Council Bluffs weather in March

In March, Council Bluffs sees average daytime highs of 50°F and overnight lows near 30°F, with 2.4 in of precipitation across 8.2 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 43°F in the first days to 56°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% 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 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Council Bluffs's 8th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Council Bluffs's year-round climate.

Daytime high
50°
8th warmest
Overnight low
30°
4th coldest
Precipitation
2.4 in
8.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:43 AM – 6:23 PM
Cloud cover
59%
8th clearest
Wind
10 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
4.29 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.3
out of 10

Council Bluffs is city and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States.

Density
554/km²
people per km²
Founded
1854

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 43°F in the first days to 56°F by the end.

A typical March day in Council Bluffs reaches about 50°F in the afternoon and slips back to 30°F overnight — a 20°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 33°F and 68°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 13°F warmer than February and about 12°F cooler than April.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14223
24223
34324
44324
54425
64425
74526
84626
94627
104727
114828
124828
134929
144929
155030
165030
175131
185131
195232
205232
215333
225333
235333
245434
255434
265535
275535
285535
295635
305636
315736

How March really feels in Council Bluffs

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.

Council Bluffs weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 15°1.04.84.19.40.0
Feb37° / 19°1.35.74.210.30.0
Mar50° / 30°2.48.22.511.72.3
Apr62° / 41°4.210.71.213.15.1
May72° / 53°5.512.60.114.36.3
Jun82° / 63°5.211.6014.96.0
Jul85° / 67°3.59.3014.75.5
Aug83° / 64°3.68.9013.76.2
Sep76° / 55°3.17.9012.37.3
Oct64° / 43°2.87.50.410.96.1
Nov49° / 30°1.85.51.89.72.3
Dec36° / 20°1.45.13.79.10.0

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% 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 53%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24654
34852
44852
54852
64951
74951
84951
95050
105050
114951
125050
134951
144951
154852
164852
174753
184753
194654
204654
214456
224456
234456
244555
254555
264555
274654
284654
294753
304753
314753

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Council Bluffs gets around 2.4 in of rain and snow over 8.2 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 26% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12113
22113
32112
42212
52211
62211
72210
82210
9239
10239
11248
12248
13258
14258
15268
16268
17278
18278
19288
20297
21297
22307
23307
24307
25307
26316
27316
28316
29316
30315
31315

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 98% 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
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17982
18982
19982
20982
21982
22973
23973
24973
25973
26973
27973
28973
29973
30982
31982

Wind in March

Winds average 10 mph in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 10 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
210light breeze
310light breeze
410light breeze
510light breeze
610light breeze
710light breeze
810light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
1710light breeze
1810light breeze
1910light breeze
2010light breeze
2110light breeze
2210light breeze
2310light breeze
2410light breeze
2510light breeze
2610light breeze
2710light breeze
2810light breeze
2910light breeze
3010light breeze
3110light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours 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 84 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:08 AM to 6:17 AM, and sunset from 6:06 PM to 6:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.07:086:06
211.07:066:07
311.17:056:08
411.17:036:09
511.17:026:10
611.27:006:11
711.26:586:13
811.36:576:14
911.36:556:15
1011.46:536:16
1111.46:526:17
1211.56:506:18
1311.56:486:19
1411.66:476:21
1511.66:456:22
1611.76:436:23
1711.76:426:24
1811.86:406:25
1911.86:386:26
2011.86:376:27
2111.96:356:28
2211.96:336:30
2312.06:316:31
2412.06:306:32
2512.16:286:33
2612.16:266:34
2712.26:246:35
2812.26:236:36
2912.36:216:37
3012.36:196:38
3112.46:176:39

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.29 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.92 kWh/m² to a high of 6.64 kWh/m² in July across the year — March's 4.29 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.9Moderate
23.9Moderate
33.9Moderate
44.0Moderate
54.0Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.2Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.4Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.5Bright
274.6Bright
284.6Bright
294.6Bright
304.7Bright
314.7Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Council Bluffs

In seasonPeak

None of Council Bluffs's seasonal hazards are active in March. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Council Bluffs's rainy season runs April–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is March a good time to visit Council Bluffs?

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

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

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Council Bluffs.

What to pack for Council Bluffs in March

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

In March, Council Bluffs sees daytime highs around 50°F and nights near 30°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Council Bluffs 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 Council Bluffs peaks around June 21 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 21UV 9Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May6High
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct4Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Council Bluffs?

Council Bluffs sits at 41.3°N, 95.9°W, 988 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Omaha, 4.3 mi away.

Topography around Council Bluffs

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Council Bluffs has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 335 ft around an average of 1,043 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 440 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 617 ft.

The land around Council Bluffs is covered by artificial surfaces (44%) and trees (38%) within 2 miles, cropland (34%) and trees (30%) within 10 miles, and cropland (78%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
335 ft
10 miles
440 ft
50 miles
617 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Omaha 4.3 mi · Bellevue 8.7 mi · La Vista 11 mi · Papillion 12 mi · Fremont 35 mi · Lincoln 53 mi · Columbus 79 mi · Sioux City 90 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 Council Bluffs (41.2619°, -95.8608°, elevation 988 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).