San Francisco, CA weather in March
March in San Francisco: cool, with frequent rain. Highs 62°F, lows 49°F, about 11 days with rain.
- Normal high
- 62°F
- Normal low
- 49°F
- Wet days
- 11
- 3.1 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How March changes from start to finish
| March 1 | March 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 62°F | 63°F |
| Normal low | 49°F | 49°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 38% | 30% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:41 am / 6:02 pm | 6:56 am / 7:31 pm |
| Daylight | 11.4 h | 12.6 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 am50°Fdew point 45°F
- 9 am54°Fdew point 47°F
- Noon59°Fdew point 47°F
- 3 pm60°Fdew point 46°F
- 6 pm56°Fdew point 46°F
- 9 pm53°Fdew point 46°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from San Francisco Intl Airport (11 mi away); average wind 10 mph; clear or few clouds in 31% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 52%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F10 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph1 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow11 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in7 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 3.1 in; a dry March brings about 1.3 in and a wet one about 4.5 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 2 days bring half an inch or more.
How March varies from year to year
- Warmest March, 1991-20202004: average high 69°F
- Coolest March2006: average high 56°F
- Wettest March2006: 8.7 in
- Driest March2015: 0.1 in
- Highest reading87°F (March 11, 2005)
- Lowest reading39°F (March 11, 2006)
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 | 60°F | 62°F | 63°F |
| Normal low | 48°F | 49°F | 50°F |
| Wet days | 11 | 11 | 7 |
| Comfortable days | 7 | 10 | 9 |
| Daylight | 10.8 h | 12.0 h | 13.2 h |
Highs change by +2°F from February and +1°F into April.
Nearby alternatives in March
- Warmer: Vallejo, CA24 mi · high 68°F · 9 wet days
- Drier: Fresno, CA162 mi · high 68°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: South Lake Tahoe, CA154 mi · high 48°F · 10 wet days
How San Francisco ranks in March
- Normal high181st warmest of 378 cities; 55th of 60 in California
- Wet days267th driest of 378
- Comfortable days162nd most of 339
What to pack for San Francisco in March
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 11 days
Heating and cooling
March has 297 heating degree days and 2 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 10% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is San Francisco in March?
The normal high is 62°F and the normal low is 49°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest March reading was 39°F (March 11, 2006).
Does it rain a lot in San Francisco in March?
About 11 days in March have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.2 in. The wettest March in 1991-2020 was in 2006 (8.7 in); the driest was in 2015 (0.1 in).
Is March a good time to visit San Francisco?
March ranks 9th of 12 months on our comfort score for San Francisco (59 out of 100). It has about 10 comfortable days. The best months are July and August.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain and frost dates: San Francisco Downtown (USW00023272), 0.5 mi SW of the city center, 150 ft (95 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: San Francisco Oceanside (USC00047767), 5.7 mi SW of the city center, 8 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: San Francisco Intl Airport (USW00023234), 11 mi SSE of the city center, 8 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: San Francisco International Airport (724940-23234), 11 mi SSE of the city center, 10 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.