Columbia weather in March

In March, Columbia sees average daytime highs of 55°F and overnight lows near 36°F, with 3.4 in of precipitation across 10.7 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 49°F in the first days to 59°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

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

Daytime high
55°
8th warmest
Overnight low
36°
4th coldest
Precipitation
3.4 in
10.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:28 AM – 6:10 PM
Cloud cover
63%
11th clearest
Wind
8 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
4.15 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Columbia is city in and county seat of Boone County, Missouri, United States.

Density
765/km²
people per km²
Founded
1821

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 49°F in the first days to 59°F by the end.

A typical March day in Columbia reaches about 55°F in the afternoon and slips back to 36°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 39°F and 72°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 11°F warmer than February and about 11°F cooler than April.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14930
24930
34931
45031
55031
65132
75132
85233
95233
105333
115334
125334
135435
145435
155536
165536
175537
185637
195637
205638
215638
225738
235739
245839
255839
265840
275940
285940
295940
306041
316041

How March really feels in Columbia

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 20 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
20
wind chill below the day's low

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

Columbia weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 8th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan38° / 23°2.27.23.79.60.0
Feb44° / 27°2.36.92.910.50.7
Mar55° / 36°3.410.71.611.73.4
Apr65° / 46°5.111.60.3135.6
May74° / 56°5.313.3014.16.2
Jun83° / 66°4.411.9014.75.4
Jul88° / 69°3.79.5014.54.7
Aug86° / 67°3.08.9013.55.2
Sep79° / 59°3.47.7012.37.1
Oct67° / 47°3.38.80.1116.4
Nov53° / 36°3.17.81.19.93.3
Dec42° / 27°2.36.92.39.30.4

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 58%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14555
24555
34654
44654
54654
64654
74654
84654
94654
104555
114456
124357
134357
144258
154258
164159
174060
184060
194060
203862
213862
223862
233862
243862
253961
263961
274060
284060
294159
304159
314258

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Columbia gets around 3.4 in of rain and snow over 10.7 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 34% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days, and about 2 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1299
2298
3298
4298
5297
6297
7306
8306
9306
10315
11315
12325
13325
14335
15345
16345
17355
18365
19365
20375
21385
22385
23385
24384
25384
26384
27384
28383
29383
30383
31383

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 96% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19910
29910
39910
49910
59910
69910
79910
89910
99910
109820
119820
129820
139820
149730
159730
169730
179730
189640
199640
209640
219550
229550
239550
249550
259451
269361
279361
289361
299361
309361
319361

Wind in March

Winds average 8 mph in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
18light breeze
28light breeze
38light breeze
48light breeze
58light breeze
68light breeze
78light breeze
88light breeze
98light breeze
108light breeze
118light breeze
128light breeze
138light breeze
148light breeze
158light breeze
168light breeze
178light breeze
188light breeze
198light breeze
208light breeze
218light breeze
228light breeze
238light breeze
248light breeze
258light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze
318light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours 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 78 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:51 AM to 6:04 AM, and sunset from 5:54 PM to 6:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:515:54
211.16:505:55
311.16:485:56
411.26:475:57
511.26:455:58
611.36:445:59
711.36:426:00
811.36:416:01
911.46:396:02
1011.46:386:03
1111.56:366:04
1211.56:356:05
1311.66:336:07
1411.66:326:08
1511.66:306:09
1611.76:286:10
1711.76:276:11
1811.86:256:12
1911.86:246:13
2011.96:226:14
2111.96:206:15
2211.96:196:16
2312.06:176:17
2412.06:166:18
2512.16:146:19
2612.16:126:20
2712.26:116:20
2812.26:096:21
2912.26:076:22
3012.36:066:23
3112.36:046:24

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.15 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.94 kWh/m² to a high of 6.44 kWh/m² in July across the year — March's 4.15 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.7Moderate
23.7Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.9Moderate
63.9Moderate
73.9Moderate
84.0Moderate
94.0Bright
104.0Bright
114.0Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.1Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.3Bright
224.3Bright
234.3Bright
244.3Bright
254.4Bright
264.4Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.6Bright
304.6Bright
314.7Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Columbia?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
0.1
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Columbia.

What to pack for Columbia in March

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

In March, Columbia sees daytime highs around 55°F and nights near 36°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Columbia 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 Columbia peaks around June 21 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 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 highHighModerateJun 21UV 10Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May7Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Columbia 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 Columbia is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1616 µg/m³Nov 117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar12Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov7Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Columbia?

Columbia sits at 39.0°N, 92.3°W, 705 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Jefferson City, 27 mi away.

Topography around Columbia

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Columbia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 220 ft around an average of 728 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 387 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 640 ft.

The land around Columbia is covered by trees (47%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 2 miles, trees (52%) and grassland (30%) within 10 miles, and trees (41%), cropland (32%) and grassland (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
220 ft
10 miles
387 ft
50 miles
640 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Jefferson City 27 mi · Sedalia 51 mi · Hannibal 74 mi · Rolla 76 mi · Warrensburg 76 mi · Wentzville 80 mi · Quincy 84 mi · Fort Leonard Wood 86 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 Columbia (38.9517°, -92.3341°, elevation 705 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).