Walla Walla weather in May

In May, Walla Walla sees average daytime highs of 66°F and overnight lows near 45°F, with 2.1 in of precipitation across 9.7 wet days and about 14.7 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 63°F in the first days to 70°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Walla Walla's 6th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Walla Walla's year-round climate.

Daytime high
66°
5th warmest
Overnight low
45°
8th coldest
Precipitation
2.1 in
9.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 42 min
4:27 AM – 7:12 PM
Cloud cover
57%
6th clearest
Wind
6 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
6.55 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Walla Walla is city in Walla Walla County, Washington, United States.

Density
970/km²
people per km²
Founded
1856

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 63°F in the first days to 70°F by the end.

A typical May day in Walla Walla reaches about 66°F in the afternoon and slips back to 45°F overnight — a 22°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 55°F and 80°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 9°F warmer than April and about 7°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16241
26341
36341
46342
56442
66442
76442
86443
96543
106543
116544
126644
136644
146644
156645
166745
176745
186746
196746
206746
216846
226846
236847
246847
256947
266947
276947
286947
297048
307048
317048

How May really feels in Walla Walla

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.

Walla Walla weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan39° / 29°3.314.28.68.90.0
Feb44° / 30°2.6126.3100.6
Mar50° / 34°2.913.4511.62.2
Apr58° / 38°2.211.51.713.34.0
May66° / 45°2.19.70.214.76.2
Jun74° / 50°1.36.3015.57.5
Jul84° / 57°0.32015.27.3
Aug83° / 56°0.42.10147.5
Sep73° / 49°0.84.1012.38.1
Oct60° / 40°2.18.80.310.75.0
Nov46° / 33°3.313.65.19.21.1
Dec38° / 28°3.614.39.28.50.0

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% 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 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25347
35347
45347
55347
65248
75248
85149
95050
105050
114852
124852
134852
144753
154654
164555
174555
184555
194654
204654
214753
224753
234852
244951
255050
265050
275149
285149
295248
305347
315347

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Walla Walla gets around 2.1 in of rain and snow over 9.7 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 31% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1302
2302
3302
4301
5301
6311
7311
8311
9311
10321
11321
12331
13331
14341
15341
16341
17340
18340
19340
20340
21340
22330
23320
24320
25310
26300
27290
28290
29280
30270
31270

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 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
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 06 min at the start of May to 15 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 72 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:48 AM to 4:13 AM, and sunset from 6:53 PM to 7:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.14:486:53
214.14:476:54
314.24:456:55
414.24:446:57
514.34:426:58
614.34:416:59
714.44:397:01
814.44:387:02
914.44:367:03
1014.54:357:05
1114.54:347:06
1214.64:327:07
1314.64:317:08
1414.74:307:10
1514.74:287:11
1614.74:277:12
1714.84:267:13
1814.84:257:14
1914.94:247:16
2014.94:237:17
2114.94:227:18
2215.04:217:19
2315.04:207:20
2415.04:197:21
2515.14:187:22
2615.14:177:23
2715.14:167:24
2815.24:157:25
2915.24:157:26
3015.24:147:27
3115.34:137:28

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.55 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.28 kWh/m² to a high of 7.84 kWh/m² in July across the year — May's 6.55 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.3Intense
36.3Intense
46.3Intense
56.3Intense
66.4Intense
76.4Intense
86.4Intense
96.4Intense
106.4Intense
116.4Intense
126.5Intense
136.5Intense
146.5Intense
156.5Intense
166.5Intense
176.5Intense
186.5Intense
196.5Intense
206.5Intense
216.6Intense
226.6Intense
236.6Intense
246.7Intense
256.7Intense
266.7Intense
276.8Intense
286.8Intense
296.8Intense
306.8Intense
316.8Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Walla Walla

In seasonPeak

In May, Walla Walla sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Walla Walla's rainy season runs October–May, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Walla Walla?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
2.7
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Walla Walla for sightseeing.

What to pack for Walla Walla in May

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

In May, Walla Walla sees daytime highs around 66°F and nights near 45°F. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

sun protectiona warm layerrain gear

UV index in Walla Walla in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Walla Walla peaks around July 15 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highVery highHighModerateLowJul 15UV 8Dec 15UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7Very high
Jun7High
Jul9Very high
Aug6High
Sep5Moderate
Oct4Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Walla Walla 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 Walla Walla is worst in August — around 29 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.4× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1827 µg/m³Dec 237 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May9Good
Jun9Good
Jul16Moderate
Aug29Moderate
Sep20Moderate
Oct12Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Walla Walla?

Walla Walla sits at 46.1°N, 118.3°W, 942 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Pendleton, 35 mi away.

Topography around Walla Walla

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Walla Walla has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 272 ft around an average of 945 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,333 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,115 ft.

The land around Walla Walla is covered by artificial surfaces (34%), trees (26%) and grassland (23%) within 2 miles, cropland (67%) and grassland (23%) within 10 miles, and grassland (44%), cropland (29%) and trees (24%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
272 ft
10 miles
3,333 ft
50 miles
6,115 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Pendleton 35 mi · Pasco 39 mi · Kennewick 39 mi · Tri-Cities 43 mi · Richland 48 mi · Hermiston 48 mi · Lewiston 68 mi · Lewiston Orchards 69 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 Walla Walla (46.0646°, -118.343°, elevation 942 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).