San Rafael del Sur weather in March

In March, San Rafael del Sur sees average daytime highs of 34°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 2 mm of rain across 0.7 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 34°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 80% of the time in March, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 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 del Sur's 2nd-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Rafael del Sur's year-round climate.

Daytime high
34°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
25°
7th coldest
Rainfall
2 mm
0.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
5:58 AM – 5:53 PM
Cloud cover
23%
2nd clearest
Wind
20 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
6.92 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

San Rafael del Sur is Town in Nicaragua, seat of the second admin division Municipio de San Rafael del Sur.

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 34°C through the month.

A typical March day in San Rafael del Sur reaches about 34°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 32°C and 35°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C warmer than February and on par with April.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13324
23324
33324
43324
53324
63324
73324
83324
93324
103325
113425
123425
133425
143425
153425
163425
173425
183425
193425
203425
213425
223425
233425
243425
253425
263425
273425
283425
293425
303425
313425

How March really feels in San Rafael del Sur

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 del Sur weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 2nd-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 24°10.311.45.1
Feb33° / 24°10.311.64.8
Mar34° / 25°20.711.94.2
Apr34° / 26°204.212.33.4
May33° / 26°19017.912.52.9
Jun31° / 25°2002012.73.1
Jul32° / 25°9311.912.63.7
Aug32° / 25°1441712.43.3
Sep31° / 25°25624.212.12.9
Oct30° / 24°31124.611.73.2
Nov31° / 24°769.111.54.5
Dec32° / 24°61.111.35.1

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 80% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 10%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1928
2928
3928
4928
5928
6928
7928
8928
9928
10928
11928
12919
13919
14919
15919
16919
17919
18919
199010
209010
218911
228911
238911
248812
258812
268812
278812
288713
298614
308614
318515

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

San Rafael del Sur gets around 2 mm of rain over 0.7 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 3% and peaks near 5% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
11
21
31
41
51
61
71
81
92
102
112
122
133
143
153
163
173
183
193
203
213
223
233
243
254
264
274
284
294
304
315

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 62% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 70% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1230626
2330616
3330616
4330616
5330616
6330625
7329635
8329635
9329635
10328636
11328636
12328636
13328627
14328627
15328627
16328618
17227638
18227638
19227629
20227629
21227629
222276110
232276110
242266210
252266111
261266211
271256212
281246312
291236313
301226413
311216414

Wind in March

Winds average 20 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 21 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
121breezy
221breezy
321breezy
421breezy
521breezy
621breezy
721breezy
821breezy
921breezy
1021breezy
1121breezy
1221breezy
1321breezy
1420breezy
1520breezy
1620breezy
1720light breeze
1820light breeze
1920light breeze
2020light breeze
2119light breeze
2219light breeze
2319light breeze
2419light breeze
2519light breeze
2619light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 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 18 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:06 AM to 5:48 AM, and sunset from 5:52 PM to 5:53 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.86:065:52
211.86:065:52
311.86:055:52
411.86:055:52
511.86:045:52
611.86:045:52
711.86:035:52
811.86:035:52
911.86:025:52
1011.96:025:53
1111.96:015:53
1211.96:005:53
1311.96:005:53
1411.95:595:53
1511.95:585:53
1611.95:585:53
1711.95:575:53
1811.95:575:53
1912.05:565:53
2012.05:555:53
2112.05:555:53
2212.05:545:53
2312.05:535:53
2412.05:535:53
2512.05:525:53
2612.05:515:53
2712.05:515:53
2812.15:505:53
2912.15:495:53
3012.15:495:53
3112.15:485:53

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 6.92 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.86 kWh/m² to a high of 6.96 kWh/m² in April across the year — March's 6.92 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.6Intense
26.7Intense
36.7Intense
46.7Intense
56.7Intense
66.7Intense
76.8Intense
86.8Intense
96.8Intense
106.8Intense
116.8Intense
126.8Intense
136.9Intense
146.9Intense
156.9Intense
166.9Intense
176.9Intense
186.9Intense
197.0Intense
207.0Intense
217.0Intense
227.0Intense
237.0Intense
247.0Intense
257.0Intense
267.0Intense
277.0Intense
287.1Intense
297.1Intense
307.1Intense
317.1Intense
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for San Rafael del Sur

In seasonPeak

None of San Rafael del Sur'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 del Sur sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

San Rafael del Sur's monsoon runs August–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 del Sur?

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

4.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
7.9
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit San Rafael del Sur for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for San Rafael del Sur in March

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

In March, San Rafael del Sur sees daytime highs around 34°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: a windbreaker.

light clothessun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near San Rafael del Sur in March

The nearest coast averages about 27°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 21 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 27°C.

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

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Warm
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in San Rafael del Sur in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 14 (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 del Sur peaks around March 22 at about 14 (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 22UV 14Dec 14UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in San Rafael del Sur 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 del Sur is worst in July — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.5× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1625 µg/m³Jan 187 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar10Good
Apr21Moderate
May24Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is San Rafael del Sur?

San Rafael del Sur sits at 11.8°N, 86.4°W, 126 m above sea level, in Nicaragua. The nearest listed city is El Crucero, 21 km away.

MasatepeCiudad SandinoManaguaMasaya

Topography around San Rafael del Sur

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around San Rafael del Sur has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 152 m around an average of 119 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 693 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,305 m.

The land around San Rafael del Sur is covered by trees (48%) and grassland (40%) within 3 km, trees (54%) and grassland (29%) within 16 km, and water (46%) and trees (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
152 m
16 km
693 m
80 km
1,305 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: El Crucero 21 km · Diriamba 22 km · Jinotepe 26 km · San Marcos 26 km · Masatepe 33 km · Ciudad Sandino 36 km · Managua 38 km · Masaya 40 km

Nicaragua travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,173
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.3
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
16.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 512
Religion
Roman Catholic 45%Protestant 39%none 14%other 1%

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 del Sur (11.8485°, -86.4384°, elevation 126 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).