Chamonix weather in March

In March, Chamonix sees average daytime highs of 3°C and overnight lows near -6°C, with 142 mm of precipitation across 13.9 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 1°C in the first days to 5°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% 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 Chamonix's 1st-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chamonix's year-round climate.

Daytime high
8th warmest
Overnight low
-6°
5th coldest
Precipitation
142 mm
13.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:54 AM – 6:30 PM
Cloud cover
59%
1st clearest
Wind
5 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
4.17 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Chamonix is commune in Haute-Savoie, France.

Density
91/km²
people per km²
Founded
1091

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 5°C by the end.

A typical March day in Chamonix reaches about 3°C in the afternoon and slips back to -6°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -3°C and 9°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 4°C warmer than February and about 4°C cooler than April.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11-8
21-8
31-8
41-8
51-8
62-8
72-8
82-7
92-7
102-7
113-7
123-7
133-7
143-6
153-6
164-6
174-6
184-6
194-6
204-5
214-5
224-5
234-5
244-5
254-5
264-5
275-5
285-5
295-4
305-4
315-4

How March really feels in Chamonix

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.

Chamonix weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-3° / -11°17413.613.98.90.0
Feb-1° / -10°14411.912.3100.0
Mar / -6°14213.913.211.60.0
Apr / -3°12415.410.313.30.7
May12° / 18220.15.714.72.3
Jun16° / 16319.4115.53.8
Jul18° / 16719.10.515.24.7
Aug17° / 15717.80.3144.7
Sep14° / 12315.12.112.33.5
Oct10° / 12112.74.810.72.0
Nov / -6°14613.711.59.30.1
Dec-2° / -10°17814148.50.0

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in March, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 55%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13763
23862
33862
43961
54159
64357
74357
84555
94654
104852
114951
125149
135149
145149
155248
165248
175149
185149
195050
204951
214753
224654
234555
244456
254357
264258
274060
284060
294060
304060
313961

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Chamonix gets around 142 mm of rain and snow over 13.9 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 44% and peaks near 48% on the wettest days, and about 13 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14850
24850
34850
44849
54748
64747
74646
84545
94444
104342
114241
124139
134038
143937
153937
163936
173936
183936
194036
204137
214137
224238
234338
244439
254439
264539
274539
284639
294639
304639
314639

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 5 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

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 7:22 AM to 6:25 AM, and sunset from 6:09 PM to 6:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.87:226:09
210.87:216:11
310.97:196:12
410.97:176:13
511.07:156:15
611.07:136:16
711.17:116:18
811.27:106:19
911.27:086:20
1011.37:066:22
1111.37:046:23
1211.47:026:25
1311.47:006:26
1411.56:586:27
1511.56:566:29
1611.66:546:30
1711.76:526:31
1811.76:506:33
1911.86:486:34
2011.86:466:36
2111.96:446:37
2211.96:426:38
2312.06:406:40
2412.06:386:41
2512.16:376:42
2612.26:356:44
2712.26:336:45
2812.36:316:46
2912.36:296:48
3012.46:276:49
3112.46:256:50

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.17 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.37 kWh/m² to a high of 5.84 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 4.17 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.3Moderate
23.4Moderate
33.4Moderate
43.5Moderate
53.5Moderate
63.6Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.8Moderate
103.9Moderate
114.0Moderate
124.0Bright
134.1Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.4Bright
194.4Bright
204.5Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.6Bright
244.6Bright
254.6Bright
264.7Bright
274.7Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Chamonix?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Chamonix.

What to pack for Chamonix in March

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

In March, Chamonix sees daytime highs around 3°C and nights near -6°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 14 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Chamonix in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Chamonix peaks around July 13 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 13UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Chamonix?

Chamonix sits at 45.9°N, 6.9°E, 0 m above sea level, in France. The nearest listed city is Sallanches, 19 km away.

Topography around Chamonix

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chamonix has very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,463 m around an average of 1,562 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,245 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,495 m.

The land around Chamonix is covered by trees (61%) and grassland (25%) within 3 km, trees (28%), grassland (26%) and snow and ice (24%) within 16 km, and trees (41%) and grassland (34%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,463 m
16 km
4,245 m
80 km
4,495 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
March weather nearby: Sallanches 19 km · Martigny-Ville 25 km · Cluses 27 km · Monthey 37 km · Aosta 40 km · Albertville 46 km · Sitten 50 km · Annecy-le-Vieux 56 km

France travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / E
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 77% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$48,986
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 539
Religion
Roman Catholic 47%none 33%Muslim 4%Protestant 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 Chamonix (45.9237°, 6.8693°, elevation 0 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).