Williamsburg weather in May

In May, Williamsburg sees average daytime highs of 74°F and overnight lows near 61°F, with 3.5 in of rain across 10.4 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 71°F in the first days to 78°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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Williamsburg's 11th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Williamsburg's year-round climate.

Daytime high
74°
5th warmest
Overnight low
61°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.5 in
10.4 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:03 AM – 7:03 PM
Cloud cover
59%
11th clearest
Wind
7 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.81 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Williamsburg is independent city in Virginia, United States.

Density
640/km²
people per km²
Founded
1638

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 71°F in the first days to 78°F by the end.

A typical May day in Williamsburg reaches about 74°F in the afternoon and slips back to 61°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 64°F and 84°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)
17056
27157
37157
47157
57158
67158
77258
87258
97259
107259
117359
127359
137360
147360
157460
167460
177461
187461
197561
207562
217562
227562
237663
247663
257664
267764
277764
287764
297865
307865
317865

How May really feels in Williamsburg

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.

Williamsburg 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
Jan47° / 34°3.49.31.89.71.6
Feb50° / 35°3.18.41.610.62.2
Mar57° / 42°4.19.70.811.74.1
Apr67° / 52°3.29.50.112.96.2
May74° / 61°3.510.40146.7
Jun82° / 69°3.610.5014.56.1
Jul85° / 74°4.112.9014.34.8
Aug83° / 72°4.310.9013.45.6
Sep78° / 66°4.59.9012.36.8
Oct69° / 55°3.87.50116.8
Nov58° / 45°3.37.80.1104.7
Dec51° / 38°3.490.89.52.5

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 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14753
24753
34852
44852
54951
64852
74852
84852
94852
104852
114852
124951
134951
144951
154951
164951
174951
184852
194852
204753
214753
224753
234753
244753
254852
264951
274951
284951
295050
304951
315050

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Williamsburg gets around 3.5 in of rain over 10.4 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 33% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
135
235
335
435
534
634
734
834
934
1034
1134
1234
1334
1433
1533
1633
1733
1833
1933
2033
2133
2233
2333
2433
2533
2633
2732
2832
2932
3032
3132

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 37% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 19% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
160181840
258181950
357182050
455182160
554182170
653182270
750192380
849192391
947192391
10461924101
11452024111
12432024121
13422024131
14412024141
15402124151
16382124162
17372124172
18352124182
19342124192
20322124203
21302124213
22282125224
23262125235
24252125245
25232125256
26212125267
27202125277
28182125288
29162125289
301520262910
311420263011

Wind in May

Winds average 7 mph in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
87light breeze
97light breeze
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
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 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 5:19 AM to 4:54 AM, and sunset from 6:49 PM to 7:15 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.55:196:49
213.55:176:50
313.65:166:51
413.65:156:52
513.75:146:53
613.75:136:54
713.75:126:55
813.75:116:56
913.85:106:57
1013.85:096:58
1113.85:086:58
1213.95:076:59
1313.95:067:00
1413.95:057:01
1514.05:047:02
1614.05:037:03
1714.05:027:04
1814.05:027:05
1914.15:017:05
2014.15:007:06
2114.14:597:07
2214.24:597:08
2314.24:587:09
2414.24:577:10
2514.24:577:10
2614.24:567:11
2714.34:567:12
2814.34:557:13
2914.34:557:13
3014.34:547:14
3114.44:547:15

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.81 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.11 kWh/m² to a high of 6.11 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.81 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
235.9Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
275.9Bright
285.9Bright
296.0Bright
306.0Bright
316.0Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Williamsburg

In seasonPeak

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

Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg?

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
5.3
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Williamsburg for sightseeing.

What to pack for Williamsburg in May

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

In May, Williamsburg sees daytime highs around 74°F and nights near 61°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Williamsburg in May

The nearest coast averages about 62°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 33 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 4 to Oct 13 — about 4.3 months when the water holds above 68°F.

40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan43Bracing
Feb41Bracing
Mar45Bracing
Apr53Bracing
May62Cool
Jun72Refreshing
Jul78Warm
Aug79Warm
Sep76Warm
Oct67Cool
Nov57Bracing
Dec49Bracing

UV index in Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg peaks around July 10 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 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 10UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep7High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg 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 1416 µg/m³Nov 217 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar10Good
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov7Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Williamsburg?

Williamsburg sits at 37.3°N, 76.7°W, 82 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Newport News, 25 mi away.

Topography around Williamsburg

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Williamsburg has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 187 ft around an average of 85 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 210 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 636 ft.

The land around Williamsburg is covered by trees (73%) within 2 miles, trees (55%) and water (29%) within 10 miles, and trees (57%) and water (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
187 ft
10 miles
210 ft
50 miles
636 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
May weather nearby: Newport News 25 mi · Hampton 26 mi · East Hampton 26 mi · Hopewell 32 mi · Portsmouth Heights 36 mi · Norfolk 37 mi · Portsmouth 38 mi · Suffolk 38 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 Williamsburg (37.2707°, -76.7075°, elevation 82 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).