Santa Maria, CA weather in March
In March, Santa Maria sees highs around 66°F and lows around 44°F: mild, with some rain. Rain falls on about 8 days. Great for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 66°F
- Normal low
- 44°F
- Wet days
- 8
- 2.6 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How March changes from start to finish
| March 1 | March 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 65°F | 67°F |
| Normal low | 44°F | 45°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 28% | 21% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:30 am / 5:57 pm | 6:49 am / 7:21 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 am47°Fdew point 43°F
- 9 am56°Fdew point 46°F
- Noon64°Fdew point 47°F
- 3 pm63°Fdew point 48°F
- 6 pm56°Fdew point 47°F
- 9 pm52°Fdew point 47°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Santa Maria Public Airport (4 mi away); average wind 7 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°F17 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 snow8 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 2.6 in; a dry March brings about 0.7 in and a wet one about 3.6 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 2 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more. Snow is very rare.
How March varies from year to year
- Warmest March, 1991-20202015: average high 77°F
- Coolest March1991: average high 59°F
- Wettest March1991: 9.4 in
- Driest March1997: 0.01 in
- Highest reading95°F (March 14, 2015)
- Lowest reading30°F (March 7, 2012)
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 | 65°F | 66°F | 68°F |
| Normal low | 43°F | 44°F | 45°F |
| Wet days | 8 | 8 | 4 |
| Comfortable days | 11 | 17 | 18 |
| Daylight | 10.9 h | 12.0 h | 13.1 h |
Highs change by +1°F from February and +2°F into April.
Nearby alternatives in March
- Warmer: Santa Clarita, CA114 mi · high 74°F · 6 wet days
- Drier: Lancaster, CA132 mi · high 67°F · 4 wet days
- Cooler: Yosemite Valley, CA199 mi · high 57°F · 11 wet days
How Santa Maria ranks in March
- Normal high143rd warmest of 378 cities; 42nd of 60 in California
- Wet days120th driest of 378
- Comfortable days42nd most of 339
Heating and cooling
March has 303 heating degree days and 2 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 12% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Santa Maria in March?
The normal high is 66°F and the normal low is 44°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest March reading was 30°F (March 7, 2012).
Does it rain a lot in Santa Maria in March?
About 8 days in March have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.6 in. The wettest March in 1991-2020 was in 1991 (9.4 in); the driest was in 1997 (0.01 in).
Is March a good time to visit Santa Maria?
March ranks 9th of 12 months on our comfort score for Santa Maria (70 out of 100). It has about 17 comfortable days. The best months are June, July and August.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Santa Maria Public Airport (USW00023273), 3.8 mi S of the city center, 242 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Lompoc (USC00045064), 21 mi S of the city center, 75 ft (143 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Santa Barbara Muni Airport (USW00023190), 50 mi SE of the city center, 9 ft (209 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Santa Maria Pub/Capt G A Hancock Airport (723940-23273), 4.2 mi SSW of the city center, 243 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.