Chicago weather in March: Chicago, Illinois: normal highs, lows, rain and records for March
Chicago in March has a normal high of 47°F and a normal low of 31°F, a daily mean of 39°F, rising from 41°F on the 1st to 53°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal March, 2.45 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 8°C and low of −1°C, 62 mm of precipitation and 14 cm of snow in March.
- NOAA stationChicago O'Hare International Airport
- Station IDUSW00094846
- Location41.99°N 87.93°W
- Elevation658 ft (201 m)
- From the center17 miles
- Population2,721,308
- Jan 32° 19°
- Feb 36° 22°
- Mar 47° 31°
- Apr 59° 40°
- May 71° 51°
- Jun 80° 61°
- Jul 85° 66°
- Aug 83° 65°
- Sep 76° 57°
- Oct 63° 45°
- Nov 48° 34°
- Dec 37° 24°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Chicago in March?
The normal high is 47°F and the normal low 31°F, for a daily mean of 39.0°F. March is 10.2°F warmer than February and 10.7°F cooler than April. March is the 9th warmest month of the year in Chicago and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 12°F, from 41°F on March 1 to 53°F on March 31. From one year to the next March's mean temperature typically moves about 4.5°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Marchs in three average between 35°F and 44°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 37%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1 | 41°F | 26°F | 34% | 18% |
| March 8 | 44°F | 29°F | 35% | 18% |
| March 15 | 47°F | 31°F | 35% | 18% |
| March 22 | 49°F | 33°F | 36% | 19% |
| March 31 | 53°F | 35°F | 37% | 20% |
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 | 41°F | 26°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| March 2 | 41°F | 27°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h 10 min |
| March 3 | 42°F | 27°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 4 | 42°F | 27°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 5 | 43°F | 28°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 6 | 43°F | 28°F | 34% | 18% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 7 | 43°F | 28°F | 35% | 18% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 8 | 44°F | 29°F | 35% | 18% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 9 | 44°F | 29°F | 35% | 18% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 10 | 45°F | 29°F | 35% | 18% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 11 | 45°F | 30°F | 35% | 18% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 12 | 46°F | 30°F | 35% | 18% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 13 | 46°F | 30°F | 35% | 18% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 14 | 46°F | 31°F | 35% | 18% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 15 | 47°F | 31°F | 35% | 18% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 16 | 47°F | 31°F | 35% | 18% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 17 | 48°F | 31°F | 35% | 18% | 12 h |
| March 18 | 48°F | 32°F | 35% | 18% | 12 h |
| March 19 | 48°F | 32°F | 35% | 19% | 12 h |
| March 20 | 49°F | 32°F | 35% | 19% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 21 | 49°F | 33°F | 36% | 19% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 22 | 49°F | 33°F | 36% | 19% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 23 | 50°F | 33°F | 36% | 19% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 24 | 50°F | 33°F | 36% | 19% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 25 | 51°F | 34°F | 36% | 19% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 26 | 51°F | 34°F | 36% | 19% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 27 | 51°F | 34°F | 36% | 20% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 28 | 52°F | 34°F | 37% | 20% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 29 | 52°F | 35°F | 37% | 20% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 30 | 53°F | 35°F | 37% | 20% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 31 | 53°F | 35°F | 37% | 20% | 12 h 40 min |
- Normal high
- 47°FMarch average
- Normal low
- 31°FMarch average
- Precipitation
- 2.45 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 5.5 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 20
- Daylight
- 11 h 10 min to 12 h 40 minMarch 1 to March 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 67%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094846; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Chicago in March?
On a given March day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 35% on average, highest around March 31 (37%). In all, 2.45 in falls on 11 days of a normal March.
In a normal March in Chicago, 20 nights fall to freezing, 3 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 5.5 inches.
Snow falls on 4 days in a normal March, and an inch or more covers the ground on 5 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00094846.
How humid and windy is Chicago in March?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 50°F with 49% relative humidity and a dew point of 32°F; at 6 a.m. it is 38°F with 76% humidity. The wind averages 11.1 mph, most often from the northwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 38°F | 31°F | 76% | 9.3 mph | 27% |
| 9 a.m. | 44°F | 32°F | 61% | 11.8 mph | 25% |
| noon | 49°F | 32°F | 51% | 13.0 mph | 17% |
| 3 p.m. | 50°F | 32°F | 49% | 14.0 mph | – |
| 6 p.m. | 47°F | 32°F | 56% | 12.2 mph | 19% |
| 9 p.m. | 43°F | 32°F | 66% | 10.3 mph | 33% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094846. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for March in Chicago?
The warmest March temperature on Chicago's official record (since 1872) is 88°F, on March 29, 1986; the coldest is −12°F, on March 4, 1873. The wettest March brought 5.58 in (1922); the snowiest, 23.1 inches (1926).
The March mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 39.0°F: 2021 44.2°F (+5.2), 2022 40.7°F (+1.7), 2023 38.8°F (−0.2), 2024 44.0°F (+5.0), 2025 44.4°F (+5.4), 2026 43.9°F (+4.9). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| March | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44.2°F | +5.2°F | 1.25 in |
| 2022 | 40.7°F | +1.7°F | 3.69 in |
| 2023 | 38.8°F | −0.2°F | 3.80 in |
| 2024 | 44.0°F | +5.0°F | 3.59 in |
| 2025 | 44.4°F | +5.4°F | 2.99 in |
| 2026 | 43.9°F | +4.9°F | 4.54 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record ORDthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094846. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does March in Chicago compare across Illinois?
Across the 144 places PlainClimate covers in Illinois, March normal highs run from 44°F in Antioch to 61°F in Anna; Chicago's is 47°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.