May is one of the warmer months of the year in Columbus, with average highs near 28.4°C and lows around 15.7°C (mean 22°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 90 mm of rainfall and 74% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Columbus. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Columbus was 2000 — when the month averaged 24.8°C — while the coldest was 1997 at 19.6°C. Typical May days reach 28.4°C with nights near 15.7°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
May is one of the drier months in Columbus, averaging 90 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2018 with 192 mm, while the driest was 2007 at 12 mm.
Relative humidity in Columbus during May averages 74%. The most humid May was 2009 at 86%, and the least humid was 2007 at 55%.
May receives about 6.2 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Columbus. The sunniest May was 2011 at 7 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1991 at 5.
Average wind speed in Columbus during May is 0.3 m/s. The windiest Mays were 2022, 2024 and 2025, among others at 0.3 m/s, while the calmest were 2016, 2020 and 2023, among others at 0.2 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 21.2°C | 21.8°C | 22.5°C | 22.7°C | 22.3°C | +1.1°C |
| Avg High | 27.7°C | 27.9°C | 29.1°C | 28.9°C | 28.4°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 14.6°C | 15.6°C | 15.9°C | 16.4°C | 16.2°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 86 mm | 83 mm | 84 mm | 99 mm | 102 mm | +16 mm |
May temperatures in Columbus have risen by about 1.8°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 5.4°C (1996) to a record high of 38.5°C (2011).
Rainfall in May is one of the drier months, averaging 90 mm, with a wettest year of 192 mm.
One of the best times to visit Columbus
May is one of the best times to visit Columbus. Expect days averaging 28.4°C and nights around 15.7°C (mean 22°C) — warmer than Columbus's yearly average — with higher rainfall (90 mm), so conditions are generally comfortable for sightseeing and outdoor plans.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28.8°C | 23.0°C | 17.3°C | 34.3°C | 9.8°C | 170 mm | 77% | 0.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2024 | 28.9°C | 23.5°C | 18.0°C | 32.1°C | 13.2°C | 158 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2023 | 26.9°C | 21.1°C | 15.3°C | 33.5°C | 7.1°C | 95 mm | 79% | 0.2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2022 | 31.0°C | 24.0°C | 17.0°C | 36.7°C | 10.9°C | 70 mm | 68% | 0.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2021 | 28.6°C | 21.8°C | 14.9°C | 36.1°C | 8.6°C | 68 mm | 69% | 0.3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2020 | 26.4°C | 20.4°C | 14.5°C | 31.3°C | 5.9°C | 48 mm | 79% | 0.2 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2019 | 31.1°C | 24.5°C | 17.9°C | 38.4°C | 9.7°C | 74 mm | 72% | 0.3 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2018 🌧️ | 30.2°C | 24.1°C | 18.0°C | 36.4°C | 10.4°C | 192 mm | 74% | 0.3 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2017 | 28.1°C | 21.9°C | 15.7°C | 33.5°C | 7.4°C | 158 mm | 74% | 0.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2016 | 27.4°C | 21.4°C | 15.3°C | 35.4°C | 6.5°C | 48 mm | 76% | 0.2 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2015 | 28.7°C | 22.7°C | 16.8°C | 31.9°C | 8.1°C | 75 mm | 76% | 0.3 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2014 | 27.0°C | 21.4°C | 15.8°C | 31.6°C | 7.7°C | 76 mm | 81% | 0.2 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2013 | 25.6°C | 19.8°C | 14.1°C | 30.1°C | 6.0°C | 83 mm | 80% | 0.2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2012 | 31.0°C | 24.2°C | 17.4°C | 37.8°C | 11.2°C | 92 mm | 68% | 0.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2011 | 31.6°C | 23.3°C | 15.0°C | 38.5°C | 6.5°C | 29 mm | 60% | 0.3 m/s | 7 |
| 2010 | 28.7°C | 23.2°C | 17.6°C | 33.3°C | 9.4°C | 168 mm | 80% | 0.2 m/s | 6 |
| 2009 | 26.0°C | 21.6°C | 17.1°C | 31.6°C | 7.8°C | 187 mm | 86% | 0.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2008 | 28.5°C | 21.9°C | 15.3°C | 35.3°C | 9.0°C | 74 mm | 74% | 0.2 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2007 | 30.9°C | 23.3°C | 15.6°C | 33.8°C | 8.9°C | 12 mm | 55% | 0.3 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2006 | 29.7°C | 22.7°C | 15.7°C | 36.6°C | 8.6°C | 76 mm | 68% | 0.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2005 | 26.5°C | 20.2°C | 13.9°C | 31.2°C | 6.5°C | 74 mm | 77% | 0.2 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2004 | 31.1°C | 24.3°C | 17.5°C | 35.4°C | 6.1°C | 86 mm | 68% | 0.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2003 | 27.6°C | 22.3°C | 17.0°C | 30.7°C | 10.5°C | 168 mm | 83% | 0.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2002 | 30.5°C | 22.9°C | 15.4°C | 34.8°C | 7.3°C | 60 mm | 64% | 0.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2001 | 27.2°C | 21.0°C | 14.8°C | 31.1°C | 8.8°C | 80 mm | 76% | 0.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2000 🔥 | 32.7°C | 24.8°C | 17.0°C | 36.7°C | 9.6°C | 22 mm | 58% | 0.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1999 | 29.7°C | 22.2°C | 14.8°C | 32.9°C | 6.8°C | 84 mm | 66% | 0.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1998 | 29.7°C | 23.6°C | 17.4°C | 34.0°C | 10.5°C | 56 mm | 77% | 0.3 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1997 ❄️ | 25.3°C | 19.6°C | 13.9°C | 29.7°C | 6.1°C | 104 mm | 79% | 0.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1996 | 28.9°C | 22.8°C | 16.6°C | 35.4°C | 5.4°C | 71 mm | 77% | 0.2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1995 | 30.1°C | 23.5°C | 16.9°C | 34.9°C | 7.6°C | 49 mm | 71% | 0.2 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1994 | 27.0°C | 20.7°C | 14.3°C | 31.1°C | 9.0°C | 59 mm | 76% | 0.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1993 | 26.4°C | 20.6°C | 14.8°C | 30.7°C | 7.5°C | 70 mm | 79% | 0.3 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1992 | 27.5°C | 20.7°C | 13.9°C | 33.1°C | 7.6°C | 39 mm | 71% | 0.3 m/s | 6 |
| 1991 | 27.7°C | 23.3°C | 18.8°C | 33.1°C | 11.7°C | 188 mm | 85% | 0.2 m/s | 5 |
| 1990 | 26.7°C | 20.7°C | 14.6°C | 30.5°C | 7.6°C | 106 mm | 78% | 0.3 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1989 | 26.6°C | 20.3°C | 14.0°C | 34.9°C | 6.1°C | 75 mm | 76% | 0.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1988 | 28.5°C | 20.9°C | 13.2°C | 34.4°C | 8.4°C | 47 mm | 64% | 0.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1987 | 27.7°C | 22.3°C | 16.9°C | 31.5°C | 12.4°C | 113 mm | 81% | 0.2 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1986 | 30.0°C | 22.7°C | 15.5°C | 34.7°C | 7.8°C | 75 mm | 63% | 0.2 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1985 | 29.0°C | 22.2°C | 15.4°C | 36.1°C | 8.3°C | 114 mm | 69% | 0.3 m/s | 6 |
| 1984 | 26.4°C | 20.2°C | 13.9°C | 30.6°C | 6.6°C | 117 mm | 80% | 0.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1983 | 25.9°C | 19.9°C | 13.9°C | 29.1°C | 7.1°C | 59 mm | 80% | 0.3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 27.9°C | 21.9°C | 15.9°C | 32.2°C | 8.1°C | 94 mm | 76% | 0.3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 27.5°C | 20.3°C | 13.1°C | 33.8°C | 6.4°C | 81 mm | 66% | 0.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 28.4°C with lows near 15.7°C (mean 22°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 90 mm of rainfall in Columbus, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 192 mm in 2018.
The hottest May reached 38.5°C in 2011. The coldest dipped to 5.4°C in 1996.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.8°C. Daytime highs moved from 27.3°C to 28.8°C and overnight lows from 14.4°C to 16.5°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Columbus and one of the drier months, so plan for around 28.4°C daytime highs and 15.7°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Columbus, averaging 22°C.
For May in Columbus, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 28.4°C and lows of 15.7°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 74% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in May is 0.3 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 0.3 m/s (1981).
The wettest May on record was 2018 with 192 mm. On average, May sees 90 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Columbus behaves each May, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for May specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
