Whitefish, MT weather in March
Whitefish is chilly in March, with frequent rain and some snow: highs average 45°F and nights drop to about 24°F. Rain or snow falls on about 12 days. Snowfall averages about 8.0 in.
- Normal high
- 45°F
- Normal low
- 24°F
- Wet days
- 12
- 1.1 in total
- Snowfall
- 8.0 in
- snow on the ground 9 days
How March changes from start to finish
| March 1 | March 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 40°F | 50°F |
| Normal low | 20°F | 28°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 40% | 40% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:18 am / 6:20 pm | 7:17 am / 8:05 pm |
| Daylight | 11.0 h | 12.8 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Mountain Time).
A typical March day
- 6 am28°Fdew point 23°F
- 9 am32°Fdew point 25°F
- Noon40°Fdew point 25°F
- 3 pm43°Fdew point 25°F
- 6 pm41°Fdew point 26°F
- 9 pm34°Fdew point 26°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Kalispell Glacier Airport (8 mi away); average wind 6 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F1 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 snow12 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in4 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below27 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more9 of 31
Average days per March, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain and snow in March
Normal precipitation is 1.1 in; a dry March brings about 0.7 in and a wet one about 1.5 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare. Normal snowfall is 8.0 in, with about 3 days of an inch or more.
How March varies from year to year
- Warmest March, 1991-20201992: average high 55°F
- Coolest March2002: average high 34°F
- Wettest March2017: 2.7 in
- Driest March1994: 0.08 in
- Highest reading73°F (March 30, 2004)
- Lowest reading-21°F (March 4, 2019)
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 | 36°F | 45°F | 55°F |
| Normal low | 18°F | 24°F | 31°F |
| Wet days | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Comfortable days | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Daylight | 10.2 h | 11.9 h | 13.7 h |
Highs change by +9°F from February and +10°F into April.
Nearby alternatives in March
- Drier: Great Falls, MT154 mi · high 46°F · 8 wet days
How Whitefish ranks in March
- Normal high320th warmest of 378 cities; 4th of 6 in Montana
- Wet days338th driest of 378
- Comfortable days320th most of 339
What to pack for Whitefish in March
- A warm jacket – lows near 24°F, highs near 45°F
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain or snow on about 12 days
- Waterproof boots – about 8.0 in of snow in a typical year
- A hat and gloves – about 27 freezing nights
Heating and cooling
March has 944 heating degree days and 0 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 11% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Whitefish in March?
The normal high is 45°F and the normal low is 24°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest March reading was -21°F (March 4, 2019).
Does it rain a lot in Whitefish in March?
About 12 days in March have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 1.1 in. The wettest March in 1991-2020 was in 2017 (2.7 in); the driest was in 1994 (0.08 in).
Does it snow in Whitefish in March?
Yes. Normal snowfall in March is 8.0 in, and snow covers the ground on about 9 days.
Is March a good time to visit Whitefish?
March ranks 8th of 12 months on our comfort score for Whitefish (45 out of 100). It has about 1 comfortable day. The best months are May and June.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snow depth and humidity and wind by hour: Kalispell Glacier Airport (USC00244558), 8.1 mi SSE of the city center, 2,957 ft (78 ft lower than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and frost dates: Whitefish (USC00248902), 1.0 mi WSW of the city center, 3,100 ft (65 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Glacier Park International Airport (727790-24146), 8.1 mi SSE of the city center, 2,963 ft (72 ft lower than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).