Wolf Trap weather in May

In May, Wolf Trap sees average daytime highs of 74°F and overnight lows near 56°F, with 3.9 in of rain across 11.4 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 71°F in the first days to 79°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Wolf Trap's 12th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wolf Trap's year-round climate.

Daytime high
74°
5th warmest
Overnight low
56°
8th coldest
Rainfall
3.9 in
11.4 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
5:02 AM – 7:09 PM
Cloud cover
63%
12th clearest
Wind
6 mph
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.69 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.5
out of 10

Wolf Trap is census designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.

Density
632/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 71°F in the first days to 79°F by the end.

A typical May day in Wolf Trap reaches about 74°F in the afternoon and slips back to 56°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 62°F and 86°F. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 9°F warmer than April and about 9°F cooler than June.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17051
27052
37152
47152
57153
67153
77253
87253
97254
107254
117354
127355
137355
147355
157455
167456
177456
187456
197557
207557
217657
227658
237658
247759
257759
267859
277860
287860
297960
307961
317961

How May really feels in Wolf Trap

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.

Wolf Trap weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan42° / 28°3.18.439.60.3
Feb46° / 29°2.88.32.810.51.1
Mar54° / 36°3.910.21.911.73.3
Apr65° / 47°3.410.10.1135.8
May74° / 56°3.911.4014.16.5
Jun83° / 65°3.611.2014.75.5
Jul88° / 70°4.111.7014.54.3
Aug85° / 68°3.610.8013.55.0
Sep78° / 61°4.59.3012.36.8
Oct67° / 49°3.57.80116.5
Nov56° / 39°3.07.50.29.93.9
Dec46° / 32°3.591.89.31.4

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in May, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 58%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14357
24357
34456
44456
54357
64357
74357
84357
94456
104357
114357
124357
134357
144258
154258
164258
174258
184060
194060
204060
214060
224060
234159
244159
254258
264258
274258
284357
294357
304357
314357

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Wolf Trap gets around 3.9 in of rain over 11.4 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 37% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
138
238
338
438
538
638
738
838
938
1038
1138
1238
1337
1437
1537
1636
1736
1836
1936
2036
2136
2236
2336
2436
2535
2635
2735
2835
2935
3035
3135

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 58% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 8% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
17615810
27416910
37317910
472171010
570181110
669181120
767191220
866191320
965191330
1064191430
1164191430
1262191540
1361191550
1462181550
1560181660
1660181660
1758181770
1858181770
1956181880
2053181991
21521819101
22511820101
23491821111
24471921121
25461921121
26451922131
27441922132
28422022142
29412022152
30402122152
31392122162

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
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
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 36 min at the start of May to 14 h 30 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 5:18 AM to 4:51 AM, and sunset from 6:55 PM to 7:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.65:186:55
213.65:176:56
313.75:166:57
413.75:146:58
513.85:136:59
613.85:126:59
713.85:117:00
813.95:107:01
913.95:097:02
1013.95:087:03
1114.05:077:04
1214.05:067:05
1314.05:057:06
1414.15:047:07
1514.15:037:08
1614.15:027:09
1714.15:017:10
1814.25:007:11
1914.24:597:12
2014.24:587:13
2114.34:587:13
2214.34:577:14
2314.34:567:15
2414.34:557:16
2514.44:557:17
2614.44:547:18
2714.44:547:18
2814.44:537:19
2914.54:527:20
3014.54:527:21
3114.54:517:22

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.69 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.95 kWh/m² to a high of 6.14 kWh/m² in June across the year — May's 5.69 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.6Bright
105.6Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Wolf Trap?

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

6.5
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
5.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Wolf Trap for sightseeing.

What to pack for Wolf Trap in May

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

In May, Wolf Trap sees daytime highs around 74°F and nights near 56°F. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Wolf Trap 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 Wolf Trap peaks around July 11 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 11UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Wolf Trap 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 Wolf Trap is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (November, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1317 µg/m³Nov 129 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb12Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Wolf Trap?

Wolf Trap sits at 38.9°N, 77.3°W, 282 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Vienna, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Wolf Trap

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Wolf Trap has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 243 ft around an average of 315 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 623 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,163 ft.

The land around Wolf Trap is covered by trees (89%) within 2 miles, trees (76%) within 10 miles, and trees (63%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
243 ft
10 miles
623 ft
50 miles
3,163 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
May weather nearby: Vienna 3.1 mi · Tysons 3.1 mi · Reston 3.7 mi · Great Falls 3.7 mi · Oakton 4.3 mi · Idylwood 5.0 mi · Merrifield 5.6 mi · Herndon 5.6 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 Wolf Trap (38.9398°, -77.2861°, elevation 282 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).