Portsmouth weather in May

In May, Portsmouth sees average daytime highs of 75°F and overnight lows near 59°F, with 3.7 in of rain across 10.9 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 72°F in the first days to 79°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Portsmouth's 9th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Portsmouth's year-round climate.

Daytime high
75°
5th warmest
Overnight low
59°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.7 in
10.9 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:03 AM – 7:00 PM
Cloud cover
58%
9th clearest
Wind
8 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
6.13 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Portsmouth is independent city in Virginia, United States.

Density
796/km²
people per km²
Founded
1752

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 72°F in the first days to 79°F by the end.

A typical May day in Portsmouth reaches about 75°F in the afternoon and slips back to 59°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 64°F and 85°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 7°F warmer than April and about 8°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17255
27256
37256
47256
57356
67357
77357
87357
97457
107458
117458
127458
137458
147559
157559
167559
177660
187660
197660
207660
217761
227761
237761
247862
257862
267862
277863
287963
297963
307964
317964

How May really feels in Portsmouth

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.

Portsmouth weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan49° / 34°3.49.11.39.82.2
Feb52° / 35°3.091.110.62.8
Mar59° / 42°3.910.40.511.74.5
Apr68° / 51°3.39.7012.96.4
May75° / 59°3.710.9013.96.7
Jun83° / 68°4.111.7014.55.6
Jul87° / 73°5.215.1014.34.3
Aug85° / 71°4.712.9013.45.0
Sep80° / 66°4.711.1012.26.4
Oct71° / 55°3.77.90117.0
Nov61° / 45°3.48.50.1105.3
Dec53° / 38°3.59.30.59.53.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
25050
35149
45149
55149
65149
75149
85149
95149
105050
115149
125149
135050
145050
154951
164951
174951
184852
194852
204852
214951
224852
234852
244951
254951
264951
274951
284951
294951
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Portsmouth gets around 3.7 in of rain over 10.9 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 35% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
134
234
334
434
534
634
734
834
935
1035
1135
1235
1335
1436
1536
1636
1736
1836
1936
2036
2136
2236
2336
2436
2536
2636
2736
2836
2936
3036
3136

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 39% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 18% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
162181550
260181660
359181760
457181870
556181880
655181980
753182090
852192090
9501921100
10492021101
11472021111
12462022121
13452022121
14432022131
15422022141
16412122151
17392123161
18372123172
19362124182
20342124192
21322224202
22302225213
23282225223
24272225234
25252225244
26232225255
27222225265
28202225266
29192225277
30182225288
31172124289

Wind in May

Winds average 8 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
257light breeze
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:18 AM to 4:53 AM, and sunset from 6:47 PM to 7:12 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:186:47
213.55:176:48
313.65:156:49
413.65:146:50
513.65:136:51
613.75:126:52
713.75:116:52
813.75:106:53
913.85:096:54
1013.85:086:55
1113.85:076:56
1213.85:066:57
1313.95:056:58
1413.95:046:59
1513.95:036:59
1614.05:037:00
1714.05:027:01
1814.05:017:02
1914.05:007:03
2014.15:007:04
2114.14:597:04
2214.14:587:05
2314.14:577:06
2414.24:577:07
2514.24:567:08
2614.24:567:08
2714.24:557:09
2814.34:557:10
2914.34:547:11
3014.34:547:11
3114.34:537:12

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.13 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.17 kWh/m² to a high of 6.42 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 6.13 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
46.0Bright
56.0Bright
66.0Bright
76.0Intense
86.0Intense
96.0Intense
106.0Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.2Intense
236.2Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.3Intense
296.3Intense
306.3Intense
316.3Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Portsmouth

In seasonPeak

None of Portsmouth's seasonal hazards are active in May. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Portsmouth sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Portsmouth?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
5.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Portsmouth for sightseeing.

What to pack for Portsmouth in May

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

In May, Portsmouth sees daytime highs around 75°F and nights near 59°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Portsmouth in May

The nearest coast averages about 63°F in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 22 mi away) is warmest in August at about 79°F and coldest in February near 41°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 3 to Oct 14 — about 4.4 months when the water holds above 68°F.

40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan44Bracing
Feb41Bracing
Mar45Bracing
Apr54Bracing
May63Cool
Jun72Refreshing
Jul78Warm
Aug79Warm
Sep76Warm
Oct68Cool
Nov57Bracing
Dec49Bracing

UV index in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth peaks around July 12 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 12UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep7High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1216 µg/m³Nov 237 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr12Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Portsmouth?

Portsmouth sits at 36.8°N, 76.3°W, 10 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Norfolk, 1.2 mi away.

Topography around Portsmouth

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Portsmouth has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 72 ft around an average of 10 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 194 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 230 ft.

The land around Portsmouth is covered by artificial surfaces (52%) within 2 miles, trees (44%), artificial surfaces (22%) and water (20%) within 10 miles, and trees (42%) and water (38%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
72 ft
10 miles
194 ft
50 miles
230 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
May weather nearby: Norfolk 1.2 mi · Chesapeake 1.9 mi · Portsmouth Heights 3.7 mi · Newport News 12 mi · Hampton 14 mi · East Hampton 14 mi · Suffolk 17 mi · Virginia Beach 18 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 Portsmouth (36.8354°, -76.2983°, elevation 10 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).