Ames weather in March: Ames, Iowa: normal highs, lows, rain and records for March
Ames in March has a normal high of 47°F and a normal low of 27°F, a daily mean of 37°F, rising from 39°F on the 1st to 55°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 8 days in a normal March, 1.95 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 8°C and low of −3°C, 50 mm of precipitation in March.
- NOAA stationAmes Municipal Airport
- Station IDUSW00094989
- Location41.99°N 93.62°W
- Elevation930 ft (284 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population69,026
- Jan 29° 11°
- Feb 33° 15°
- Mar 47° 27°
- Apr 61° 38°
- May 72° 50°
- Jun 81° 60°
- Jul 84° 63°
- Aug 82° 60°
- Sep 76° 51°
- Oct 63° 39°
- Nov 47° 27°
- Dec 34° 17°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Ames in March?
The normal high is 47°F and the normal low 27°F, for a daily mean of 37.0°F. March is 12.6°F warmer than February and 12.4°F cooler than April. March is the 8th warmest month of the year in Ames and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 16°F, from 39°F on March 1 to 55°F on March 31. From one year to the next March's mean temperature typically moves about 4.9°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Marchs in three average between 32°F and 42°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 32%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1 | 39°F | 21°F | 24% | 11% |
| March 8 | 43°F | 24°F | 25% | 12% |
| March 15 | 47°F | 27°F | 27% | 13% |
| March 22 | 50°F | 30°F | 29% | 15% |
| March 31 | 55°F | 33°F | 32% | 18% |
Every day of March: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon March 31, coldest night March 1)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1 | 39°F | 21°F | 24% | 11% | 11 h 10 min |
| March 2 | 40°F | 21°F | 24% | 11% | 11 h 10 min |
| March 3 | 40°F | 22°F | 24% | 11% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 4 | 41°F | 22°F | 24% | 12% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 5 | 41°F | 23°F | 24% | 12% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 6 | 42°F | 23°F | 25% | 12% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 7 | 42°F | 23°F | 25% | 12% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 8 | 43°F | 24°F | 25% | 12% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 9 | 43°F | 24°F | 25% | 12% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 10 | 44°F | 25°F | 26% | 13% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 11 | 44°F | 25°F | 26% | 13% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 12 | 45°F | 26°F | 26% | 13% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 13 | 46°F | 26°F | 26% | 13% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 14 | 46°F | 26°F | 27% | 13% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 15 | 47°F | 27°F | 27% | 13% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 16 | 47°F | 27°F | 27% | 14% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 17 | 48°F | 28°F | 27% | 14% | 12 h |
| March 18 | 48°F | 28°F | 28% | 14% | 12 h |
| March 19 | 49°F | 28°F | 28% | 14% | 12 h |
| March 20 | 49°F | 29°F | 28% | 14% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 21 | 50°F | 29°F | 28% | 15% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 22 | 50°F | 30°F | 29% | 15% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 23 | 51°F | 30°F | 29% | 15% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 24 | 52°F | 30°F | 30% | 15% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 25 | 52°F | 31°F | 30% | 16% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 26 | 53°F | 31°F | 30% | 16% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 27 | 53°F | 31°F | 31% | 16% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 28 | 54°F | 32°F | 31% | 17% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 29 | 54°F | 32°F | 31% | 17% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 30 | 54°F | 32°F | 32% | 18% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 31 | 55°F | 33°F | 32% | 18% | 12 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 47°FMarch average
- Normal low
- 27°FMarch average
- Precipitation
- 1.95 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 80.01 inch or more
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 23
- Daylight
- 11 h 10 min to 12 h 40 minMarch 1 to March 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 70%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094989; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain in Ames in March?
On a given March day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 27% on average, highest around March 31 (32%). In all, 1.95 in falls on 8 days of a normal March.
In a normal March in Ames, 23 nights fall to freezing and 4 days stay below freezing all day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094989.
What are the records for March in Ames?
The warmest March temperature on this station's record (since 1996) is 92°F, on March 21, 2026; the coldest is −14°F, on March 3, 2014. The wettest March brought 4.14 in (2009).
The March mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 37.0°F: 2021 42.9°F (+5.9), 2022 37.8°F (+0.8), 2023 35.6°F (−1.4), 2024 42.0°F (+5.0), 2025 44.3°F (+7.3), 2026 43.7°F (+6.7). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| March | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 42.9°F | +5.9°F | 2.63 in |
| 2022 | 37.8°F | +0.8°F | 3.56 in |
| 2023 | 35.6°F | −1.4°F | 1.24 in |
| 2024 | 42.0°F | +5.0°F | 3.34 in |
| 2025 | 44.3°F | +7.3°F | 3.31 in |
| 2026 | 43.7°F | +6.7°F | 2.79 in |
Source: records: ACIS, station USW00094989; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094989. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does March in Ames compare across Iowa?
Across the 132 places PlainClimate covers in Iowa, March normal highs run from 38°F in Northwood to 52°F in Shenandoah; Ames's is 47°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.