Rockford weather in March: Rockford, Illinois: normal highs, lows, rain and records for March

Rockford in March has a normal high of 47°F and a normal low of 28°F, a daily mean of 37°F, rising from 39°F on the 1st to 54°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 11 days in a normal March, 2.40 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)

In metric: a normal high of 8°C and low of −2°C, 61 mm of precipitation and 12 cm of snow in March.

  • NOAA stationRockford Greater Rockford Airport
  • Station IDUSW00094822
  • Location42.19°N 89.09°W
  • Elevation730 ft (223 m)
  • From the center5 miles
  • Population147,486
  1. Jan 29° 15°
  2. Feb 33° 18°
  3. Mar 47° 28°
  4. Apr 60° 39°
  5. May 71° 50°
  6. Jun 81° 60°
  7. Jul 84° 64°
  8. Aug 82° 62°
  9. Sep 75° 54°
  10. Oct 62° 42°
  11. Nov 47° 31°
  12. Dec 34° 20°

Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.

How warm is Rockford in March?

The normal high is 47°F and the normal low 28°F, for a daily mean of 37.3°F. March is 11.7°F warmer than February and 11.8°F cooler than April. March is the 9th warmest month of the year in Rockford and the 8th wettest. Across the month the normal high rises 15°F, from 39°F on March 1 to 54°F on March 31. From one year to the next March's mean temperature typically moves about 4.7°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Marchs in three average between 33°F and 42°F.

Rockford in March, day by day: normal high and low

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 36%).

Normal high and low on five days of March, with the chance of precipitation
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 in
March 139°F23°F33%16%
March 843°F25°F34%17%
March 1546°F28°F34%17%
March 2250°F30°F35%18%
March 3154°F33°F36%20%
Every day of March: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon March 31, coldest night March 1)
Rockford: NOAA 1991-2020 daily normals for each day of March
DayHighLowChance of 0.01 inChance of 0.10 inDaylight
March 139°F23°F33%16%11 h 10 min
March 240°F23°F33%16%11 h 10 min
March 340°F24°F33%16%11 h 20 min
March 441°F24°F34%16%11 h 20 min
March 541°F24°F34%17%11 h 20 min
March 642°F25°F34%17%11 h 30 min
March 742°F25°F34%17%11 h 30 min
March 843°F25°F34%17%11 h 30 min
March 943°F26°F34%17%11 h 30 min
March 1044°F26°F34%17%11 h 40 min
March 1144°F26°F34%17%11 h 40 min
March 1245°F27°F34%17%11 h 40 min
March 1345°F27°F34%17%11 h 50 min
March 1446°F28°F34%17%11 h 50 min
March 1546°F28°F34%17%11 h 50 min
March 1647°F28°F34%17%11 h 50 min
March 1747°F29°F34%17%12 h
March 1848°F29°F35%17%12 h
March 1948°F29°F35%18%12 h
March 2049°F30°F35%18%12 h 10 min
March 2149°F30°F35%18%12 h 10 min
March 2250°F30°F35%18%12 h 10 min
March 2350°F31°F35%18%12 h 10 min
March 2450°F31°F35%19%12 h 20 min
March 2551°F31°F35%19%12 h 20 min
March 2651°F32°F35%19%12 h 20 min
March 2752°F32°F36%19%12 h 30 min
March 2852°F32°F36%19%12 h 30 min
March 2953°F33°F36%20%12 h 30 min
March 3053°F33°F36%20%12 h 30 min
March 3154°F33°F36%20%12 h 40 min
Normal high
47°FMarch average
Normal low
28°FMarch average
Precipitation
2.40 inmonth total
Days with precipitation
110.01 inch or more
Snowfall
4.9 inmonth total
Nights at 32°F or colder
22
Daylight
11 h 10 min to 12 h 40 minMarch 1 to March 31
Days at 70°F or more
1
Sunshine
69%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00094822; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.

Does it rain or snow in Rockford in March?

On a given March day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 34% on average, highest around March 31 (36%). In all, 2.40 in falls on 11 days of a normal March, 1 of them with an inch or more.

In a normal March in Rockford, 22 nights fall to freezing, 4 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 4.9 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 USW00094822.

How humid and windy is Rockford in March?

At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 52°F with 46% relative humidity and a dew point of 31°F; at 6 a.m. it is 36°F with 79% humidity. The wind averages 10.9 mph, most often from the west-southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.

A normal March day at the station, hour by hour (local standard time)
TimeTemperatureDew pointHumidityWindClear or few clouds
6 a.m.36°F30°F79%8.8 mph27%
9 a.m.43°F32°F63%12.0 mph30%
noon50°F32°F50%13.6 mph20%
3 p.m.52°F31°F46%13.9 mph–
6 p.m.48°F32°F52%11.7 mph22%
9 p.m.43°F32°F66%9.9 mph40%

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00094822. 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 Rockford?

The warmest March temperature on Rockford's official record (since 1893) is 85°F, on March 29, 1986; the coldest is −11°F, on March 1, 1962. The wettest March brought 6.20 in (1944); the snowiest, 22.7 inches (1964).

The March mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 37.3°F: 2021 42.8°F (+5.5), 2022 39.4°F (+2.1), 2023 36.7°F (−0.6), 2024 42.8°F (+5.5), 2025 42.9°F (+5.6), 2026 42.5°F (+5.2). 5 of 6 ran warmer than normal.

Rockford: March in recent years against the 1991-2020 normal
MarchMeanAgainst normalPrecip.
202142.8°F+5.5°F1.49 in
202239.4°F+2.1°F2.92 in
202336.7°F−0.6°F3.30 in
202442.8°F+5.5°F4.58 in
202542.9°F+5.6°F2.82 in
202642.5°F+5.2°F3.06 in

Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record RFDthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00094822. Records and recent months use complete months only.

How does March in Rockford 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; Rockford's is 47°F.

Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.

Other months and places