Manhattan weather in March

In March, Manhattan sees average daytime highs of 55°F and overnight lows near 34°F, with 2.4 in of precipitation across 8.1 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 50°F in the first days to 60°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% 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 Manhattan's 10th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Manhattan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
55°
8th warmest
Overnight low
34°
4th coldest
Precipitation
2.4 in
8.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:45 AM – 6:26 PM
Cloud cover
57%
10th clearest
Wind
10 mph
2nd windiest
Solar energy
4.4 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Manhattan is city in Riley and Pottawatomie counties in Kansas, United States, county seat of Riley County.

Density
1,124/km²
people per km²
Founded
1855

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 50°F in the first days to 60°F by the end.

A typical March day in Manhattan reaches about 55°F in the afternoon and slips back to 34°F overnight — a 21°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 39°F and 73°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 11°F warmer than February and about 10°F cooler than April.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14928
24928
35029
45029
55129
65130
75230
85231
95331
105332
115432
125433
135533
145534
155634
165635
175635
185735
195736
205736
215837
225837
235837
245838
255938
265938
276038
286039
296039
306139
316139

How March really feels in Manhattan

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 28 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
28
wind chill below the day's low

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

Manhattan 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
Jan39° / 21°0.94.52.89.60.0
Feb44° / 24°1.45.32.810.50.8
Mar55° / 34°2.48.11.711.73.8
Apr66° / 44°3.69.80.5136.0
May75° / 55°5.212014.16.5
Jun85° / 66°4.110.2014.75.3
Jul90° / 70°3.79.5014.54.2
Aug87° / 67°3.79.2013.54.9
Sep80° / 59°3.17.3012.37.0
Oct68° / 46°2.57.30.2116.9
Nov54° / 34°1.85.319.93.7
Dec42° / 24°1.44.72.19.30.5

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% 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 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15149
25149
35149
45149
55149
65248
75248
85248
95149
105149
115149
125050
134951
145050
155050
164852
174951
184951
194852
204753
214753
224753
234753
244852
254852
264852
275050
285050
295050
305149
315149

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Manhattan gets around 2.4 in of rain and snow over 8.1 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 30% on the wettest days, and about 2 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1218
2228
3228
4227
5227
6227
7227
8236
9236
10246
11246
12256
13256
14266
15266
16266
17276
18276
19286
20286
21286
22295
23295
24295
25295
26305
27304
28304
29304
30304
31304

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
49910
59910
69910
79910
89910
99910
109910
119910
129910
139910
149820
159820
169820
179820
189820
199730
209730
219730
229730
239730
249640
259640
269640
279541
289631
299631
309631
319631

Wind in March

Winds average 10 mph in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light 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 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 7:08 AM to 6:21 AM, and sunset from 6:11 PM to 6:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.07:086:11
211.17:076:12
311.17:056:13
411.27:046:14
511.27:036:15
611.27:016:16
711.37:006:17
811.36:586:18
911.46:566:19
1011.46:556:20
1111.56:536:21
1211.56:526:22
1311.66:506:23
1411.66:496:24
1511.66:476:25
1611.76:456:26
1711.76:446:27
1811.86:426:28
1911.86:416:29
2011.96:396:30
2111.96:376:31
2211.96:366:32
2312.06:346:33
2412.06:336:34
2512.16:316:35
2612.16:296:36
2712.26:286:37
2812.26:266:38
2912.36:246:39
3012.36:236:40
3112.36:216:41

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.4 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.15 kWh/m² to a high of 6.7 kWh/m² in July across the year — March's 4.4 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Moderate
24.0Bright
34.0Bright
44.1Bright
54.1Bright
64.2Bright
74.2Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.3Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.4Bright
164.4Bright
174.4Bright
184.4Bright
194.5Bright
204.5Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.6Bright
244.6Bright
254.6Bright
264.7Bright
274.7Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Manhattan?

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

3.8
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 Manhattan.

What to pack for Manhattan in March

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

In March, Manhattan sees daytime highs around 55°F and nights near 34°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Manhattan 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 Manhattan peaks around June 22 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 10Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May7Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Manhattan 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 Manhattan is worst in April — around 32 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 5.1× the cleanest month (October, 6 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodApr 1530 µg/m³Oct 236 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar16Moderate
Apr32Moderate
May11Good
Jun11Good
Jul14Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct6Good
Nov7Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Manhattan?

Manhattan sits at 39.2°N, 96.6°W, 1,020 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Junction City, 17 mi away.

Topography around Manhattan

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Manhattan has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 266 ft around an average of 1,053 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 512 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 751 ft.

The land around Manhattan is covered by trees (35%) and artificial surfaces (33%) within 2 miles, grassland (54%) and trees (23%) within 10 miles, and grassland (54%) and cropland (34%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
266 ft
10 miles
512 ft
50 miles
751 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Junction City 17 mi · Topeka 49 mi · Emporia 58 mi · Salina 61 mi · Lawrence 73 mi · Leavenworth 89 mi · Newton 89 mi · Gardner 92 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 Manhattan (39.1836°, -96.5717°, elevation 1,020 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).