 30.7°C20.7°C | 20.7°C | 108 | 13.4 | 14.414 h |
| July | 32.3°C22.7°C | 22.7°C | 112 | 15.2 | 14.214 h |
| August | 31.2°C22.0°C | 22.0°C | 107 | 13.4 | 13.413 h |
| September | 28.3°C19.0°C | 19.0°C | 94 | 8.8 | 12.412 h |
| October | 23.3°C13.1°C | 13.1°C | 84 | 7.1 | 11.411 h |
| November | 17.8°C7.4°C | 7.4°C | 72 | 7.2 | 10.410 h |
| December | 13.6°C4.2°C | 4.2°C | 93 | 8.8 | 9.910 h |
Rainfall is the average of the 30 separate monthly totals. A rain day is a local calendar day with at least 1 mm of precipitation. Daylight is the calculated sunrise-to-sunset length, not measured sunshine.
Compare places
May in nearby cities
- Rock Hill in MayUnited States · 103 kmHigh 26.2°C · Low 15.7°C · 73 mm rain
- Charlotte in MayUnited States · 137 kmHigh 25.9°C · Low 14.8°C · 76 mm rain
- Gastonia in MayUnited States · 141 kmHigh 25.6°C · Low 15.2°C · 79 mm rain
- North Charleston in MayUnited States · 161 kmHigh 27.1°C · Low 18.5°C · 68 mm rain
- Concord (North Carolina), United States in MayUnited States · 162 kmHigh 26.0°C · Low 15.3°C · 80 mm rain
- Charleston in MayUnited States · 170 kmHigh 26.2°C · Low 19.5°C · 68 mm rain
- Savannah in MayUnited States · 213 kmHigh 27.7°C · Low 18.8°C · 59 mm rain
- Athens, United States in MayUnited States · 216 kmHigh 26.6°C · Low 15.8°C · 84 mm rain
Read the numbers correctly
Climate, not a promise.
These patterns help compare months. They cannot tell you the weather on a specific day of your trip.
Sources, method and limitsHow these numbers are made (what the highs, lows and rain days mean, the sources and the model cell used for Columbia) is explained once on the Columbia (South Carolina), United States year overview and on the Sources, method and limits page.