Climateby Month

Chesapeake, VA weather in March

NOAA 1991-2020 normals and daily records · Chesapeake all year

Chesapeake is cool in March, with frequent rain: highs average 60°F and nights drop to about 41°F. There are about 11 days with rain.

Normal high
60°F
Normal low
41°F
Wet days
11
3.7 in total
Muggy days
0
dew point 65°F+

How March changes from start to finish

Normal values at the start and end of March
March 1March 31
Normal high56°F65°F
Normal low38°F45°F
Chance of a wet day34%34%
Sunrise / sunset6:35 am / 5:59 pm6:52 am / 7:26 pm
Daylight11.4 h12.6 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

  1. 6 am45°Fdew point 37°F
  2. 9 am50°Fdew point 37°F
  3. Noon54°Fdew point 37°F
  4. 3 pm56°Fdew point 37°F
  5. 6 pm53°Fdew point 37°F
  6. 9 pm49°Fdew point 38°F

NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Norfolk Intl Airport (7 mi away); average wind 10 mph; clear or few clouds in 54% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 39%.

What kind of days to expect

  • Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F9 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 below4 of 31
  • Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more0 of 31

Average days per March, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.

Rain and snow in March

Normal precipitation is 3.7 in; a dry March brings about 2.6 in and a wet one about 4.7 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more. Normal snowfall is 0.4 in.

How March varies from year to year

  • Warmest March, 1991-20202012: average high 69°F
  • Coolest March2013: average high 53°F
  • Wettest March1994: 10.4 in
  • Driest March2006: 0.5 in
  • Highest reading88°F (March 20, 2020)
  • Lowest reading18°F (March 7, 2015)

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

FebruaryMarchApril
Normal high53°F60°F70°F
Normal low35°F41°F50°F
Wet days91110
Comfortable days5913
Daylight10.8 h12.0 h13.2 h

Highs change by +7°F from February and +10°F into April.

Nearby alternatives in March

How Chesapeake ranks in March

  • Normal high191st warmest of 378 cities; 1st of 5 in Virginia
  • Wet days281st driest of 378
  • Comfortable days173rd most of 339

What to pack for Chesapeake in March

  • A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 11 days

Frost in March

The last spring frost typically comes around Mar 17; in 1 year in 10 it comes after Mar 31. All frost dates for Chesapeake.

Heating and cooling

March has 453 heating degree days and 9 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 9% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.

Questions

How cold is Chesapeake in March?

The normal high is 60°F and the normal low is 41°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest March reading was 18°F (most recently on March 7, 2015).

Does it rain a lot in Chesapeake in March?

About 11 days in March have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.7 in. The wettest March in 1991-2020 was in 1994 (10.4 in); the driest was in 2006 (0.5 in).

Does it snow in Chesapeake in March?

Yes. Normal snowfall in March is 0.4 in.

Is March a good time to visit Chesapeake?

March ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Chesapeake (58 out of 100). It has about 9 comfortable days. The best months are April, May and October.

Where the numbers come from

  • Temperature, rain, snowfall, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Norfolk Intl Airport (USW00013737), 7.4 mi NE of the city center, 30 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
  • Snow depth: Suffolk Lake Kilby (USC00448192), 19 mi WSW of the city center, 22 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
  • Daily humidity and wind: Norfolk International Airport (723080-13737), 7.4 mi NE of the city center, 11 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.