Portsmouth weather in March

In March, Portsmouth sees average daytime highs of 54°F and overnight lows near 36°F, with 4.2 in of precipitation across 12 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 49°F in the first days to 60°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 06 min at the start of March to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Portsmouth's 9th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Portsmouth's year-round climate.

Daytime high
54°
8th warmest
Overnight low
36°
4th coldest
Precipitation
4.2 in
12 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:51 AM – 6:32 PM
Cloud cover
67%
9th clearest
Wind
7 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
3.94 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.1
out of 10

Portsmouth is city in Scioto County, Ohio, United States.

Density
712/km²
people per km²
Founded
1803

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 49°F in the first days to 60°F by the end.

A typical March day in Portsmouth reaches about 54°F in the afternoon and slips back to 36°F overnight — a 18°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 39°F and 71°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 10°F warmer than February and about 12°F cooler than April.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
14932
24932
34932
45032
55033
65033
75133
85133
95134
105234
115234
125335
135335
145335
155436
165436
175536
185537
195537
205637
215638
225638
235739
245739
255839
265840
275940
285940
296041
306041
316041

How March really feels in Portsmouth

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 20 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
20
wind chill below the day's low

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

Portsmouth weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 8th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan41° / 27°3.410.23.69.60.1
Feb45° / 29°3.410.13.710.50.8
Mar54° / 36°4.2121.711.73.1
Apr66° / 47°4.412.40.3135.6
May74° / 56°4.612.9014.16.2
Jun82° / 64°4.313.1014.75.6
Jul85° / 68°3.912.5014.44.9
Aug85° / 66°3.011.2013.55.3
Sep79° / 59°3.38.1012.37.0
Oct67° / 48°3.190.1116.3
Nov54° / 38°3.28.70.69.93.5
Dec45° / 31°3.6102.39.30.9

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% 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 64%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13664
23664
33664
43763
53862
63862
73862
83862
93862
103862
113862
123763
133763
143763
153763
163763
173664
183664
193565
203565
213466
223466
233466
243466
253565
263565
273565
283565
293664
303763
313862

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Portsmouth gets around 4.2 in of rain and snow over 12 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 39% and peaks near 43% 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 (%)
13610
23610
33610
43610
53610
6369
7369
8368
9368
10367
11377
12376
13376
14375
15375
16385
17384
18384
19394
20394
21404
22403
23413
24413
25423
26423
27423
28423
29433
30433
31433

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 97% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19910
29910
39910
49910
59910
69910
79910
89820
99820
109820
119820
129820
139730
149730
159730
169730
179730
189640
199640
209640
219640
229640
239640
249640
259640
269640
279640
289640
299640
309451
319451

Wind in March

Winds average 7 mph in March.

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

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 min 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 72 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:14 AM to 6:27 AM, and sunset from 6:17 PM to 6:47 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.17:146:17
211.17:126:18
311.17:116:19
411.27:096:20
511.27:086:21
611.37:066:22
711.37:056:23
811.37:036:24
911.47:026:25
1011.47:006:26
1111.56:596:27
1211.56:576:28
1311.66:566:29
1411.66:546:30
1511.66:536:31
1611.76:516:32
1711.76:496:33
1811.86:486:34
1911.86:466:35
2011.96:456:36
2111.96:436:37
2211.96:416:38
2312.06:406:39
2412.06:386:40
2512.16:376:41
2612.16:356:42
2712.26:336:43
2812.26:326:44
2912.26:306:45
3012.36:296:46
3112.36:276:47

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 3.94 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.73 kWh/m² to a high of 6.11 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 3.94 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.4Moderate
33.5Moderate
43.5Moderate
53.6Moderate
63.6Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.9Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
164.0Moderate
174.0Bright
184.0Bright
194.1Bright
204.1Bright
214.1Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.2Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.6Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Portsmouth

In seasonPeak

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

Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth?

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

3.1
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.1
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Portsmouth.

What to pack for Portsmouth in March

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

In March, Portsmouth sees daytime highs around 54°F and nights near 36°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth peaks around June 18 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 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 18UV 9Jan 1UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1218 µg/m³Oct 248 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar10Good
Apr11Good
May14Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Portsmouth?

Portsmouth sits at 38.7°N, 83.0°W, 531 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Ashland, 26 mi away.

Topography around Portsmouth

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Portsmouth has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 640 ft around an average of 620 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 817 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 925 ft.

The land around Portsmouth is covered by trees (42%) within 2 miles, trees (77%) within 10 miles, and trees (77%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
640 ft
10 miles
817 ft
50 miles
925 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Ashland 26 mi · Meads 27 mi · Huntington 37 mi · Chillicothe 42 mi · Athens 63 mi · Lancaster 71 mi · Charleston 78 mi · Grove City 80 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 Portsmouth (38.7317°, -82.9977°, elevation 531 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).