Anderson weather in May

In May, Anderson sees average daytime highs of 79°F and overnight lows near 61°F, with 3.4 in of rain across 9.4 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 76°F in the first days to 82°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Anderson's 8th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Anderson's year-round climate.

Daytime high
79°
5th warmest
Overnight low
61°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.4 in
9.4 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:33 AM – 7:21 PM
Cloud cover
56%
8th clearest
Wind
5 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
6.09 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Anderson is city in South Carolina, United States.

Density
723/km²
people per km²
Founded
1826

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 76°F in the first days to 82°F by the end.

A typical May day in Anderson reaches about 79°F in the afternoon and slips back to 61°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 70°F and 87°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°F warmer than April and about 6°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17556
27656
37656
47657
57657
67758
77758
87758
97858
107859
117859
127859
137960
147960
157960
167960
178061
188061
198061
208062
218062
228162
238163
248163
258263
268264
278264
288264
298265
308365
318365

How May really feels in Anderson

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Anderson weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan52° / 35°4.710.11102.9
Feb56° / 37°4.29.40.510.73.8
Mar64° / 44°4.910.20.211.75.7
Apr72° / 52°3.98.8012.86.9
May79° / 61°3.49.4013.86.7
Jun86° / 69°3.912.9014.34.7
Jul89° / 72°3.813.6014.13.8
Aug87° / 71°4.112.4013.34.4
Sep82° / 65°3.68.6012.26.3
Oct72° / 53°3.37011.17.4
Nov62° / 43°3.98.4010.25.7
Dec54° / 37°4.69.90.49.73.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 46%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15446
25545
35545
45644
55644
65545
75644
85644
95545
105545
115545
125545
135545
145545
155446
165545
175545
185446
195446
205347
215446
225347
235347
245248
255248
265248
275149
285149
295149
305149
315050

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Anderson gets around 3.4 in of rain over 9.4 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 31% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
330
430
530
630
729
829
929
1029
1128
1228
1328
1428
1528
1628
1728
1828
1929
2029
2130
2231
2331
2432
2533
2634
2734
2835
2936
3036
3137

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 32% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 20% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
154231850
252231960
350232070
448232170
547232280
645232390
7432324100
8422325110
9412325110
10392226120
11382227130
12372228140
13352128150
14342129160
15332129170
16322029181
17312030181
18302030191
19291930201
20281930212
21261930222
22251930233
23231930243
24221930253
25201930274
26182030284
27172029305
28151929315
29141928336
30131927346
31121927367

Wind in May

Winds average 5 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:47 AM to 5:24 AM, and sunset from 7:09 PM to 7:32 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:477:09
213.45:467:10
313.45:457:10
413.55:447:11
513.55:437:12
613.55:427:13
713.55:417:14
813.65:407:14
913.65:397:15
1013.65:387:16
1113.75:377:17
1213.75:367:18
1313.75:357:18
1413.75:357:19
1513.85:347:20
1613.85:337:21
1713.85:327:22
1813.85:317:22
1913.95:317:23
2013.95:307:24
2113.95:297:25
2213.95:297:25
2314.05:287:26
2414.05:287:27
2514.05:277:27
2614.05:277:28
2714.05:267:29
2814.15:267:30
2914.15:257:30
3014.15:257:31
3114.15:247:32

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.09 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.32 kWh/m² to a high of 6.17 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.09 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
26.0Bright
36.0Bright
46.0Intense
56.0Intense
66.0Intense
76.1Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.0Intense
296.0Intense
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Anderson?

Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.7
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Anderson for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Anderson in May

From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In May, Anderson sees daytime highs around 79°F and nights near 61°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

UV index in Anderson in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Anderson peaks around June 22 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 9Dec 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Anderson in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Anderson is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodGoodModerateGoodJul 1718 µg/m³Jan 118 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov10Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Anderson?

Anderson sits at 34.5°N, 82.7°W, 787 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Clemson, 16 mi away.

Topography around Anderson

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Anderson.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Anderson has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 200 ft around an average of 761 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 390 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,603 ft.

The land around Anderson is covered by trees (63%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 2 miles, trees (62%) and grassland (28%) within 10 miles, and trees (80%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
200 ft
10 miles
390 ft
50 miles
4,603 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Clemson 16 mi · Easley 23 mi · Mauldin 27 mi · Simpsonville 28 mi · Greenville 28 mi · Wade Hampton 33 mi · Greenwood 35 mi · Taylors 35 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Anderson (34.5034°, -82.6501°, elevation 787 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).