Pittsburgh weather in March

In March, Pittsburgh sees average daytime highs of 49°F and overnight lows near 32°F, with 4.2 in of precipitation across 12.9 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 44°F in the first days to 55°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% 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 Pittsburgh's 9th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Pittsburgh's year-round climate.

Daytime high
49°
9th warmest
Overnight low
32°
4th coldest
Precipitation
4.2 in
12.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:40 AM – 6:20 PM
Cloud cover
70%
9th clearest
Wind
7 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
3.79 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.9
out of 10

Pittsburgh is city and county seat in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States.

Density
2,015/km²
people per km²
Founded
1758

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 44°F in the first days to 55°F by the end.

A typical March day in Pittsburgh reaches about 49°F in the afternoon and slips back to 32°F overnight — a 17°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 9°F warmer than February and about 12°F cooler than April.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14427
24428
34428
44528
54528
64528
74629
84629
94629
104729
114730
124730
134830
144831
154931
164932
174932
185032
195033
205133
215134
225134
235234
245235
255335
265335
275436
285436
295537
305537
315637

How March really feels in Pittsburgh

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.

Pittsburgh weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan37° / 23°3.6127.19.40.0
Feb40° / 24°3.110.85.810.40.1
Mar49° / 32°4.212.93.411.71.9
Apr62° / 42°4.713.81134.6
May70° / 51°4.814.3014.25.8
Jun79° / 60°5.013.6014.86.0
Jul82° / 64°4.614014.65.7
Aug81° / 63°3.711.9013.66.2
Sep74° / 56°4.010.4012.36.7
Oct62° / 45°3.710.70.210.95.3
Nov50° / 35°3.5101.49.82.3
Dec41° / 28°3.511.64.69.20.1

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 69%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12872
22872
32872
42971
53070
63070
73070
83169
93169
103268
113268
123268
133268
143268
153268
163367
173268
183268
193268
203268
213268
223268
233268
243268
253268
263367
273367
283367
293268
303268
313268

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Pittsburgh gets around 4.2 in of rain and snow over 12.9 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 42% and peaks near 44% on the wettest days, and about 3 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14118
24118
34117
44217
54217
64216
74216
84215
94115
104114
114114
124113
134113
144112
154112
164111
174011
184010
19409
20409
21418
22418
23417
24427
25427
26426
27436
28436
29436
30446
31446

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
161000
171000
181000
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28982
29982
30982
31982

Wind in March

Winds average 7 mph in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 7 mph on the calmest days to 8 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
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
157light breeze
167light breeze
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317light 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 7:03 AM to 6:14 AM, and sunset from 6:03 PM to 6:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.07:036:03
211.07:026:04
311.17:006:05
411.16:596:06
511.26:576:08
611.26:566:09
711.36:546:10
811.36:536:11
911.46:516:12
1011.46:496:13
1111.46:486:14
1211.56:466:15
1311.56:456:16
1411.66:436:18
1511.66:416:19
1611.76:406:20
1711.76:386:21
1811.86:366:22
1911.86:356:23
2011.96:336:24
2111.96:316:25
2211.96:306:26
2312.06:286:27
2412.06:266:28
2512.16:246:29
2612.16:236:30
2712.26:216:31
2812.26:196:32
2912.36:186:34
3012.36:166:35
3112.46:146:36

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 3.79 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.5 kWh/m² to a high of 5.92 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 3.79 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.2Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.4Moderate
53.4Moderate
63.4Moderate
73.5Moderate
83.5Moderate
93.6Moderate
103.6Moderate
113.6Moderate
123.7Moderate
133.7Moderate
143.8Moderate
153.8Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.9Moderate
203.9Moderate
214.0Moderate
224.0Bright
234.0Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.1Bright
274.2Bright
284.2Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Pittsburgh

In seasonPeak

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

Pittsburgh sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is March a good time to visit Pittsburgh?

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

1.9
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Pittsburgh.

What to pack for Pittsburgh in March

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

In March, Pittsburgh sees daytime highs around 49°F and nights near 32°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh peaks around June 22 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 22UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1317 µg/m³Nov 147 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May15Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov7Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh sits at 40.4°N, 80.0°W, 764 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Wilkinsburg, 6.2 mi away.

Topography around Pittsburgh

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Pittsburgh has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 564 ft around an average of 906 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 682 ft; within 50 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,352 ft.

The land around Pittsburgh is covered by artificial surfaces (54%) and trees (35%) within 2 miles, trees (66%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 10 miles, and trees (75%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
564 ft
10 miles
682 ft
50 miles
2,352 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Wilkinsburg 6.2 mi · Mount Lebanon 6.8 mi · Baldwin 6.8 mi · Bethel Park 8.1 mi · Allison Park 8.7 mi · Upper Saint Clair 8.7 mi · West Mifflin 8.7 mi · Penn Hills 9.3 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 Pittsburgh (40.4406°, -79.9959°, elevation 764 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).