Santa Barbara, CA weather in March
March in Santa Barbara: mild, with some rain. Highs 68°F, lows 49°F, about 7 wet days. A great month for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 68°F
- Normal low
- 49°F
- Wet days
- 7
- 3.2 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How March changes from start to finish
| March 1 | March 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 67°F | 70°F |
| Normal low | 48°F | 50°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 24% | 17% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:27 am / 5:54 pm | 6:47 am / 7:18 pm |
| Daylight | 11.4 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 am49°Fdew point 44°F
- 9 am59°Fdew point 48°F
- Noon63°Fdew point 48°F
- 3 pm64°Fdew point 48°F
- 6 pm59°Fdew point 48°F
- 9 pm55°Fdew point 47°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Santa Barbara Muni Airport (8 mi away); average wind 6 mph; clear or few clouds in 53% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 34%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F18 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph2 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 snow7 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in4 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 3.2 in; a dry March brings about 0.9 in and a wet one about 4.1 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 2 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more.
How March varies from year to year
- Warmest March, 1991-20202015: average high 76°F
- Coolest March2006: average high 62°F
- Wettest March1991: 11.1 in
- Driest March1997: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading92°F (March 11, 2007)
- Lowest reading33°F (March 5, 1993)
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 | 67°F | 68°F | 71°F |
| Normal low | 47°F | 49°F | 51°F |
| Wet days | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Comfortable days | 13 | 18 | 21 |
| Daylight | 11.0 h | 12.0 h | 13.1 h |
Highs change by +1°F from February and +3°F into April.
Nearby alternatives in March
- Warmer: Santa Clarita, CA66 mi · high 74°F · 6 wet days
- Drier: Palm Springs, CA185 mi · high 81°F · 2 wet days
- Cooler: Oceanside, CA158 mi · high 62°F · 5 wet days
How Santa Barbara ranks in March
- Normal high118th warmest of 378 cities; 28th of 60 in California
- Wet days88th driest of 378
- Comfortable days27th most of 339
Heating and cooling
March has 198 heating degree days and 7 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 10% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Santa Barbara in March?
The normal high is 68°F and the normal low is 49°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest March reading was 33°F (most recently on March 5, 1993).
Does it rain a lot in Santa Barbara in March?
About 7 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 1991 (11.1 in); the driest was in 1997, with no measurable precipitation.
Is March a good time to visit Santa Barbara?
March ranks 9th of 12 months on our comfort score for Santa Barbara (72 out of 100). It has about 18 comfortable days. The best month is June.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Santa Barbara (USC00047902), 0.8 mi ESE of the city center, 16 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Santa Barbara Muni Airport (USW00023190), 8.2 mi W of the city center, 9 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (723925-23190), 8.2 mi W of the city center, 8 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.