Carlsbad weather in March

In March, Carlsbad sees average daytime highs of 65°F and overnight lows near 50°F, with 2.2 in of rain across 6.2 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 65°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 43% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 12 min at the start of March to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Carlsbad's 11th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Carlsbad's year-round climate.

Daytime high
65°
9th warmest
Overnight low
50°
4th coldest
Rainfall
2.2 in
6.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:07 AM – 5:51 PM
Cloud cover
47%
11th clearest
Wind
4 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.49 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.8
out of 10

Carlsbad is coastal city in the North County region of San Diego County, California, United States.

Density
1,133/km²
people per km²
Founded
1952

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 65°F through the month.

A typical March day in Carlsbad reaches about 65°F in the afternoon and slips back to 50°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 57°F and 75°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°F warmer than February and about 3°F cooler than April.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16449
26449
36449
46549
56549
66549
76549
86550
96550
106550
116650
126650
136650
146650
156651
166651
176651
186651
196651
206651
216651
226651
236651
246651
256651
266651
276651
286651
296651
306651
316651

Carlsbad weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan64° / 47°2.95.810.16.7
Feb64° / 48°3.66.810.86.4
Mar65° / 50°2.26.211.76.8
Apr68° / 53°1.14.112.87.5
May71° / 56°0.52.113.78.1
Jun75° / 60°0.10.514.19.1
Jul80° / 65°0.10.4148.8
Aug82° / 66°0.00.213.28.5
Sep81° / 64°0.10.712.28.6
Oct76° / 59°0.72.611.28.7
Nov70° / 52°1.13.510.37.9
Dec64° / 47°2.15.19.86.8

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 43% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 40%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15347
25446
35446
45644
55644
65743
75842
85941
96040
106139
116238
126238
136337
146337
156337
166436
176337
186337
196337
206337
216139
226139
236139
246139
256139
266139
276040
286040
296040
306040
316139

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Carlsbad gets around 2.2 in of rain over 6.2 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 21% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
126
225
325
424
524
623
723
822
922
1021
1121
1221
1320
1420
1520
1620
1720
1820
1920
2020
2120
2220
2320
2420
2519
2619
2719
2819
2918
3018
3118

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 92% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1973
2973
3964
4964
5955
6946
7946
8937
9928
10919
11919
129010
138911
148911
158911
168911
178911
188911
199010
209010
21919
22919
23928
24937
25937
26946
27946
28955
29955
30955
31955

Wind in March

Winds average 4 mph in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 4 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 min at the start of March to 12 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 66 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:26 AM to 5:46 AM, and sunset from 5:40 PM to 6:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.26:265:40
211.36:255:40
311.36:235:41
411.36:225:42
511.46:215:43
611.46:205:44
711.46:185:44
811.56:175:45
911.56:165:46
1011.56:155:47
1111.66:135:48
1211.66:125:48
1311.66:115:49
1411.76:095:50
1511.76:085:51
1611.76:075:51
1711.86:055:52
1811.86:045:53
1911.96:035:54
2011.96:015:54
2111.96:005:55
2212.05:595:56
2312.05:575:57
2412.05:565:57
2512.15:545:58
2612.15:535:59
2712.15:526:00
2812.25:506:00
2912.25:496:01
3012.25:486:02
3112.35:466:03

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.49 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.08 kWh/m² to a high of 7.96 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 5.49 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.7Bright
24.8Bright
34.8Bright
44.9Bright
54.9Bright
65.0Bright
75.1Bright
85.1Bright
95.2Bright
105.2Bright
115.3Bright
125.3Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
275.9Bright
286.0Bright
296.0Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Carlsbad?

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

6.8
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
2.6
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Carlsbad for sightseeing.

What to pack for Carlsbad in March

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

In March, Carlsbad sees daytime highs around 65°F and nights near 50°F. Worth packing: sun protection. About 6 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Carlsbad in March

The nearest coast averages about 60°F 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 71°F and coldest in January near 59°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 5 to Oct 7 — about 3.1 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°65°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan59Cool
Feb59Cool
Mar60Cool
Apr61Cool
May64Cool
Jun66Cool
Jul69Refreshing
Aug71Refreshing
Sep70Refreshing
Oct67Cool
Nov64Cool
Dec61Cool

UV index in Carlsbad in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Carlsbad peaks around July 11 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJul 11UV 11Dec 17UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad is worst in September — around 26 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.4× the cleanest month (May, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateSep 1625 µg/m³May 168 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Good
Feb12Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr11Good
May8Good
Jun11Good
Jul11Good
Aug15Moderate
Sep26Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov12Moderate
Dec16Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Carlsbad?

Carlsbad sits at 33.2°N, 117.4°W, 52 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Oceanside, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Carlsbad

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Carlsbad has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 344 ft around an average of 56 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,335 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,624 ft.

The land around Carlsbad is covered by water (48%) and artificial surfaces (37%) within 2 miles, water (47%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 10 miles, and water (33%) and shrubs (21%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
344 ft
10 miles
1,335 ft
50 miles
6,624 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
March weather nearby: Oceanside 3.1 mi · Vista 6.8 mi · Encinitas 9.3 mi · San Marcos 11 mi · Escondido 16 mi · Fallbrook 16 mi · Rancho Penasquitos 19 mi · Mira Mesa 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 Carlsbad (33.1581°, -117.3506°, elevation 52 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).