Puerto Plata weather in March

In March, Puerto Plata sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 62 mm of rain across 10.5 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% of the time in March, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Puerto Plata's 3rd-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Puerto Plata's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
9th warmest
Overnight low
21°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
62 mm
10.5 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:57 AM – 6:48 PM
Cloud cover
37%
3rd clearest
Wind
14 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
5.9 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Puerto Plata is City in Dominican Republic.

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

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.

A typical March day in Puerto Plata reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and on par with April.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12721
22721
32721
42721
52721
62721
72721
82721
92721
102721
112721
122721
132721
142721
152821
162821
172821
182821
192821
202821
212821
222822
232822
242822
252822
262822
272822
282822
292822
302822
312822

How March really feels in Puerto Plata

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 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
0
wind chill below the day's low

March sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Puerto Plata weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 21°6111.110.96.8
Feb27° / 21°448.811.37.0
Mar28° / 21°6210.511.96.7
Apr28° / 22°6212.212.45.9
May29° / 23°8415.912.94.7
Jun30° / 24°421013.24.7
Jul31° / 25°359.713.14.9
Aug31° / 25°4610.712.74.6
Sep31° / 25°7615.612.14.0
Oct30° / 24°831611.54.4
Nov28° / 23°8715.511.15.3
Dec27° / 22°6311.910.86.5

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 17%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18416
28416
38416
48416
58416
68317
78317
88317
98416
108317
118317
128317
138317
148317
158317
168317
178317
188317
198317
208218
218218
228317
238317
248317
258218
268218
278218
288218
298218
308218
318119

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Puerto Plata gets around 62 mm of rain over 10.5 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 34% and peaks near 39% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
229
329
429
529
629
730
830
930
1030
1131
1231
1331
1432
1532
1633
1734
1835
1935
2036
2137
2237
2338
2438
2538
2639
2739
2839
2939
3039
3139

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the muggy band about 67% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 83% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1218728
2219709
3219709
4220699
5320689
63206710
73206710
83206710
93206611
102196811
112196811
122196712
132186812
142186713
151176814
161166815
171166815
181156816
191146817
200146818
210136819
220136819
230126820
240126820
250126721
260116722
270116623
280116524
290106525
301106326
31196228

Wind in March

Winds average 14 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
1813light 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 11 h 36 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 30 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:09 AM to 6:43 AM, and sunset from 6:43 PM to 6:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.67:096:43
211.67:086:44
311.67:076:44
411.67:066:44
511.77:066:45
611.77:056:45
711.77:046:45
811.77:036:46
911.77:036:46
1011.77:026:46
1111.87:016:47
1211.87:006:47
1311.86:596:47
1411.86:586:48
1511.86:576:48
1611.96:576:48
1711.96:566:48
1811.96:556:49
1911.96:546:49
2011.96:536:49
2112.06:526:50
2212.06:516:50
2312.06:506:50
2412.06:506:50
2512.06:496:51
2612.16:486:51
2712.16:476:51
2812.16:466:51
2912.16:456:52
3012.16:446:52
3112.16:436:52

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.9 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.15 kWh/m² to a high of 6.9 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 5.9 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
176.0Bright
186.0Bright
196.0Bright
206.0Intense
216.0Intense
226.0Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Puerto Plata

In seasonPeak

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

Puerto Plata sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

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

Is March a good time to visit Puerto Plata?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
7.0
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Puerto Plata for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Puerto Plata in March

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

In March, Puerto Plata sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Puerto Plata in March

The nearest coast averages about 26°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 26°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb26Warm
Mar26Warm
Apr26Warm
May27Warm
Jun28Warm
Jul28Tropical
Aug28Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec27Warm

UV index in Puerto Plata 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 Puerto Plata peaks around March 22 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 7 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highHighMar 22UV 12Dec 15UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb10Very high
Mar12Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov7Very high
Dec7High

Air quality in Puerto Plata 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 Puerto Plata is worst in June — around 30 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (February, 16 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateJun 2030 µg/m³Feb 2016 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb16Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr18Moderate
May23Moderate
Jun30Moderate
Jul28Moderate
Aug25Moderate
Sep26Moderate
Oct27Moderate
Nov20Moderate
Dec17Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Puerto Plata?

Puerto Plata sits at 19.8°N, 70.7°W, 34 m above sea level, in Dominican Republic. The nearest listed city is Monte Llano, 11 km away.

CabareteVilla BisonóTamborilSantiago de los CaballerosEsperanza

Topography around Puerto Plata

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Puerto Plata has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 468 m around an average of 45 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 787 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,369 m.

The land around Puerto Plata is covered by water (41%), artificial surfaces (30%) and trees (26%) within 3 km, water (46%) and trees (38%) within 16 km, and trees (43%) and water (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
468 m
16 km
787 m
80 km
2,369 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Monte Llano 11 km · Río Grande 16 km · Sosua 18 km · Cabarete 30 km · Villa Bisonó 32 km · Tamboril 35 km · Santiago de los Caballeros 38 km · Esperanza 39 km

Dominican Republic travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B / C
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 39% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$11,059
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
45%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
10.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
64.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 503

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 Puerto Plata (19.7934°, -70.6884°, elevation 34 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).