Franz Josef weather in March

In March, Franz Josef sees average daytime highs of 12°C and overnight lows near 5°C, with 251 mm of precipitation across 14.1 wet days and about 12.4 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 12°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 06 min at the start of March to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Franz Josef's 4th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Franz Josef's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
10th coldest
Precipitation
251 mm
14.1 wet days
Daylight
12 h 24 min
7:38 AM – 8:00 PM
Cloud cover
68%
4th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
4.21 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.0
out of 10

Franz Josef is village in New Zealand.

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

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 12°C by the end.

A typical March day in Franz Josef reaches about 12°C in the afternoon and slips back to 5°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 9°C and 15°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°C cooler than February and about 3°C warmer than April.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1135
2135
3135
4135
5135
6135
7135
8135
9135
10135
11135
12135
13135
14135
15135
16125
17125
18125
19125
20125
21125
22124
23124
24124
25124
26124
27124
28124
29124
30114
31113

How March really feels in Franz Josef

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.

Franz Josef weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 3rd-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan14° / 309160.814.83.3
Feb14° / 22814.10.913.83.6
Mar12° / 25114.11.412.43.0
Apr10° / 26413.52.810.81.9
May / -1°28615.16.79.50.7
Jun / -4°26113.18.78.80.0
Jul / -4°22812.810.69.10.0
Aug / -3°23214.611.810.20.0
Sep / -2°31616.712.111.70.1
Oct / -0°324191013.20.6
Nov / 30318.36.514.51.5
Dec12° / 34219.12.715.22.4

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 66%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23961
33862
43862
53763
63664
73664
83565
93565
103466
113367
123367
133268
143268
153268
163268
173169
183268
193268
203268
213367
223367
233466
243466
253466
263565
273565
283664
293664
303565
313664

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Franz Josef gets around 251 mm of rain and snow over 14.1 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 46% and peaks near 47% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1464
2463
3464
4454
5454
6454
7454
8454
9454
10454
11464
12464
13464
14474
15475
16475
17475
18475
19475
20475
21475
22475
23465
24465
25455
26455
27455
28455
29456
30456
31456

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
291000
301000
311000

Wind in March

Winds average 5 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 5 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
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 06 min at the start of March to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 90 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:19 AM to 7:56 AM, and sunset from 8:26 PM to 7:32 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.17:198:26
213.17:208:24
313.07:228:23
413.07:238:21
512.97:248:19
612.97:258:18
712.87:278:16
812.87:288:14
912.77:298:12
1012.77:308:11
1112.67:328:09
1212.67:338:07
1312.57:348:05
1412.57:358:04
1512.47:378:02
1612.47:388:00
1712.37:397:58
1812.37:407:56
1912.27:427:55
2012.27:437:53
2112.17:447:51
2212.17:457:49
2312.07:467:47
2412.07:487:45
2511.97:497:43
2611.97:507:42
2711.87:517:40
2811.87:527:38
2911.77:547:36
3011.77:557:34
3111.67:567:32

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.21 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.52 kWh/m² to a high of 6.64 kWh/m² in January across the year — March's 4.21 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
24.9Bright
34.9Bright
44.8Bright
54.8Bright
64.7Bright
74.7Bright
84.6Bright
94.6Bright
104.5Bright
114.5Bright
124.4Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.2Bright
164.2Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.0Bright
204.0Bright
214.0Moderate
223.9Moderate
233.9Moderate
243.8Moderate
253.8Moderate
263.8Moderate
273.7Moderate
283.7Moderate
293.6Moderate
303.6Moderate
313.5Moderate
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Franz Josef?

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

3.0
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Franz Josef.

What to pack for Franz Josef in March

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

In March, Franz Josef sees daytime highs around 12°C and nights near 5°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer. About 14 days see rain.

rain geara warm layer

Sea temperature near Franz Josef in March

The nearest coast averages about 17°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 25 km away) is warmest in February at about 18°C and coldest in August near 13°C.

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

12°14°16°18°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr16Cool
May15Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct13Bracing
Nov14Bracing
Dec16Cool

UV index in Franz Josef in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Franz Josef peaks around January 15 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 16 at about 1 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateLowModerateHighVery highJan 15UV 10Jun 16UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar6High
Apr3Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul2Low
Aug2Moderate
Sep4Moderate
Oct6High
Nov8Very high
Dec10Very high
Location & terrain

Where is Franz Josef?

Franz Josef sits at 43.4°S, 170.2°E, 0 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Tekapo, 73 km away.

AshburtonTimaruWanakaRollestonRangioraChristchurchQueenstown

Topography around Franz Josef

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Franz Josef has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,047 m around an average of 294 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,067 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,635 m.

The land around Franz Josef is covered by trees (72%) within 3 km, trees (59%) within 16 km, and water (29%), grassland (27%) and trees (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,047 m
16 km
3,067 m
80 km
3,635 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
March weather nearby: Tekapo 73 km · Ashburton 137 km · Timaru 141 km · Wanaka 167 km · Rolleston 179 km · Rangiora 194 km · Christchurch 198 km · Queenstown 219 km

New Zealand travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 86% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$49,591
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
9.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
no religion 49%Christian 37%objected to answering 7%Hindu 3%

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 Franz Josef (-43.3891°, 170.1819°, 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. 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).