Lancaster weather in March

In March, Lancaster sees average daytime highs of 51°F and overnight lows near 34°F, with 3.9 in of precipitation across 10.3 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 47°F in the first days to 55°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 Lancaster's 11th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lancaster's year-round climate.

Daytime high
51°
9th warmest
Overnight low
34°
4th coldest
Precipitation
3.9 in
10.3 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:25 AM – 6:05 PM
Cloud cover
64%
11th clearest
Wind
8 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
4.04 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.4
out of 10

Lancaster is city in central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.

Density
3,116/km²
people per km²
Founded
1730

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 47°F in the first days to 55°F by the end.

A typical March day in Lancaster reaches about 51°F in the afternoon and slips back to 34°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 38°F and 65°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 9°F warmer than February and about 12°F cooler than April.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14630
24631
34731
44731
54731
64731
74832
84832
94932
104932
114933
124933
135033
145033
155034
165034
175134
185135
195135
205235
215236
225236
235337
245337
255437
265438
275538
285538
295539
305639
315640

How March really feels in Lancaster

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 26 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
26
wind chill below the day's low

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

Lancaster 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 daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan39° / 26°3.19.13.99.50.0
Feb42° / 27°2.993.810.40.3
Mar51° / 34°3.910.32.911.72.4
Apr63° / 45°3.610.30.3135.3
May72° / 55°3.611.4014.26.4
Jun81° / 64°3.711.1014.86.0
Jul85° / 69°3.911.1014.65.1
Aug83° / 67°3.410.3013.65.8
Sep76° / 60°4.39.3012.36.9
Oct65° / 48°3.68.40.110.96.0
Nov53° / 38°3.08.20.49.83.2
Dec44° / 31°3.69.22.39.20.6

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% 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 60%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14060
24159
34159
44159
54159
64357
74357
84456
94456
104357
114357
124357
134357
144357
154258
164060
174060
184060
193961
203961
213862
223763
233664
243664
253664
263664
273763
283763
293763
303862
313862

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Lancaster gets around 3.9 in of rain and snow over 10.3 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 35% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13413
23413
33413
43312
53312
63312
73212
83212
93211
103211
113211
123211
133210
143210
153210
16329
17329
18328
19328
20328
21337
22337
23347
24346
25346
26346
27345
28345
29345
30344
31354

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 99% 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
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in March

Winds average 8 mph in March, the windiest month of the year.

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 6:48 AM to 6:00 AM, and sunset from 5:49 PM to 6:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:485:49
211.16:475:50
311.16:455:51
411.16:445:52
511.26:425:53
611.26:415:54
711.36:395:55
811.36:385:56
911.46:365:58
1011.46:345:59
1111.46:336:00
1211.56:316:01
1311.56:306:02
1411.66:286:03
1511.66:266:04
1611.76:256:05
1711.76:236:06
1811.86:216:07
1911.86:206:08
2011.96:186:09
2111.96:166:10
2211.96:156:11
2312.06:136:12
2412.06:116:13
2512.16:106:14
2612.16:086:16
2712.26:066:17
2812.26:056:18
2912.36:036:19
3012.36:016:20
3112.36:006:21

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.04 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.81 kWh/m² to a high of 6.1 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 4.04 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.5Moderate
23.6Moderate
33.6Moderate
43.7Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.8Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.9Moderate
103.9Moderate
114.0Moderate
124.0Moderate
134.0Bright
144.0Bright
154.1Bright
164.1Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.3Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.5Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Lancaster?

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

2.4
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 Lancaster.

What to pack for Lancaster in March

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

In March, Lancaster sees daytime highs around 51°F and nights near 34°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Lancaster 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 Lancaster peaks around June 23 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 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 23UV 9Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Lancaster 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 Lancaster is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1417 µg/m³Nov 138 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb12Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct9Good
Nov8Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Lancaster?

Lancaster sits at 40.0°N, 76.3°W, 361 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Lebanon, 22 mi away.

Topography around Lancaster

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Lancaster has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 246 ft around an average of 348 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 725 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,991 ft.

The land around Lancaster is covered by trees (48%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 2 miles, cropland (33%), trees (31%) and grassland (26%) within 10 miles, and trees (55%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
246 ft
10 miles
725 ft
50 miles
1,991 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Lebanon 22 mi · York 23 mi · Reading 29 mi · Bel Air North 34 mi · North Bel Air 35 mi · Harrisburg 35 mi · South Bel Air 35 mi · Bel Air South 37 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 Lancaster (40.0379°, -76.3055°, elevation 361 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).