Peterborough weather in March

In March, Peterborough sees average daytime highs of 4°C and overnight lows near -5°C, with 63 mm of precipitation across 10.3 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 1°C in the first days to 7°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Peterborough's 6th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Peterborough's year-round climate.

Daytime high
9th warmest
Overnight low
-5°
4th coldest
Precipitation
63 mm
10.3 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:34 AM – 6:12 PM
Cloud cover
66%
6th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
3.98 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.2
out of 10

Peterborough is city in Ontario, Canada.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 6 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
1,469/km²
people per km²
Founded
1819

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 1°C in the first days to 7°C by the end.

A typical March day in Peterborough reaches about 4°C in the afternoon and slips back to -5°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -4°C and 11°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 6°C warmer than February and about 8°C cooler than April.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
10-9
21-8
31-8
41-8
51-8
61-8
72-8
82-7
92-7
102-7
112-7
123-6
133-6
143-6
153-6
164-5
174-5
184-5
194-5
205-4
215-4
225-4
235-3
246-3
256-3
266-3
277-2
287-2
297-2
307-2
318-1

How March really feels in Peterborough

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
18 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

The story in March is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Peterborough weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-3° / -11°6810.79.49.10.0
Feb-2° / -11°528.2710.20.0
Mar / -5°6310.3611.60.2
Apr11° / 8711.52.513.22.7
May18° / 8210.7014.55.7
Jun23° / 13°9210.9015.36.6
Jul26° / 16°8810.90156.6
Aug25° / 15°8510.5013.86.9
Sep21° / 11°859.6012.36.5
Oct13° / 8511.50.410.83.6
Nov / -1°7410.33.19.40.6
Dec / -7°6810.67.18.70.0

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 65%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13268
23169
33169
43169
53169
63169
73268
83169
93268
103367
113367
123466
133466
143565
153565
163664
173664
183862
193862
203862
213862
223862
233961
243862
253862
263862
273763
283763
293763
303664
313664

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Peterborough gets around 63 mm of rain and snow over 10.3 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 33% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13425
23525
33525
43525
53525
63525
73525
83524
93524
103423
113423
123322
133322
143221
153221
163220
173119
183118
193017
203017
213016
223115
233115
243215
253215
263314
273414
283514
293515
303615
313615

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of March feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, March lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in March

Winds average 13 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 96 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:01 AM to 6:06 AM, and sunset from 5:52 PM to 6:30 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.87:015:52
210.96:595:53
310.96:585:55
411.06:565:56
511.16:545:57
611.16:525:59
711.26:516:00
811.26:496:01
911.36:476:02
1011.36:456:04
1111.46:446:05
1211.46:426:06
1311.56:406:08
1411.56:386:09
1511.66:366:10
1611.66:346:12
1711.76:326:13
1811.76:316:14
1911.86:296:15
2011.86:276:17
2111.96:256:18
2211.96:236:19
2312.06:216:20
2412.06:196:22
2512.16:176:23
2612.16:166:24
2712.26:146:25
2812.26:126:27
2912.36:106:28
3012.46:086:29
3112.46:066:30

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 3.98 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.31 kWh/m² to a high of 6.36 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 3.98 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.3Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.4Moderate
43.4Moderate
53.5Moderate
63.5Moderate
73.6Moderate
83.6Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.8Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
154.0Moderate
164.0Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.3Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.4Bright
294.4Bright
304.4Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Peterborough?

Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.2
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Peterborough.

What to pack for Peterborough in March

From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In March, Peterborough sees daytime highs around 4°C and nights near -5°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Peterborough in March

The nearest coast averages about 3°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 48 km away) is warmest in August at about 21°C and coldest in March near 3°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 25 to Sep 5 — about 1.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarm
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan4Bracing
Feb3Bracing
Mar3Bracing
Apr4Bracing
May6Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul20Cool
Aug21Refreshing
Sep19Cool
Oct14Bracing
Nov8Bracing
Dec5Bracing

UV index in Peterborough in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Peterborough peaks around July 10 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near January 11 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 10UV 8Jan 11UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5High
May6High
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep5High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Peterborough?

Peterborough sits at 44.3°N, 78.3°W, 188 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is Lindsay, 34 km away.

Topography around Peterborough

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Peterborough.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Peterborough has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 80 m around an average of 208 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 188 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 485 m.

The land around Peterborough is covered by artificial surfaces (42%) and trees (37%) within 3 km, trees (41%), cropland (27%) and grassland (23%) within 16 km, and trees (49%) and water (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
80 m
16 km
188 m
80 km
485 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
March weather nearby: Lindsay 34 km · Cobourg 40 km · Bowmanville 52 km · Quinte West 61 km · Oshawa 62 km · Brooklin 64 km · Uxbridge 68 km · Whitby 68 km

Canada travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 83% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$55,698
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 53%none 35%Muslim 5%Hindu 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Peterborough (44.3001°, -78.3162°, elevation 188 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).