West Columbia weather in May

In May, West Columbia sees average daytime highs of 82°F and overnight lows near 62°F, with 3.0 in of rain across 9.4 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 79°F in the first days to 85°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 18 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is West Columbia's 8th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see West Columbia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
82°
5th warmest
Overnight low
62°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.0 in
9.4 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:28 AM – 7:13 PM
Cloud cover
55%
8th clearest
Wind
6 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
6.13 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

West Columbia is city in Lexington County, South Carolina, United States of America.

Density
887/km²
people per km²

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 79°F in the first days to 85°F by the end.

A typical May day in West Columbia reaches about 82°F in the afternoon and slips back to 62°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 73°F and 90°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)
17958
27958
37959
48059
58059
68060
78060
88060
98160
108161
118161
128161
138262
148262
158262
168262
178263
188263
198363
208363
218364
228364
238364
248465
258465
268465
278465
288566
298566
308566
318567

How May really feels in West Columbia

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.

West Columbia 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
Jan56° / 37°3.59.10.6103.9
Feb59° / 40°3.48.30.410.74.7
Mar67° / 46°3.59.30.111.76.3
Apr75° / 54°3.38.1012.87.2
May82° / 62°3.09.4013.76.2
Jun88° / 70°4.313.5014.24.1
Jul90° / 73°4.415.30143.3
Aug89° / 72°4.213.4013.33.9
Sep84° / 66°3.78.8012.25.8
Oct75° / 55°3.37.1011.17.4
Nov65° / 45°2.87.2010.26.5
Dec58° / 39°3.78.80.19.84.5

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% 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 (%)
15743
25743
35743
45743
55743
65842
75644
85644
95644
105644
115644
125545
135545
145446
155446
165446
175446
185446
195347
205347
215347
225248
235347
245347
255347
265248
275347
285347
295248
305248
315248

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

West Columbia gets around 3.0 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 30% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
128
228
328
427
527
627
726
826
926
1026
1126
1226
1326
1427
1527
1628
1728
1829
1930
2031
2132
2233
2333
2434
2535
2636
2737
2838
2939
3039
3140

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 24% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
153211790
252211890
3502119100
4492120110
5472121110
6462122120
7442123120
8432024121
9412025131
10402026131
11382027141
12372028141
13362028152
14341929162
15331929162
16321929173
17301929183
18291929193
19281929214
20271928225
21251828235
22241828246
23231827257
24211827268
25201826279
261818262910
271717253011
281617253112
291416253213
301316243214
311215243316

Wind in May

Winds average 6 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
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 13 h 18 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 48 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:41 AM to 5:19 AM, and sunset from 7:02 PM to 7:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.35:417:02
213.45:407:02
313.45:397:03
413.45:387:04
513.55:377:05
613.55:367:06
713.55:357:06
813.55:347:07
913.65:337:08
1013.65:337:09
1113.65:327:10
1213.75:317:10
1313.75:307:11
1413.75:297:12
1513.75:287:13
1613.85:287:13
1713.85:277:14
1813.85:267:15
1913.85:267:16
2013.95:257:16
2113.95:247:17
2213.95:247:18
2313.95:237:19
2413.95:237:19
2514.05:227:20
2614.05:227:21
2714.05:217:21
2814.05:217:22
2914.05:207:23
3014.15:207:23
3114.15:197:24

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 2.39 kWh/m² to a high of 6.16 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
16.0Intense
26.0Intense
36.0Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.1Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit West Columbia?

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
6.9
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for West Columbia in May

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

In May, West Columbia sees daytime highs around 82°F and nights near 62°F. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

UV index in West Columbia 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 West Columbia peaks around June 23 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 23UV 9Dec 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in West Columbia 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 West Columbia is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodJul 1617 µg/m³Dec 218 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar15Moderate
Apr12Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is West Columbia?

West Columbia sits at 34.0°N, 81.1°W, 285 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Columbia, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around West Columbia

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around West Columbia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 315 ft around an average of 246 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 883 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,175 ft.

The land around West Columbia is covered by trees (51%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 2 miles, trees (66%) within 10 miles, and trees (78%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
315 ft
10 miles
883 ft
50 miles
1,175 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Columbia 2.5 mi · Saint Andrews 3.7 mi · Seven Oaks 5.6 mi · Lexington 9.3 mi · Sumter 42 mi · Aiken 48 mi · North Augusta 62 mi · Augusta 63 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 West Columbia (33.9935°, -81.074°, elevation 285 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).