Columbia weather in March: Columbia, South Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for March
Columbia in March has a normal high of 68°F and a normal low of 44°F, a daily mean of 56°F, rising from 64°F on the 1st to 72°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 9 days in a normal March, 3.57 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 20°C and low of 6°C, 91 mm of precipitation and 0 cm of snow in March.
- NOAA stationColumbia Metropolitan Airport
- Station IDUSW00013883
- Location33.95°N 81.12°W
- Elevation231 ft (70 m)
- Population144,788
- Jan 57° 35°
- Feb 61° 37°
- Mar 68° 44°
- Apr 77° 52°
- May 84° 61°
- Jun 90° 69°
- Jul 93° 72°
- Aug 91° 71°
- Sep 86° 65°
- Oct 77° 53°
- Nov 66° 42°
- Dec 59° 37°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Columbia in March?
The normal high is 68°F and the normal low 44°F, for a daily mean of 55.9°F. March is 6.8°F warmer than February and 8.2°F cooler than April. March is the 8th warmest month of the year in Columbia and the 6th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 8°F, from 64°F on March 1 to 72°F on March 31. From one year to the next March's mean temperature typically moves about 3.6°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Marchs in three average between 52°F and 60°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 31%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1 | 64°F | 40°F | 31% | 21% |
| March 8 | 66°F | 42°F | 29% | 20% |
| March 15 | 68°F | 43°F | 28% | 19% |
| March 22 | 70°F | 45°F | 28% | 19% |
| March 31 | 72°F | 47°F | 28% | 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 | 64°F | 40°F | 31% | 21% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 2 | 65°F | 40°F | 30% | 21% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 3 | 65°F | 40°F | 30% | 21% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 4 | 65°F | 41°F | 30% | 21% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 5 | 65°F | 41°F | 30% | 21% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 6 | 66°F | 41°F | 30% | 20% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 7 | 66°F | 41°F | 30% | 20% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 8 | 66°F | 42°F | 29% | 20% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 9 | 66°F | 42°F | 29% | 20% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 10 | 67°F | 42°F | 29% | 20% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 11 | 67°F | 42°F | 29% | 20% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 12 | 67°F | 43°F | 29% | 20% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 13 | 68°F | 43°F | 29% | 19% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 14 | 68°F | 43°F | 29% | 19% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 15 | 68°F | 43°F | 28% | 19% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 16 | 68°F | 44°F | 28% | 19% | 12 h |
| March 17 | 69°F | 44°F | 28% | 19% | 12 h |
| March 18 | 69°F | 44°F | 28% | 19% | 12 h |
| March 19 | 69°F | 44°F | 28% | 19% | 12 h |
| March 20 | 69°F | 45°F | 28% | 19% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 21 | 70°F | 45°F | 28% | 19% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 22 | 70°F | 45°F | 28% | 19% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 23 | 70°F | 45°F | 28% | 18% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 24 | 70°F | 46°F | 28% | 18% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 25 | 71°F | 46°F | 28% | 18% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 26 | 71°F | 46°F | 28% | 18% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 27 | 71°F | 46°F | 28% | 18% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 28 | 72°F | 47°F | 28% | 18% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 29 | 72°F | 47°F | 28% | 18% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 30 | 72°F | 47°F | 28% | 18% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 31 | 72°F | 47°F | 28% | 18% | 12 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 68°FMarch average
- Normal low
- 44°FMarch average
- Precipitation
- 3.57 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 90.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.1 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 4
- Daylight
- 11 h 30 min to 12 h 30 minMarch 1 to March 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 15
- Days at 80°F or more
- 5
- Sunshine
- 75%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013883; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Columbia in March?
On a given March day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 29% on average, highest around March 1 (31%). In all, 3.57 in falls on 9 days of a normal March, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal March in Columbia, 4 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013883.
How humid and windy is Columbia in March?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 71°F with 37% relative humidity and a dew point of 43°F; at 6 a.m. it is 51°F with 80% humidity. The wind averages 7.4 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 51°F | 45°F | 80% | 4.6 mph | 51% |
| 9 a.m. | 59°F | 46°F | 62% | 8.1 mph | 46% |
| noon | 67°F | 44°F | 43% | 9.9 mph | 38% |
| 3 p.m. | 71°F | 43°F | 37% | 10.5 mph | 36% |
| 6 p.m. | 69°F | 44°F | 40% | 9.4 mph | 38% |
| 9 p.m. | 61°F | 46°F | 59% | 6.3 mph | 49% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013883. 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 Columbia?
The warmest March temperature on Columbia's official record (since 1887) is 93°F, on March 23, 1907; the coldest is 4°F, on March 3, 1980. The wettest March brought 10.89 in (1973); the snowiest, 4.1 inches (1980).
The March mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 55.9°F: 2021 58.5°F (+2.6), 2022 58.6°F (+2.7), 2023 58.5°F (+2.6), 2024 59.3°F (+3.4), 2025 58.3°F (+2.4), 2026 62.1°F (+6.3). 6 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| March | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 58.5°F | +2.6°F | 3.43 in |
| 2022 | 58.6°F | +2.7°F | 2.05 in |
| 2023 | 58.5°F | +2.6°F | 4.82 in |
| 2024 | 59.3°F | +3.4°F | 7.48 in |
| 2025 | 58.3°F | +2.4°F | 3.51 in |
| 2026 | 62.1°F | +6.3°F | 0.82 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record CAEthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013883. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does March in Columbia compare across South Carolina?
Across the 73 places PlainClimate covers in South Carolina, March normal highs run from 56°F in Caesars Head to 72°F in Hampton; Columbia's is 68°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.