Roanoke weather in May

In May, Roanoke sees average daytime highs of 73°F and overnight lows near 54°F, with 3.8 in of rain across 12.3 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 70°F in the first days to 77°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% 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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Roanoke's 12th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Roanoke's year-round climate.

Daytime high
73°
5th warmest
Overnight low
54°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.8 in
12.3 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:16 AM – 7:16 PM
Cloud cover
62%
12th clearest
Wind
5 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.78 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

Roanoke is independent city in Virginia, United States.

Density
900/km²
people per km²
Founded
1852

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 70°F in the first days to 77°F by the end.

A typical May day in Roanoke reaches about 73°F in the afternoon and slips back to 54°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 62°F and 83°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)
17050
27050
37050
47151
57151
67151
77151
87252
97252
107252
117252
127253
137353
147353
157353
167354
177454
187454
197455
207455
217555
227555
237556
247556
257656
267657
277657
287757
297758
307758
317858

How May really feels in Roanoke

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.

Roanoke weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan45° / 28°3.38.62.69.70.9
Feb48° / 30°2.98.52.710.61.8
Mar56° / 37°4.010.6211.73.8
Apr66° / 46°3.510.20.212.96.0
May73° / 54°3.812.30146.4
Jun81° / 62°3.611.7014.56.0
Jul85° / 66°3.311.6014.35.2
Aug83° / 65°3.09.8013.45.9
Sep77° / 58°4.09.3012.36.9
Oct67° / 46°3.17.20.1116.6
Nov56° / 37°3.07.50.2104.1
Dec47° / 31°3.38.31.99.51.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14357
24357
34456
44456
54456
64456
74456
84456
94456
104456
114456
124456
134456
144456
154456
164456
174456
184456
194357
204258
214357
224357
234456
244555
254456
264456
274555
284555
294654
304654
314555

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Roanoke gets around 3.8 in of rain over 12.3 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 40% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
139
239
339
439
539
639
739
840
940
1041
1141
1241
1342
1442
1542
1641
1741
1841
1941
2041
2141
2241
2340
2440
2539
2639
2738
2838
2938
3038
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 54% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
17616710
27417810
37218910
470191010
567201210
665211310
763221410
862221510
961221610
1059231710
1158231810
1258221820
1357221920
1456222020
1555212130
1654212230
1754202330
1852202440
1951202540
2050192650
2149192750
2247192860
2346192860
2444192971
2542203081
2641203081
2739203191
28382131101
29362132101
30342232111
31332232121

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
105calm
115calm
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 30 min at the start of May to 14 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:32 AM to 5:07 AM, and sunset from 7:02 PM to 7:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:327:02
213.55:307:03
313.65:297:04
413.65:287:05
513.75:277:06
613.75:267:07
713.75:257:08
813.75:247:09
913.85:237:10
1013.85:227:11
1113.85:217:11
1213.95:207:12
1313.95:197:13
1413.95:187:14
1514.05:177:15
1614.05:167:16
1714.05:157:17
1814.05:157:18
1914.15:147:18
2014.15:137:19
2114.15:127:20
2214.25:127:21
2314.25:117:22
2414.25:107:22
2514.25:107:23
2614.25:097:24
2714.35:097:25
2814.35:087:26
2914.35:087:26
3014.35:077:27
3114.45:077:28

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.78 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.17 kWh/m² to a high of 6.09 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.78 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.9Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
275.9Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Roanoke?

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

6.4
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Roanoke for sightseeing.

What to pack for Roanoke in May

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

In May, Roanoke sees daytime highs around 73°F and nights near 54°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Roanoke in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Roanoke peaks around July 13 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 13UV 10Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Roanoke 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 Roanoke is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1416 µg/m³Dec 126 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar9Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Roanoke?

Roanoke sits at 37.3°N, 79.9°W, 935 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Cave Spring, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Roanoke

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Roanoke has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 879 ft around an average of 1,004 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,467 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,921 ft.

The land around Roanoke is covered by trees (49%) and artificial surfaces (40%) within 2 miles, trees (78%) within 10 miles, and trees (81%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
879 ft
10 miles
2,467 ft
50 miles
3,921 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Cave Spring 5.0 mi · Salem 6.2 mi · Blacksburg 26 mi · Christiansburg 27 mi · Radford 36 mi · West Lynchburg 43 mi · Lynchburg 45 mi · Eden 55 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 Roanoke (37.271°, -79.9414°, elevation 935 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).