Sortavala weather in March

In March, Sortavala sees average daytime highs of 1°C and overnight lows near -5°C, with 41 mm of precipitation across 9.8 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about -2°C in the first days to 3°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 9 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Sortavala's 7th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sortavala's year-round climate.

Daytime high
9th warmest
Overnight low
-5°
4th coldest
Precipitation
41 mm
9.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
7:29 AM – 6:45 PM
Cloud cover
74%
7th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.08 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Sortavala is town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia.

Density
1,384/km²
people per km²
Founded
1468

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 -2°C in the first days to 3°C by the end.

A typical March day in Sortavala reaches about 1°C in the afternoon and slips back to -5°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -4°C and 4°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 4°C warmer than February and about 6°C cooler than April.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1-2-7
2-2-7
3-2-7
4-1-7
5-1-6
6-1-6
7-1-6
8-1-6
90-6
100-6
110-6
120-6
130-5
140-5
151-5
161-5
171-5
181-5
191-5
201-5
211-5
222-5
232-5
242-4
252-4
262-4
272-4
283-4
293-4
303-3
313-3

How March really feels in Sortavala

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
23 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

The story in March is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Sortavala weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-4° / -9°5112.113.75.90.0
Feb-4° / -9°4410.512.18.40.0
Mar / -5°419.89.911.30.0
Apr / -0°358.43.614.30.7
May13° / 479.20.417.23.5
Jun17° / 10°6110.90195.4
Jul21° / 14°7011.6018.26.1
Aug19° / 12°7512.2015.65.7
Sep14° / 5710.6012.63.7
Oct / 64121.79.60.9
Nov / -1°6312.36.96.70.0
Dec-2° / -5°6513.412.750.0

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 11% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 72%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11585
21783
31783
41882
51981
62080
72278
82278
92377
102476
112575
122674
132773
142872
152872
162971
173070
183169
193169
203367
213466
223466
233565
243565
253565
263664
273664
283664
293664
303862
313862

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Sortavala gets around 41 mm of rain and snow over 9.8 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 31% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 10 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13639
23638
33538
43537
53537
63436
73436
83435
93335
103334
113234
123233
133233
143132
153132
163132
173031
183031
193030
203030
212929
222929
232928
242927
252927
262926
272925
282925
292824
302823
312822

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 16 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 17 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
217light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 180 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 8:17 AM to 6:39 AM, and sunset from 6:04 PM to 7:25 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.88:176:04
29.98:146:07
310.08:116:09
410.18:076:12
510.28:046:15
610.38:016:18
710.47:586:21
810.57:556:23
910.67:516:26
1010.77:486:29
1110.87:456:31
1210.97:426:34
1311.07:386:37
1411.17:356:40
1511.27:326:42
1611.37:296:45
1711.47:256:48
1811.57:226:50
1911.67:196:53
2011.77:156:56
2111.87:126:59
2211.97:097:01
2312.07:057:04
2412.17:027:07
2512.26:597:09
2612.36:557:12
2712.46:527:15
2812.56:497:17
2912.66:467:20
3012.76:427:23
3112.86:397:25

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 2.08 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.1 kWh/m² to a high of 5.67 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 2.08 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.2Dim
21.3Dim
31.3Dim
41.4Dim
51.4Dim
61.5Dim
71.5Dim
81.6Dim
91.6Dim
101.7Dim
111.8Dim
121.8Dim
131.9Dim
141.9Dim
152.0Moderate
162.1Moderate
172.1Moderate
182.2Moderate
192.3Moderate
202.3Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.5Moderate
232.5Moderate
242.6Moderate
252.6Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.8Moderate
282.8Moderate
292.9Moderate
303.0Moderate
313.0Moderate
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Sortavala?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sortavala.

What to pack for Sortavala in March

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

In March, Sortavala sees daytime highs around 1°C and nights near -5°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Sortavala in March

The nearest coast averages about 0°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 August at about 16°C and coldest in March near 0°C.

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

0°5°10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan2Bracing
Feb1Bracing
Mar0Bracing
Apr1Bracing
May3Bracing
Jun7Bracing
Jul14Bracing
Aug16Cool
Sep13Bracing
Oct9Bracing
Nov6Bracing
Dec4Bracing

UV index in Sortavala in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sortavala peaks around July 13 at about 5 (high) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 4 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateModerateLowJul 13UV 5Dec 17UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar1Low
Apr3Moderate
May4Moderate
Jun5Moderate
Jul5High
Aug4Moderate
Sep2Moderate
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Sortavala?

Sortavala sits at 61.7°N, 30.7°E, 3 m above sea level, in Russia. The nearest listed city is Priozërsk, 81 km away.

Topography around Sortavala

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sortavala has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 98 m around an average of 21 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 188 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 292 m.

The land around Sortavala is covered by trees (47%) and water (21%) within 3 km, trees (66%) and water (23%) within 16 km, and trees (62%) and water (33%) within 80 km.

3 km
98 m
16 km
188 m
80 km
292 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
March weather nearby: Priozërsk 81 km · Savonlinna 98 km · Joensuu 110 km · Svetogorsk 119 km · Imatra 120 km · Kontiolahti 125 km · Lappeenranta 153 km · Vyborg 153 km

Russia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 32% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$17,547
2025
Happiness
5.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
76%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
6.8
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
12
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 521
Religion
other Christian 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 Sortavala (61.7123°, 30.7095°, elevation 3 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).