May is one of the warmer months of the year in Arlington, with average highs near 28.8°C and lows around 17.2°C (mean 23°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 127 mm of rainfall and 74% relative humidity across the period.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Arlington. Across 45 years of records, the warmest May in Arlington was 1996 — when the month averaged 27.9°C — while the coldest were 1992 and 1993 at 20.6°C. Typical May days reach 28.8°C with nights near 17.2°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
May is a relatively wet time of year in Arlington, averaging 127 mm of rainfall. The wettest May on record was 2015 with 361 mm, while the driest was 1998 at 33 mm.
Relative humidity in Arlington during May averages 74%. The most humid May was 2015 at 86%, and the least humid was 1996 at 56%.
May receives about 6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Arlington. The sunniest May was 2006 at 7.1 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2015 at 4.6.
Average wind speed in Arlington during May is 3.1 m/s. The windiest May was 1996 at 4.6 m/s, while the calmest was 2023 at 2.1 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 22.5°C | 22.7°C | 23.3°C | 23.2°C | 23.6°C | +1.1°C |
| Avg High | 28.5°C | 28.3°C | 29.1°C | 29.0°C | 29.0°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg Low | 16.5°C | 17.0°C | 17.5°C | 17.4°C | 18.1°C | +1.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 155 mm | 121 mm | 96 mm | 126 mm | 146 mm | -9 mm |
May temperatures in Arlington have risen by about 1.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
May has ranged from a record low of 4.2°C (2013) to a record high of 40.1°C (1996).
Rainfall in May is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 127 mm, with a wettest year of 361 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0.2°C per decade while lows rose 0.4°C per decade, narrowing the gap between day and night.
One of the best times to visit Arlington
May is one of the best times to visit Arlington. Expect days averaging 28.8°C and nights around 17.2°C (mean 23°C) — warmer than Arlington's yearly average — with higher rainfall (127 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 | 29.4°C | 23.7°C | 18.0°C | 36.9°C | 11.6°C | 122 mm | 74% | 2.6 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2024 | 28.7°C | 24.3°C | 19.8°C | 33.6°C | 14.6°C | 233 mm | 83% | 2.7 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2023 | 28.6°C | 23.3°C | 18.1°C | 33.5°C | 10.3°C | 90 mm | 75% | 2.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 33.2°C | 26.0°C | 18.9°C | 37.9°C | 13.0°C | 75 mm | 63% | 3.7 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2021 | 26.3°C | 21.7°C | 17.1°C | 31.7°C | 9.7°C | 221 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2020 | 28.0°C | 22.4°C | 16.8°C | 32.8°C | 9.9°C | 136 mm | 76% | 3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2019 | 27.3°C | 22.5°C | 17.6°C | 30.5°C | 10.3°C | 185 mm | 82% | 3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2018 | 32.3°C | 26.0°C | 19.6°C | 38.0°C | 13.6°C | 61 mm | 66% | 2.8 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2017 | 29.9°C | 23.1°C | 16.2°C | 34.3°C | 7.1°C | 49 mm | 64% | 3.2 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2016 | 26.2°C | 21.5°C | 16.8°C | 31.2°C | 8.6°C | 148 mm | 81% | 2.8 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2015 🌧️ | 26.3°C | 22.3°C | 18.3°C | 29.2°C | 13.4°C | 361 mm | 86% | 3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2014 | 29.0°C | 22.5°C | 16.0°C | 34.8°C | 6.3°C | 131 mm | 67% | 3.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2013 | 28.4°C | 22.3°C | 16.2°C | 34.8°C | 4.2°C | 98 mm | 69% | 3.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2012 | 30.8°C | 24.6°C | 18.5°C | 35.4°C | 14.0°C | 75 mm | 68% | 2.9 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2011 | 30.2°C | 23.4°C | 16.6°C | 38.4°C | 6.5°C | 99 mm | 64% | 4 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2010 | 29.3°C | 23.7°C | 18.0°C | 35.4°C | 10.4°C | 52 mm | 71% | 2.7 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2009 | 28.1°C | 22.4°C | 16.7°C | 34.3°C | 9.9°C | 89 mm | 75% | 2.6 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2008 | 29.1°C | 23.0°C | 16.8°C | 34.7°C | 7.8°C | 86 mm | 71% | 3.2 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2007 | 26.5°C | 22.4°C | 18.2°C | 30.1°C | 11.5°C | 206 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2006 | 31.0°C | 24.3°C | 17.6°C | 37.1°C | 10.4°C | 48 mm | 65% | 3.2 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2005 | 29.1°C | 22.9°C | 16.7°C | 38.3°C | 6.4°C | 84 mm | 70% | 2.6 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2004 | 28.8°C | 23.2°C | 17.6°C | 35.7°C | 7.0°C | 52 mm | 76% | 3.6 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2003 | 31.8°C | 25.3°C | 18.7°C | 39.6°C | 14.9°C | 68 mm | 68% | 2.9 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2002 | 28.2°C | 22.3°C | 16.4°C | 34.4°C | 8.6°C | 120 mm | 72% | 3.3 m/s | 6 |
| 2001 | 27.9°C | 22.8°C | 17.6°C | 31.4°C | 9.7°C | 103 mm | 78% | 3 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2000 | 30.9°C | 24.7°C | 18.5°C | 36.9°C | 10.3°C | 102 mm | 70% | 3.8 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1999 | 28.6°C | 22.7°C | 16.7°C | 32.5°C | 9.5°C | 139 mm | 74% | 2.9 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1998 | 33.4°C | 25.9°C | 18.3°C | 40.1°C | 12.3°C | 33 mm | 61% | 3.1 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1997 | 26.0°C | 20.8°C | 15.5°C | 32.0°C | 8.2°C | 91 mm | 80% | 2.8 m/s | 6 |
| 1996 🔥 | 35.2°C | 27.9°C | 20.5°C | 40.1°C | 10.5°C | 36 mm | 56% | 4.6 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1995 | 26.8°C | 21.6°C | 16.4°C | 32.1°C | 7.8°C | 190 mm | 81% | 3.1 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1994 | 26.9°C | 21.7°C | 16.5°C | 31.8°C | 6.2°C | 168 mm | 81% | 2.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1993 | 26.2°C | 20.6°C | 15.1°C | 30.6°C | 8.0°C | 69 mm | 80% | 3.2 m/s | 6 |
| 1992 ❄️ | 25.3°C | 20.6°C | 15.9°C | 32.4°C | 8.5°C | 161 mm | 82% | 2.6 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1991 | 27.9°C | 23.3°C | 18.7°C | 32.2°C | 8.1°C | 121 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1990 | 27.1°C | 21.6°C | 16.1°C | 31.8°C | 7.8°C | 205 mm | 81% | 3.6 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1989 | 28.3°C | 22.9°C | 17.4°C | 32.8°C | 11.2°C | 252 mm | 79% | 3.4 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1988 | 30.5°C | 22.9°C | 15.2°C | 35.1°C | 8.9°C | 88 mm | 58% | 3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1987 | 28.4°C | 23.5°C | 18.7°C | 33.2°C | 14.5°C | 191 mm | 78% | 2.6 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1986 | 26.7°C | 21.6°C | 16.5°C | 30.5°C | 10.2°C | 181 mm | 80% | 3.2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1985 | 28.0°C | 22.2°C | 16.4°C | 35.9°C | 11.2°C | 78 mm | 75% | 2.9 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1984 | 32.0°C | 24.5°C | 17.0°C | 38.2°C | 9.4°C | 65 mm | 58% | 3.6 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1983 | 27.8°C | 21.2°C | 14.7°C | 32.1°C | 8.6°C | 158 mm | 72% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 27.0°C | 22.0°C | 16.9°C | 32.1°C | 7.9°C | 207 mm | 81% | 3.1 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 27.8°C | 21.7°C | 15.7°C | 33.4°C | 7.2°C | 171 mm | 72% | 3.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded May data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in May is around 28.8°C with lows near 17.2°C (mean 23°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
May averages 127 mm of rainfall in Arlington, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 361 mm in 2015.
The hottest May reached 40.1°C in 1996. The coldest dipped to 4.2°C in 2013.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average May temperatures have risen by about 1.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 28.5°C to 29.2°C and overnight lows from 16.1°C to 18.4°C over the same span.
May is one of the warmer months of the year in Arlington and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 28.8°C daytime highs and 17.2°C at night.
Not quite — May is the 8th coolest month in Arlington, averaging 23°C.
For May in Arlington, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 28.8°C and lows of 17.2°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in May averages 74% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in May is 3.1 m/s. The windiest May on record averaged 4.6 m/s (1996).
The wettest May on record was 2015 with 361 mm. On average, May sees 127 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 Arlington 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.
