Planning a trip to Charleston in May? You are in luck! The weather is generally good, with an average maximum temperature of +81°F and approximately 9 sunny days. Just be prepared for some rain, as there are usually around 14 rainy days and 74 mm of precipitation. Expect good weather and pack accordingly to enjoy the outdoors. Search flightsin one click on Avionero.
Average weather
☀️
+81°F
Avg. max. temperature
+48°F
Min.
+100°F
Max.
74 mm
Total precipitation
76%
Avg. humidity
3 m/s
Avg. wind
9 ☀️
Sunny Days
8 ⛅️
Cloudy
14 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Charleston has good weather in May.
Avionero - Smarter Travel Planning for a Better World
Cheapest prices on the market!
Check all your dates and date combinations in a single search!
Want inspiration, set your dates and find the cheapest destinations!
Saves your searches in the browser so you can easily return to them!
Donates 10% of all revenue to charity!
Average temperature in Charleston in May
Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Charleston for May based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Going from a maximum of +90°F during the day to a minimum of +52°F during the night, the temperature in May averages around +77°F.
The average maximum temperature goes up 0% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +77°F to +77°F.
Is Charleston warm or cold in May?
Charleston is typically warm in May.
Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +73°F to +81°F. The minimum temperature also goes up from +57°F to +66°F.
It’s generally warm, but pack a long-sleeve shirt for evenings.
Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Charleston:
Climate in Charleston in May
Charleston weather looks like this, on average, in May and the surrounding months.
April
May
June
Avg. temperature
+73°F
+81°F
+86°F
Min. temperature
+32°F
+48°F
+55°F
Max. temperature
+91°F
+100°F
+100°F
Rainfall
75 mm
74 mm
136 mm
Wind
3 m/s
3 m/s
3 m/s
Humidity
73%
76%
79%
Air pressure
1016 HPa
1015 HPa
1015 HPa
Sunny days
11
9
5
Cloudy days
8
8
4
Rainy days
11
14
19
Snowy days
0
0
0
May weather is still as good as in April.It’s getting warmer as May arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +73°F to +81°F during the day.As May arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 75 mm to 74 mm.Humidity rises from 73% to 76%.The average wind speed doesn’t change much during May, staying around 3 m/s.The days becoming less sunny, going from 11 sunny days in April to 9 in May.
Next month (June) brings a further decline in the weather.
Wind speed in Charleston in May based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 9 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Charleston is gradually decreasing during May, going from 5 m/s to 3 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
Amount of rainfall in mm during May in Charleston based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 55% chance of rain on an average day in May, with total rainfall of approximately 167 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 46 mm, which is moderate rain.May is a pretty wet month with over 17 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
Here’s how May is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Charleston wettest month is August, where a typical day has a 74% chance of precipitation and 179 mm of rainfall per day. November, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 33% chance of precipitation and 68 mm of rainfall per day.
How was the weather last May in Charleston?
This is the weather in Charleston in May 2024:
1 May
☀️
+77°F
2 May
☀️
+77°F
3 May
☀️
+75°F
4 May
☀️
+74°F
5 May
☀️
+76°F
6 May
☁️
+76°F
7 May
☀️
+77°F
8 May
☀️
+83°F
9 May
☀️
+88°F
10 May
☁️
+78°F
11 May
☀️
+79°F
12 May
☀️
+80°F
13 May
☀️
+81°F
14 May
☀️
+81°F
15 May
☀️
+80°F
16 May
☀️
+84°F
17 May
☀️
+89°F
18 May
🌧️
+76°F
19 May
🌧️
+76°F
20 May
☁️
+77°F
21 May
🌧️
+78°F
22 May
☀️
+80°F
23 May
☀️
+78°F
24 May
☀️
+78°F
25 May
☁️
+77°F
26 May
☁️
+69°F
27 May
🌧️
+64°F
28 May
🌫️
+68°F
29 May
☀️
+78°F
30 May
☀️
+81°F
31 May
☀️
+78°F
In May 2024 Charleston had 21 sunny days, 5 cloudy days, and 4 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +77°F, with an absolute maximum of +90°F and a minimum of +64°F. The average humidity was 76%, with a maximum of 98% and a minimum of 26%. The average wind speed was 4 m/s, with a maximum of 11 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in May?
Climate Change Over the Years
This is how Charleston climate has changed over the last 43 years.
The climate in Charleston in May has not changed that much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1988 (+72°F) and the highest in 2012 (+77°F). The driest year was 2011 with only 770 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2024 with 2044 mm.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the weather in Charleston in May:
Is May a good time to visit Charleston?
May is a really good time to go to Charleston. The weather is nice so plan your packing around outdoor activities and exploring. Check out other good time to visit Charleston.
Can you sunbathe in Charleston in May?
May is warm in Charleston. You may enjoy some beach or pool time in the day, but pack something a tad warmer for the evening.
Is Charleston rainy in May?
Charleston is often rainy in May. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.
Is it sunny in Charleston in May?
Usually, it’s not very sunny in Charleston in May, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Charleston, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.
