Raleigh weather in March: Raleigh, North Carolina: normal highs, lows, rain and records for March
Raleigh in March has a normal high of 63°F and a normal low of 40°F, a daily mean of 52°F, rising from 59°F on the 1st to 68°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal March, 4.10 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 17°C and low of 5°C, 104 mm of precipitation and 1 cm of snow in March.
- NOAA stationRaleigh-Durham International Airport
- Station IDUSW00013722
- Location35.89°N 78.78°W
- Elevation416 ft (127 m)
- From the center9 miles
- Population499,825
- Jan 52° 32°
- Feb 56° 34°
- Mar 63° 40°
- Apr 73° 49°
- May 80° 58°
- Jun 87° 66°
- Jul 91° 70°
- Aug 89° 69°
- Sep 83° 63°
- Oct 73° 50°
- Nov 63° 40°
- Dec 55° 34°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Raleigh in March?
The normal high is 63°F and the normal low 40°F, for a daily mean of 51.8°F. March is 6.8°F warmer than February and 9.0°F cooler than April. March is the 8th warmest month of the year in Raleigh and the 4th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 9°F, from 59°F on March 1 to 68°F on March 31. From one year to the next March's mean temperature typically moves about 3.8°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Marchs in three average between 48°F and 56°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 34%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1 | 59°F | 37°F | 34% | 22% |
| March 8 | 61°F | 38°F | 34% | 22% |
| March 15 | 63°F | 40°F | 34% | 22% |
| March 22 | 65°F | 42°F | 34% | 21% |
| March 31 | 68°F | 44°F | 33% | 21% |
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 | 59°F | 37°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 2 | 59°F | 37°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 20 min |
| March 3 | 60°F | 37°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 4 | 60°F | 37°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 5 | 60°F | 38°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 6 | 60°F | 38°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 30 min |
| March 7 | 61°F | 38°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 8 | 61°F | 38°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 9 | 61°F | 39°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 10 | 61°F | 39°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 11 | 62°F | 39°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 40 min |
| March 12 | 62°F | 39°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 13 | 62°F | 39°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 14 | 63°F | 40°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 15 | 63°F | 40°F | 34% | 22% | 11 h 50 min |
| March 16 | 63°F | 40°F | 34% | 22% | 12 h |
| March 17 | 64°F | 40°F | 34% | 22% | 12 h |
| March 18 | 64°F | 41°F | 34% | 22% | 12 h |
| March 19 | 64°F | 41°F | 34% | 22% | 12 h |
| March 20 | 64°F | 41°F | 34% | 22% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 21 | 65°F | 42°F | 34% | 22% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 22 | 65°F | 42°F | 34% | 21% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 23 | 65°F | 42°F | 34% | 21% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 24 | 66°F | 42°F | 34% | 21% | 12 h 10 min |
| March 25 | 66°F | 43°F | 33% | 21% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 26 | 66°F | 43°F | 33% | 21% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 27 | 67°F | 43°F | 33% | 21% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 28 | 67°F | 43°F | 33% | 21% | 12 h 20 min |
| March 29 | 67°F | 44°F | 33% | 21% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 30 | 68°F | 44°F | 33% | 21% | 12 h 30 min |
| March 31 | 68°F | 44°F | 33% | 21% | 12 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 63°FMarch average
- Normal low
- 40°FMarch average
- Precipitation
- 4.10 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 110.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 0.3 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 8
- Daylight
- 11 h 20 min to 12 h 30 minMarch 1 to March 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 9
- Days at 80°F or more
- 2
- Sunshine
- 74%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00013722; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Raleigh in March?
On a given March day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 34% on average, highest around March 16 (34%). In all, 4.10 in falls on 11 days of a normal March, 1 of them with an inch or more.
In a normal March in Raleigh, 8 nights fall to freezing and snowfall averages 0.3 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00013722.
How humid and windy is Raleigh in March?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 66°F with 40% relative humidity and a dew point of 41°F; at 6 a.m. it is 47°F with 79% humidity. The wind averages 7.7 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. | 47°F | 41°F | 79% | 5.6 mph | 45% |
| 9 a.m. | 55°F | 42°F | 61% | 9.1 mph | 35% |
| noon | 62°F | 41°F | 46% | 9.8 mph | 30% |
| 3 p.m. | 66°F | 41°F | 40% | 10.6 mph | 27% |
| 6 p.m. | 63°F | 41°F | 43% | 8.5 mph | 31% |
| 9 p.m. | 56°F | 42°F | 58% | 6.4 mph | 44% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00013722. 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 Raleigh?
The warmest March temperature on Raleigh's official record (since 1887) is 94°F, on March 29, 1907; the coldest is 11°F, on March 6, 1960. The wettest March brought 7.78 in (1983); the snowiest, 17.8 inches (1927).
The March mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 51.8°F: 2021 54.7°F (+2.9), 2022 56.4°F (+4.6), 2023 54.8°F (+3.0), 2024 57.0°F (+5.2), 2025 58.1°F (+6.3), 2026 59.2°F (+7.4). 6 of 6 ran warmer than normal.
| March | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 54.7°F | +2.9°F | 2.43 in |
| 2022 | 56.4°F | +4.6°F | 4.56 in |
| 2023 | 54.8°F | +3.0°F | 3.10 in |
| 2024 | 57.0°F | +5.2°F | 4.35 in |
| 2025 | 58.1°F | +6.3°F | 3.03 in |
| 2026 | 59.2°F | +7.4°F | 1.61 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record RDUthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00013722. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does March in Raleigh compare across North Carolina?
Across the 131 places PlainClimate covers in North Carolina, March normal highs run from 43°F in Beech Mountain to 68°F in Southport; Raleigh's is 63°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.