Rochester weather in March

In March, Rochester sees average daytime highs of 10°C and overnight lows near 4°C, with 39 mm of precipitation across 9.7 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 9°C in the first days to 11°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 30 min at the start of March to 12 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Rochester's 8th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rochester's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10°
9th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Precipitation
39 mm
9.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:22 AM – 5:53 PM
Cloud cover
72%
8th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
2.85 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.3
out of 10

Rochester is town and former city in the unitary authority of Medway in Kent, England.

Air quality
Moderate
PM2.5 10.8 µg/m³ · 2019

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 9°C in the first days to 11°C by the end.

A typical March day in Rochester reaches about 10°C in the afternoon and slips back to 4°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 6°C and 14°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°C warmer than February and about 3°C cooler than April.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
194
294
394
494
594
694
794
894
9104
10104
11104
12104
13104
14105
15105
16105
17105
18105
19105
20115
21115
22115
23115
24115
25115
26115
27115
28115
29115
30115
31115

How March really feels in Rochester

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 5 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
5
wind chill below the day's low

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

Rochester weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 4910.80.88.21.0
Feb / 429.319.61.2
Mar10° / 399.70.611.52.3
Apr13° / 4511.10.113.53.5
May16° / 509.7015.34.9
Jun19° / 12°529.5016.36.0
Jul21° / 14°5210.3015.96.4
Aug21° / 14°5810014.46.4
Sep19° / 12°458.7012.46.0
Oct15° / 5610.6010.44.2
Nov11° / 5710.60.18.62.4
Dec / 55110.97.71.3

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 71%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12773
22773
32773
42773
52872
62872
72773
82773
92773
102872
112773
122773
132872
142773
152872
162872
172872
182971
192971
202971
213070
223169
233169
243169
253268
263268
273367
283367
293367
303367
313367

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Rochester gets around 39 mm of rain and snow over 9.7 wet days in March, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 32% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1353
2353
3353
4353
5343
6342
7332
8322
9312
10312
11301
12291
13291
14281
15281
16282
17282
18292
19292
20292
21302
22302
23312
24312
25321
26331
27331
28341
29341
30351
31351

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 17 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
917light breeze
1017light breeze
1117light breeze
1217light breeze
1317light breeze
1417light breeze
1517light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 30 min at the start of March to 12 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 120 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:56 AM to 5:47 AM, and sunset from 5:27 PM to 6:19 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.56:565:27
210.66:545:28
310.66:515:30
410.76:495:32
510.86:475:34
610.86:455:36
710.96:435:37
811.06:405:39
911.06:385:41
1011.16:365:43
1111.26:345:44
1211.26:315:46
1311.36:295:48
1411.46:275:50
1511.46:255:51
1611.56:225:53
1711.66:205:55
1811.66:185:56
1911.76:155:58
2011.86:136:00
2111.86:116:02
2211.96:086:03
2312.06:066:05
2412.16:046:07
2512.16:016:08
2612.25:596:10
2712.35:576:12
2812.35:546:14
2912.45:526:15
3012.55:506:17
3112.55:476:19

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 2.85 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.67 kWh/m² to a high of 5.65 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 2.85 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.1Moderate
22.2Moderate
32.2Moderate
42.3Moderate
52.3Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.5Moderate
92.5Moderate
102.5Moderate
112.6Moderate
122.6Moderate
132.7Moderate
142.8Moderate
152.8Moderate
162.8Moderate
172.9Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.1Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.2Moderate
243.3Moderate
253.3Moderate
263.4Moderate
273.4Moderate
283.5Moderate
293.5Moderate
303.6Moderate
313.7Moderate
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Rochester?

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

2.3
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Rochester.

What to pack for Rochester in March

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

In March, Rochester sees daytime highs around 10°C and nights near 4°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Rochester in March

The nearest coast averages about 7°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 43 km away) is warmest in August at about 18°C and coldest in February near 7°C.

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

5°10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan8Bracing
Feb7Bracing
Mar7Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May12Bracing
Jun15Bracing
Jul17Cool
Aug18Cool
Sep17Cool
Oct15Bracing
Nov12Bracing
Dec9Bracing

UV index in Rochester in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rochester peaks around July 24 at about 6 (high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. 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 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowJul 24UV 6Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May6High
Jun6High
Jul6High
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct2Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Rochester?

Rochester sits at 51.4°N, 0.5°E, 8 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Chatham, 2.0 km away.

Topography around Rochester

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Rochester has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 125 m around an average of 37 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 242 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 303 m.

The land around Rochester is covered by artificial surfaces (45%) and trees (28%) within 3 km, grassland (27%) and trees (25%) within 16 km, and water (28%), grassland (22%) and cropland (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
125 m
16 km
242 m
80 km
303 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
March weather nearby: Chatham 2.0 km · Strood 2.0 km · Gillingham 3.0 km · Gravesend 11 km · Maidstone 13 km · Hartley 14 km · Longfield 14 km · Swanscombe 15 km

United Kingdom travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 89% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$57,602
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
3.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 60%none 26%Muslim 4%other 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 Rochester (51.3876°, 0.5055°, elevation 8 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).