Kankakee weather in March

In March, Kankakee sees average daytime highs of 49°F and overnight lows near 31°F, with 3.1 in of precipitation across 10.4 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 43°F in the first days to 55°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% 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 Kankakee's 9th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kankakee's year-round climate.

Daytime high
49°
9th warmest
Overnight low
31°
4th coldest
Precipitation
3.1 in
10.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:11 AM – 5:51 PM
Cloud cover
67%
9th clearest
Wind
10 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
4.07 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.0
out of 10

Kankakee is city in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States.

Density
665/km²
people per km²
Founded
1853

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 55°F by the end.

A typical March day in Kankakee reaches about 49°F in the afternoon and slips back to 31°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 35°F and 66°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 12°F warmer than February and about 12°F cooler than April.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14226
24326
34326
44427
54427
64528
74528
84628
94628
104729
114729
124830
134830
144930
154931
164931
175031
185032
195132
205133
215233
225233
235234
245334
255334
265435
275435
285535
295536
305536
315636

How March really feels in Kankakee

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
wind chill below the day's low

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

Kankakee weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan33° / 19°2.58.95.39.40.0
Feb38° / 22°2.17.44.210.40.0
Mar49° / 31°3.110.42.211.72.0
Apr62° / 42°4.312.20.613.14.8
May72° / 52°4.513.1014.36.1
Jun80° / 62°4.112.4014.96.0
Jul83° / 66°3.711.2014.75.7
Aug82° / 64°3.49.5013.66.5
Sep76° / 56°3.08.1012.37.1
Oct64° / 45°3.29.10.110.95.8
Nov50° / 34°2.98.61.19.72.3
Dec38° / 25°2.38.23.49.10.0

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23565
33565
43565
53565
63763
73763
83763
93763
103862
113763
123862
133862
143862
153862
163763
173763
183763
193763
203763
213664
223664
233565
243565
253466
263466
273466
283466
293466
303466
313565

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Kankakee gets around 3.1 in of rain and snow over 10.4 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 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 (%)
13113
23112
33111
43111
53110
63010
7309
8309
9309
10308
11318
12318
13318
14328
15328
16338
17338
18348
19347
20357
21367
22367
23366
24376
25376
26375
27375
28375
29384
30384
31384

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 (%)Humid (%)
110000
210000
310000
410000
510000
610000
710000
810000
99910
109910
119910
129910
139910
149910
159820
169820
179820
189820
199730
209730
219730
229730
239730
249730
259730
269730
279730
289730
299730
309730
319631

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 6:36 AM to 5:46 AM, and sunset from 5:34 PM to 6:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:365:34
211.06:345:35
311.16:335:36
411.16:315:37
511.26:295:38
611.26:285:40
711.26:265:41
811.36:255:42
911.36:235:43
1011.46:215:44
1111.46:205:45
1211.56:185:46
1311.56:165:48
1411.66:155:49
1511.66:135:50
1611.76:115:51
1711.76:105:52
1811.86:085:53
1911.86:065:54
2011.86:045:55
2111.96:035:56
2211.96:015:58
2312.05:595:59
2412.05:586:00
2512.15:566:01
2612.15:546:02
2712.25:526:03
2812.25:516:04
2912.35:496:05
3012.35:476:06
3112.45:466:07

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.07 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.7 kWh/m² to a high of 6.33 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 4.07 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.5Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.6Moderate
43.6Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.8Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.9Moderate
103.9Moderate
114.0Moderate
124.0Bright
134.0Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.1Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.3Bright
224.3Bright
234.3Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.5Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Kankakee?

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

2.0
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 Kankakee.

What to pack for Kankakee in March

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

In March, Kankakee sees daytime highs around 49°F and nights near 31°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Kankakee in March

The nearest coast averages about 35°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 43 mi away) is warmest in August at about 73°F and coldest in February near 35°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 10 to Sep 16 — about 2.3 months when the water holds above 68°F.

30°40°50°60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan38Bracing
Feb35Bracing
Mar35Bracing
Apr39Bracing
May46Bracing
Jun59Cool
Jul70Refreshing
Aug73Refreshing
Sep68Refreshing
Oct58Bracing
Nov49Bracing
Dec42Bracing

UV index in Kankakee 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 Kankakee 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
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Kankakee 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 Kankakee is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1418 µg/m³Oct 238 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct8Good
Nov9Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kankakee?

Kankakee sits at 41.1°N, 87.9°W, 656 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Bradley, 1.2 mi away.

Topography around Kankakee

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Kankakee has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 121 ft around an average of 633 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 272 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 564 ft.

The land around Kankakee is covered by artificial surfaces (37%) and trees (30%) within 2 miles, cropland (75%) within 10 miles, and cropland (70%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
121 ft
10 miles
272 ft
50 miles
564 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Bradley 1.2 mi · Bourbonnais 2.5 mi · Frankfort 26 mi · Park Forest 27 mi · Matteson 27 mi · New Lenox 27 mi · Mokena 28 mi · Chicago Heights 29 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 Kankakee (41.12°, -87.8611°, elevation 656 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).