Ann Arbor weather in March

In March, Ann Arbor sees average daytime highs of 45°F and overnight lows near 28°F, with 2.5 in of precipitation across 9.7 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 39°F in the first days to 50°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 54 min at the start of March to 12 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Ann Arbor's 8th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ann Arbor's year-round climate.

Daytime high
45°
9th warmest
Overnight low
28°
4th coldest
Precipitation
2.5 in
9.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:55 AM – 6:34 PM
Cloud cover
69%
8th clearest
Wind
9 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
4 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.0
out of 10

Ann Arbor is county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States.

Density
1,561/km²
people per km²
Founded
1824

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 39°F in the first days to 50°F by the end.

A typical March day in Ann Arbor reaches about 45°F in the afternoon and slips back to 28°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 31°F and 62°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 10°F warmer than February and about 13°F cooler than April.

20°40°60°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13823
23923
33923
44024
54024
64024
74124
84125
94225
104226
114326
124326
134427
144427
154528
164528
174528
184629
194629
204729
214730
224730
234831
244831
254931
264932
274932
285032
295033
305133
315133

How March really feels in Ann Arbor

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 31 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
31
4 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

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

Ann Arbor weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 19°2.49.76.19.30.0
Feb34° / 20°2.18.25.610.30.0
Mar45° / 28°2.59.73.611.61.0
Apr57° / 39°3.611.81.313.13.9
May68° / 49°3.912.5014.45.9
Jun78° / 59°3.710.50156.6
Jul82° / 63°3.310.8014.86.3
Aug80° / 61°3.310.3013.76.6
Sep73° / 54°2.78.6012.36.9
Oct60° / 43°2.79.30.210.84.9
Nov47° / 33°2.691.99.61.5
Dec36° / 25°2.394.690.0

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 67%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13169
23169
33268
43268
53367
63367
73367
83466
93565
103565
113565
123565
133565
143565
153565
163565
173565
183565
193565
203466
213466
223367
233367
243367
253367
263367
273268
283268
293268
303268
313268

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Ann Arbor gets around 2.5 in of rain and snow over 9.7 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 32% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 4 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13319
23318
33218
43217
53216
63216
73115
83114
93114
103013
113013
123013
133012
143012
153012
163011
173011
183011
193011
203111
213110
223110
233210
24329
25329
26329
27338
28338
29348
30347
31357

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
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16982
17982
18982
19982
20982
21982
22982
23982
24982
25982
26982
27982
28982
29982
30991
31991

Wind in March

Winds average 9 mph in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 54 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 90 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:20 AM to 6:29 AM, and sunset from 6:16 PM to 6:51 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.97:206:16
211.07:196:17
311.07:176:18
411.17:166:20
511.17:146:21
611.27:126:22
711.27:116:23
811.37:096:25
911.37:076:26
1011.47:066:27
1111.47:046:28
1211.57:026:29
1311.57:006:30
1411.56:596:32
1511.66:576:33
1611.66:556:34
1711.76:536:35
1811.76:526:36
1911.86:506:37
2011.86:486:39
2111.96:466:40
2211.96:456:41
2312.06:436:42
2412.06:416:43
2512.16:396:44
2612.16:386:46
2712.26:366:47
2812.26:346:48
2912.36:326:49
3012.36:306:50
3112.46:296:51

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.45 kWh/m² to a high of 6.3 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 4 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.5Moderate
43.5Moderate
53.6Moderate
63.6Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.8Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.9Moderate
123.9Moderate
134.0Moderate
144.0Moderate
154.0Bright
164.0Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.2Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.4Bright
304.4Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Ann Arbor?

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

1.0
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Ann Arbor.

What to pack for Ann Arbor in March

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

In March, Ann Arbor sees daytime highs around 45°F and nights near 28°F. 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 Ann Arbor in March

The nearest coast averages about 36°F 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 34 mi away) is warmest in August at about 75°F and coldest in February near 33°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 20 to Sep 20 — about 3.1 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan34Bracing
Feb33Bracing
Mar36Bracing
Apr44Bracing
May56Bracing
Jun67Cool
Jul75Refreshing
Aug75Warm
Sep70Refreshing
Oct58Bracing
Nov46Bracing
Dec38Bracing

UV index in Ann Arbor in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Ann Arbor peaks around June 20 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 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 highHighModerateLowJun 20UV 9Dec 20UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb2Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec1Low

Air quality in Ann Arbor 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 Ann Arbor is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1116 µg/m³Oct 238 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov9Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor sits at 42.3°N, 83.7°W, 883 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ypsilanti, 6.8 mi away.

Topography around Ann Arbor

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Ann Arbor.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Ann Arbor has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 295 ft around an average of 883 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 436 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 945 ft.

The land around Ann Arbor is covered by trees (60%) and artificial surfaces (30%) within 2 miles, trees (49%) and grassland (24%) within 10 miles, and trees (40%) and cropland (29%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
295 ft
10 miles
436 ft
50 miles
945 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Ypsilanti 6.8 mi · Canton 14 mi · Westland 17 mi · Romulus 18 mi · Wayne 18 mi · Novi 19 mi · Livonia 21 mi · Garden City 21 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 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 Ann Arbor (42.2776°, -83.7409°, elevation 883 ft), 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. 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).