Costa Mesa, CA weather in March
March in Costa Mesa: mild and mostly dry. Highs 71°F, lows 52°F, rain on about 5 days. A great month for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 71°F
- Normal low
- 52°F
- Wet days
- 5
- 1.3 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How March changes from start to finish
| March 1 | March 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 70°F | 72°F |
| Normal low | 51°F | 53°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 20% | 13% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:19 am / 5:48 pm | 6:40 am / 7:11 pm |
| Daylight | 11.5 h | 12.5 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Pacific Time).
A typical March day
- 6 am54°Fdew point 46°F
- 9 am60°Fdew point 47°F
- Noon64°Fdew point 48°F
- 3 pm63°Fdew point 49°F
- 6 pm59°Fdew point 49°F
- 9 pm58°Fdew point 49°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Los Angeles Intl Airport (34 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 34% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 40%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F23 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph5 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more1 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow5 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in3 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per March, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in March
Normal precipitation is 1.3 in; a dry March brings about 0.3 in and a wet one about 1.8 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more.
How March varies from year to year
- Warmest March, 1991-20202015: average high 80°F
- Coolest March1999: average high 67°F
- Wettest March1992: 5.6 in
- Driest March1997: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading97°F (March 8, 2004)
- Lowest reading38°F (March 1, 2007)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
March compared with February and April
| February | March | April | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 69°F | 71°F | 73°F |
| Normal low | 50°F | 52°F | 54°F |
| Wet days | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| Comfortable days | 18 | 23 | 22 |
| Daylight | 11.0 h | 12.0 h | 13.0 h |
Highs change by +2°F from February and +2°F into April.
Nearby alternatives in March
- Warmer: Palm Springs, CA80 mi · high 81°F · 2 wet days
- Drier: Palm Springs, CA80 mi · high 81°F · 2 wet days
- Cooler: Torrance, CA28 mi · high 66°F · 6 wet days
How Costa Mesa ranks in March
- Normal high82nd warmest of 378 cities; 13th of 60 in California
- Wet days31st driest of 378
- Comfortable days3rd most of 339
Heating and cooling
March has 129 heating degree days and 21 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 7% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Costa Mesa in March?
The normal high is 71°F and the normal low is 52°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest March reading was 97°F (March 8, 2004).
Does it rain a lot in Costa Mesa in March?
About 5 days in March have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 1.3 in. The wettest March in 1991-2020 was in 1992 (5.6 in); the driest was in 1997, with no measurable precipitation.
Is March a good time to visit Costa Mesa?
March ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Costa Mesa (79 out of 100). It has about 23 comfortable days and about 1 day at 90°F or hotter. The best month is May.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature: Santa Ana Fire Stn (USC00047888), 7.7 mi NNE of the city center, 135 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Rain, snowfall and snow depth: Newport Beach Harbor (USC00046175), 3.3 mi SE of the city center, 10 ft (90 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Frost dates: Santa Ana John Wayne Airport (USW00093184), 4.0 mi NE of the city center, 54 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Los Angeles Intl Airport (USW00023174), 34 mi NW of the city center, 97 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: J. Wayne Apt-Orange Co Apt (722977-93184), 4.0 mi NE of the city center, 43 ft (57 ft lower than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.