San Rafael Oriente weather in March

In March, San Rafael Oriente sees average daytime highs of 36°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 9 mm of rain across 2.1 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 36°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 69% of the time in March, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is San Rafael Oriente's 4th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Rafael Oriente's year-round climate.

Daytime high
36°
1st warmest
Overnight low
23°
10th coldest
Rainfall
9 mm
2.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:06 AM – 6:00 PM
Cloud cover
30%
4th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
6.68 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.8
out of 10

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 36°C through the month.

A typical March day in San Rafael Oriente reaches about 36°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 33°C and 38°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and on par with April.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13522
23522
33522
43523
53623
63623
73623
83623
93623
103623
113623
123623
133623
143623
153623
163623
173623
183623
193623
203623
213623
223623
233623
243623
253623
263623
273623
283623
293624
303624
313624

How March really feels in San Rafael Oriente

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 31 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
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in March is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

San Rafael Oriente weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 1st-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan34° / 21°10.411.34.1
Feb35° / 22°10.311.63.3
Mar36° / 23°92.111.92.8
Apr35° / 24°449.212.32.4
May33° / 24°25822.812.62.3
Jun32° / 23°29123.612.82.6
Jul33° / 23°19518.912.72.8
Aug33° / 23°27122.512.42.6
Sep31° / 23°34326.712.12.6
Oct31° / 22°3042411.73.1
Nov31° / 21°618.811.44.5
Dec33° / 21°61.311.24.6

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 69% 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 11%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1937
2928
3928
4928
5928
6928
7928
8919
9919
10919
118911
128911
138911
148911
158911
168812
178713
188713
198713
208713
218713
228713
238812
248812
258713
268713
278713
288713
298614
308614
318614

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

San Rafael Oriente gets around 9 mm of rain over 2.1 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 7% and peaks near 14% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
14
24
34
44
54
65
75
85
95
105
115
125
135
145
156
166
176
187
197
208
218
228
239
249
2510
2611
2711
2812
2913
3013
3114

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 36% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 42% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
172535312
272534322
372434322
472434323
572434323
672435323
772335313
872335313
972335313
1072335313
1172335324
1272236324
1372236324
1472236324
1562136325
1662136325
1762036335
1861935346
1961935346
2061834356
2161834367
2261733377
2361732387
2461631408
2551530418
2651429439
27513284410
28412274511
29411264712
30310254813
31310245013

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 11 h 42 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 24 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:15 AM to 5:55 AM, and sunset from 5:58 PM to 6:01 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:155:58
211.76:145:58
311.76:145:59
411.86:135:59
511.86:135:59
611.86:125:59
711.86:125:59
811.86:115:59
911.86:106:00
1011.86:106:00
1111.86:096:00
1211.96:086:00
1311.96:086:00
1411.96:076:00
1511.96:076:00
1611.96:066:00
1711.96:056:00
1811.96:046:00
1911.96:046:01
2012.06:036:01
2112.06:026:01
2212.06:026:01
2312.06:016:01
2412.06:006:01
2512.06:006:01
2612.05:596:01
2712.05:586:01
2812.15:586:01
2912.15:576:01
3012.15:566:01
3112.15:556:01

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 6.68 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.17 kWh/m² to a high of 6.68 kWh/m² in March across the year — March's 6.68 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.5Intense
26.5Intense
36.5Intense
46.5Intense
56.6Intense
66.6Intense
76.6Intense
86.6Intense
96.6Intense
106.6Intense
116.6Intense
126.7Intense
136.7Intense
146.7Intense
156.7Intense
166.7Intense
176.7Intense
186.7Intense
196.7Intense
206.7Intense
216.7Intense
226.7Intense
236.7Intense
246.7Intense
256.7Intense
266.7Intense
276.7Intense
286.7Intense
296.7Intense
306.7Intense
316.7Intense
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for San Rafael Oriente

In seasonPeak

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

San Rafael Oriente sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

San Rafael Oriente's monsoon runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is March a good time to visit San Rafael Oriente?

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

2.8
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in San Rafael Oriente. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for San Rafael Oriente in March

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

In March, San Rafael Oriente sees daytime highs around 36°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near San Rafael Oriente in March

The nearest coast averages about 28°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 29 km away) is warmest in August at about 30°C and coldest in January near 28°C.

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

26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Warm
Feb28Tropical
Mar28Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul30Tropical
Aug30Tropical
Sep30Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in San Rafael Oriente in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in San Rafael Oriente peaks around March 20 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highMar 20UV 13Dec 14UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in San Rafael Oriente 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 San Rafael Oriente is worst in April — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (January, 13 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateApr 2234 µg/m³Jan 1113 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar22Moderate
Apr34Moderate
May32Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct17Moderate
Nov16Moderate
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is San Rafael Oriente?

San Rafael Oriente sits at 13.4°N, 88.3°W, 212 m above sea level, in El Salvador. The nearest listed city is Usulután, 11 km away.

Santiago de MaríaSan MiguelPuerto El TriunfoSan Francisco GoteraLa UniónSan VicenteZacatecoluca

Topography around San Rafael Oriente

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around San Rafael Oriente has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 220 m around an average of 212 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,103 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,143 m.

The land around San Rafael Oriente is covered by trees (43%) and grassland (39%) within 3 km, trees (60%) and grassland (28%) within 16 km, and trees (41%), water (32%) and grassland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
220 m
16 km
2,103 m
80 km
2,143 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
March weather nearby: Usulután 11 km · Santiago de María 17 km · San Miguel 21 km · Puerto El Triunfo 24 km · San Francisco Gotera 44 km · La Unión 55 km · San Vicente 55 km · Zacatecoluca 58 km

El Salvador travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
115 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,767
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
7.9
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
20.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 523
Religion
Roman Catholic 44%Protestant 40%none 16%

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 San Rafael Oriente (13.3833°, -88.35°, elevation 212 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).