Shangri-La weather in March

In March, Shangri-La sees average daytime highs of 5°C and overnight lows near -4°C, with 63 mm of precipitation across 11.7 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 3°C in the first days to 7°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of March to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Shangri-La's 5th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shangri-La's year-round climate.

Daytime high
9th warmest
Overnight low
-4°
4th coldest
Precipitation
63 mm
11.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
7:37 AM – 7:25 PM
Cloud cover
56%
5th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
6.01 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.2
out of 10

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 3°C in the first days to 7°C by the end.

A typical March day in Shangri-La reaches about 5°C in the afternoon and slips back to -4°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 2°C and 9°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 3°C warmer than February and about 4°C cooler than April.

-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13-7
23-6
33-6
43-6
54-6
64-6
74-5
84-5
94-5
104-5
114-5
125-5
135-4
145-4
155-4
165-4
175-4
186-3
196-3
206-3
216-3
226-3
236-3
246-3
256-2
266-2
277-2
287-2
297-2
307-2
317-2

How March really feels in Shangri-La

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Shangri-La weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -9°336.27.810.40.0
Feb / -8°427.79.9110.0
Mar / -4°6311.710.511.80.2
Apr10° / 6614.44.512.61.8
May14° / 99170.913.43.3
Jun17° / 14722.4013.73.5
Jul17° / 10°24828.9013.62.9
Aug17° / 23928.90132.9
Sep15° / 150230.212.23.1
Oct12° / 6712.81.111.33.1
Nov / -3°235.42.610.61.7
Dec / -6°122.83.110.30.2

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 26% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 30% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 44%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16040
26040
36040
46040
56040
66040
76040
86040
96040
106040
116040
125941
135941
146040
155941
165842
175743
185644
195545
205446
215347
225347
235248
245050
255050
265050
274951
284951
294951
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Shangri-La gets around 63 mm of rain and snow over 11.7 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 39% and peaks near 47% on the wettest days, and about 11 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13641
23640
33539
43539
53438
63437
73436
83336
93335
103435
113434
123434
133534
143534
153634
163734
173834
183934
193934
204034
214133
224233
234333
244333
254432
264532
274532
284631
294630
304630
314729

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 6 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 7 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
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of March to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:53 AM to 7:20 AM, and sunset from 7:16 PM to 7:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.47:537:16
211.47:527:16
311.47:517:17
411.57:507:18
511.57:497:18
611.57:487:19
711.57:477:19
811.67:467:20
911.67:457:21
1011.67:447:21
1111.77:437:22
1211.77:417:22
1311.77:407:23
1411.77:397:24
1511.87:387:24
1611.87:377:25
1711.87:367:25
1811.97:357:26
1911.97:347:26
2011.97:327:27
2111.97:317:27
2212.07:307:28
2312.07:297:28
2412.07:287:29
2512.07:277:30
2612.17:257:30
2712.17:247:31
2812.17:237:31
2912.27:227:32
3012.27:217:32
3112.27:207:33

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 6.01 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.96 kWh/m² to a high of 6.19 kWh/m² in April across the year — March's 6.01 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
96.0Bright
106.0Bright
116.0Intense
126.0Intense
136.0Intense
146.0Intense
156.0Intense
166.0Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Shangri-La

In seasonPeak

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

Shangri-La's monsoon runs June–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is March a good time to visit Shangri-La?

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
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Shangri-La.

What to pack for Shangri-La in March

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

In March, Shangri-La sees daytime highs around 5°C and nights near -4°C. Pack a warm layer and sun protection. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layersun protectiona heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Shangri-La in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Shangri-La peaks around July 10 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 5 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighExtremeVery highHighJul 10UV 16Dec 23UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5High
Feb8Very high
Mar12Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun16Extreme
Jul16Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov7Very high
Dec5Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Shangri-La?

Shangri-La sits at 27.8°N, 99.7°E, 3,283 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Lijiang, 118 km away.

DanaiMyitkyinaMogaungHpākānKunmingLakang

Topography around Shangri-La

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Shangri-La has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 384 m around an average of 3,317 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,268 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,874 m.

The land around Shangri-La is covered by grassland (30%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 3 km, trees (69%) and grassland (23%) within 16 km, and trees (78%) within 80 km.

3 km
384 m
16 km
1,268 m
80 km
3,874 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Lijiang 118 km · Dali 254 km · Danai 338 km · Myitkyina 356 km · Mogaung 393 km · Hpākān 417 km · Kunming 431 km · Lakang 432 km

China travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / I
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 47% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$13,862
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.5
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
17.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 464
Religion
unaffiliated 52%folk religion 22%Buddhist 18%Christian 5%

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 Shangri-La (27.8251°, 99.7078°, elevation 3,283 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. 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).