Wilmington, NC weather in March
March in Wilmington: mild, with some rain. Highs 67°F, lows 44°F, about 10 wet days. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 67°F
- Normal low
- 44°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 4.0 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How March changes from start to finish
| March 1 | March 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 63°F | 70°F |
| Normal low | 41°F | 48°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 31% | 29% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:40 am / 6:07 pm | 7:00 am / 7:31 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 (Eastern Time).
A typical March day
- 6 am47°Fdew point 41°F
- 9 am54°Fdew point 42°F
- Noon61°Fdew point 41°F
- 3 pm63°Fdew point 41°F
- 6 pm59°Fdew point 42°F
- 9 pm53°Fdew point 43°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from New River Mcaf (46 mi away); average wind 9 mph; clear or few clouds in 42% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 44%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F15 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 snow10 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in6 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below4 of 31
Average days per March, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in March
Normal precipitation is 4.0 in; a dry March brings about 2.7 in and a wet one about 5.2 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 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, 1991-20202012: average high 74°F
- Coolest March1996: average high 61°F
- Wettest March1994: 8.3 in
- Driest March2006: 1.3 in
- Highest reading88°F (March 28, 2020)
- Lowest reading19°F (March 4, 2009)
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 | 67°F | 75°F |
| Normal low | 38°F | 44°F | 53°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 10 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 10 | 15 | 17 |
| Daylight | 11.0 h | 12.0 h | 13.1 h |
Highs change by +7°F from February and +8°F into April.
Nearby alternatives in March
- Warmer: Columbia, SC177 mi · high 72°F · 9 wet days
- Cooler: Greensboro, NC165 mi · high 61°F · 11 wet days
How Wilmington ranks in March
- Normal high140th warmest of 378 cities; 1st of 10 in North Carolina
- Wet days216th driest of 378
- Comfortable days101st most of 339
What to pack for Wilmington in March
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 10 days
Frost in March
The last spring frost typically comes around Mar 19; in 1 year in 10 it comes after Apr 4. All frost dates for Wilmington.
Heating and cooling
March has 320 heating degree days and 19 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 8% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Wilmington in March?
The normal high is 67°F and the normal low is 44°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest March reading was 19°F (March 4, 2009).
Does it rain a lot in Wilmington in March?
About 10 days in March have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 4.0 in. The wettest March in 1991-2020 was in 1994 (8.3 in); the driest was in 2006 (1.3 in).
Is March a good time to visit Wilmington?
March ranks 2nd of 12 months on our comfort score for Wilmington (66 out of 100). It has about 15 comfortable days. The best month is April.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth and frost dates: Wilmington Intl Airport (USW00013748), 3.9 mi NE of the city center, 33 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: New River Mcaf (USW00093727), 46 mi NE of the city center, 26 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Jacksonville (723096-93727), 44 mi NE of the city center, 26 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.