Santa Cruz weather in March

In March, Santa Cruz sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 8 mm of rain across 1.4 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 27°C in the first days to 24°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 80% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of March to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Santa Cruz's 3rd-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Cruz's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
4th warmest
Overnight low
12°
9th coldest
Rainfall
8 mm
1.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
7:47 AM – 8:03 PM
Cloud cover
20%
3rd clearest
Wind
6 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
6.18 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.8
out of 10

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 27°C in the first days to 24°C by the end.

A typical March day in Santa Cruz reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°C cooler than February and about 5°C warmer than April.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12713
22713
32713
42713
52713
62713
72713
82713
92712
102712
112712
122612
132612
142612
152612
162612
172612
182612
192612
202611
212511
222511
232511
242511
252511
262511
272411
282411
292411
302410
312410

Santa Cruz weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 4th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 14°30.614.17.7
Feb28° / 14°50.713.38.2
Mar26° / 12°81.412.38.8
Apr21° / 413.411.27.8
May17° / 115710.25.6
Jun14° / 19510.29.73.9
Jul14° / 1308.89.94.0
Aug15° / 1087.810.74.9
Sep18° / 585.811.86.4
Oct21° / 354.212.97.5
Nov25° / 10°132.213.88.6
Dec27° / 12°101.314.38.5

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 80% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 8% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 12%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
19010
29010
39010
49010
59010
69010
79010
88911
98911
109010
119010
128911
138911
148911
158911
168911
178911
188911
198911
208911
218713
228713
238614
248614
258416
268416
278317
288317
298218
308218
318020

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Santa Cruz gets around 8 mm of rain over 1.4 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 4% and peaks near 6% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
13
23
34
44
54
64
74
84
94
104
114
124
134
144
154
164
174
184
194
204
214
224
234
245
255
265
275
286
296
306
316

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 78% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
168302
268302
369292
469292
571281
671281
771281
872271
973261
1073261
1174251
1275241
1375241
1476231
1577221
1677221
1779210
1880200
1981190
2082180
2183170
2283170
2384160
2485150
2585150
2686140
2786140
2887130
2987130
3088120
3189110

Wind in March

Winds average 6 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of March to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 66 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:34 AM to 7:59 AM, and sunset from 8:23 PM to 7:42 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.87:348:23
212.87:358:22
312.77:368:21
412.77:378:19
512.77:388:18
612.67:398:17
712.67:398:15
812.67:408:14
912.57:418:13
1012.57:428:11
1112.57:438:10
1212.47:448:09
1312.47:458:07
1412.37:458:06
1512.37:468:05
1612.37:478:03
1712.27:488:02
1812.27:498:00
1912.27:497:59
2012.17:507:58
2112.17:517:56
2212.07:527:55
2312.07:537:53
2412.07:547:52
2511.97:547:50
2611.97:557:49
2711.97:567:48
2811.87:577:46
2911.87:577:45
3011.77:587:43
3111.77:597:42

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 6.18 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.09 kWh/m² to a high of 8.75 kWh/m² in December across the year — March's 6.18 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.0Intense
27.0Intense
36.9Intense
46.8Intense
56.8Intense
66.8Intense
76.7Intense
86.6Intense
96.6Intense
106.5Intense
116.5Intense
126.4Intense
136.4Intense
146.3Intense
156.3Intense
166.2Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.0Intense
206.0Bright
215.9Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.7Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.5Bright
285.4Bright
295.4Bright
305.3Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Santa Cruz

In seasonPeak

None of Santa Cruz's seasonal hazards are active in March. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Santa Cruz's rainy season runs May–August, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is March a good time to visit Santa Cruz?

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

8.8
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
8.2
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

March is one of the better times to visit Santa Cruz for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Santa Cruz in March

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

In March, Santa Cruz sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 12°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes.

sun protectionlight clothes

Sea temperature near Santa Cruz in March

The nearest coast averages about 16°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 69 km away) is warmest in February at about 16°C and coldest in August near 12°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

10°12°14°16°18°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan16Cool
Feb16Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr15Bracing
May14Bracing
Jun13Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug12Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct13Bracing
Nov14Bracing
Dec15Bracing

UV index in Santa Cruz in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Santa Cruz peaks around January 16 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 15 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 16UV 13Jun 15UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr5High
May3Moderate
Jun2Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct9Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Santa Cruz in March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Santa Cruz is worst in May — around 41 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.1× the cleanest month (November, 19 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMay 2040 µg/m³Nov 2319 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan34Moderate
Feb22Moderate
Mar22Moderate
Apr29Moderate
May41Poor
Jun37Poor
Jul37Poor
Aug35Moderate
Sep32Moderate
Oct24Moderate
Nov19Moderate
Dec19Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz sits at 34.6°S, 71.4°W, 174 m above sea level, in Chile. The nearest listed city is Chimbarongo, 31 km away.

Topography around Santa Cruz

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Santa Cruz has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 35 m around an average of 164 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,083 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,840 m.

The land around Santa Cruz is covered by cropland (41%) and trees (25%) within 3 km, trees (32%) and cropland (31%) within 16 km, and trees (36%) and grassland (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
35 m
16 km
1,083 m
80 km
3,840 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Chimbarongo 31 km · San Vicente 35 km · San Vicente de Tagua Tagua 35 km · Curicó 40 km · Sagrada Familia 40 km · Rengo 53 km · Molina 53 km · Pichilemu 65 km

Chile travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F / L
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 48% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$17,995
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
6.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 517
Religion
Catholic 57%none 26%Evangelical or Protestant 16%other Christians and traditions related to Christ 1%

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 Santa Cruz (-34.6388°, -71.3658°, elevation 174 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).