Chapel Hill weather in March

In March, Chapel Hill sees average daytime highs of 62°F and overnight lows near 42°F, with 4.3 in of precipitation across 10.5 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 58°F in the first days to 65°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 06 min at the start of March to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Chapel Hill's 7th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chapel Hill's year-round climate.

Daytime high
62°
8th warmest
Overnight low
42°
4th coldest
Precipitation
4.3 in
10.5 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:34 AM – 6:17 PM
Cloud cover
57%
7th clearest
Wind
7 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
4.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.2
out of 10

Chapel Hill is town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States.

Density
1,078/km²
people per km²
Founded
1793

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 58°F in the first days to 65°F by the end.

A typical March day in Chapel Hill reaches about 62°F in the afternoon and slips back to 42°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 48°F and 75°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 8°F warmer than February and about 9°F cooler than April.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
15738
25838
35838
45839
55839
65939
75939
85940
96040
106040
116040
126041
136141
146141
156142
166142
176242
186242
196243
206243
216343
226344
236344
246444
256445
266445
276545
286546
296546
306646
316647

How March really feels in Chapel Hill

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 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
0
wind chill below the day's low

March sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Chapel Hill weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 8th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan50° / 33°3.69.41.49.82.4
Feb54° / 35°3.28.91.310.63.3
Mar62° / 42°4.310.50.511.75.2
Apr71° / 51°3.59.3012.96.7
May78° / 60°3.410.6013.96.6
Jun85° / 68°3.912014.45.0
Jul88° / 71°4.314.9014.23.9
Aug86° / 70°3.911.6013.44.7
Sep81° / 64°4.49.4012.26.4
Oct71° / 53°3.17.5011.17.1
Nov61° / 42°3.37.70.110.15.5
Dec53° / 36°3.59.20.69.63.2

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% 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 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
25149
35248
45248
55248
65248
75248
85248
95248
105248
115248
125149
135050
145050
154951
164951
174852
184852
194852
204753
214753
224753
234753
244852
254852
264852
275050
285050
295149
305149
315149

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Chapel Hill gets around 4.3 in of rain and snow over 10.5 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 33% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1334
2324
3323
4323
5323
6323
7323
8323
9322
10322
11322
12322
13322
14322
15322
16331
17331
18331
19331
20341
21341
22341
23341
24341
25341
26341
27331
28331
29331
30320
31320

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 (%)Humid (%)
19541
29541
39541
49451
59451
69451
79451
89451
99451
109361
119361
129361
139361
149361
159361
169262
179262
189262
199172
209172
219172
229172
239082
248983
258983
268983
278893
288893
298893
308893
3187103

Wind in March

Winds average 7 mph in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 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 72 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:55 AM to 6:12 AM, and sunset from 6:04 PM to 6:30 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.16:556:04
211.26:546:05
311.26:526:06
411.36:516:07
511.36:506:08
611.36:486:08
711.46:476:09
811.46:466:10
911.46:446:11
1011.56:436:12
1111.56:426:13
1211.66:406:14
1311.66:396:15
1411.66:376:16
1511.76:366:17
1611.76:346:17
1711.86:336:18
1811.86:316:19
1911.86:306:20
2011.96:286:21
2111.96:276:22
2212.06:266:23
2312.06:246:23
2412.06:236:24
2512.16:216:25
2612.16:206:26
2712.16:186:27
2812.26:176:28
2912.26:156:29
3012.36:146:29
3112.36:126:30

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.39 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.24 kWh/m² to a high of 6.15 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 4.39 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.9Moderate
33.9Moderate
44.0Bright
54.0Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.3Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.4Bright
154.4Bright
164.4Bright
174.4Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.5Bright
214.5Bright
224.6Bright
234.6Bright
244.7Bright
254.7Bright
264.7Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.9Bright
304.9Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Chapel Hill?

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

5.2
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
1.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Chapel Hill for sightseeing.

What to pack for Chapel Hill in March

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

In March, Chapel Hill sees daytime highs around 62°F and nights near 42°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Chapel Hill in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Chapel Hill peaks around July 14 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 14UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Chapel Hill 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 Chapel Hill is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1718 µg/m³Nov 238 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr12Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct9Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Chapel Hill?

Chapel Hill sits at 35.9°N, 79.1°W, 486 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Carrboro, 1.2 mi away.

Topography around Chapel Hill

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Chapel Hill has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 354 ft around an average of 433 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 696 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,227 ft.

The land around Chapel Hill is covered by trees (81%) within 2 miles, trees (83%) within 10 miles, and trees (79%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
354 ft
10 miles
696 ft
50 miles
1,227 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Carrboro 1.2 mi · Durham 11 mi · Morrisville 14 mi · Apex 17 mi · Cary 17 mi · Holly Springs 22 mi · West Raleigh 24 mi · Burlington 25 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 Chapel Hill (35.9132°, -79.0558°, elevation 486 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. 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).