Rancho Santa Margarita weather in March

In March, Rancho Santa Margarita sees average daytime highs of 67°F and overnight lows near 48°F, with 2.6 in of rain across 6.5 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 67°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 12 min at the start of March to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Rancho Santa Margarita's 10th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rancho Santa Margarita's year-round climate.

Daytime high
67°
9th warmest
Overnight low
48°
4th coldest
Rainfall
2.6 in
6.5 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:08 AM – 5:52 PM
Cloud cover
46%
10th clearest
Wind
4 mph
3rd windiest
Solar energy
5.35 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Rancho Santa Margarita is city in Orange County, California, United States.

Density
1,466/km²
people per km²
Founded
2000

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 67°F through the month.

A typical March day in Rancho Santa Margarita reaches about 67°F in the afternoon and slips back to 48°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 57°F and 78°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 3°F warmer than February and about 4°F cooler than April.

40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16547
26547
36547
46547
56547
66647
76647
86647
96748
106748
116748
126748
136748
146748
156749
166749
176749
186749
196749
206749
216749
226749
236749
246749
256749
266749
276749
286749
296849
306850
316850

Rancho Santa Margarita 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan64° / 44°3.66.4106.5
Feb64° / 46°4.46.810.76.4
Mar67° / 48°2.66.511.76.9
Apr71° / 51°1.23.912.87.9
May74° / 56°0.62.313.78.7
Jun80° / 60°0.10.614.28.6
Jul86° / 65°0.10.6146.7
Aug88° / 66°0.10.313.26.1
Sep85° / 64°0.21.312.26.9
Oct79° / 57°0.92.811.28.5
Nov70° / 49°1.23.210.38.0
Dec64° / 44°2.55.39.86.6

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 39%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15545
25545
35545
45644
55743
65743
75842
85941
96040
106139
116238
126238
136337
146337
156436
166337
176337
186337
196337
206337
216337
226238
236238
246238
256238
266238
276238
286238
296337
306337
316337

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Rancho Santa Margarita gets around 2.6 in of rain over 6.5 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 21% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
127
226
326
425
525
624
723
823
922
1021
1121
1220
1320
1420
1520
1620
1720
1820
1920
2020
2120
2221
2321
2420
2520
2620
2720
2819
2919
3018
3117

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 (%)
1991
2991
3991
4991
5991
6982
7982
8982
9982
10973
11973
12964
13964
14964
15955
16955
17955
18955
19955
20955
21955
22955
23955
24964
25964
26964
27964
28973
29973
30973
31973

Wind in March

Winds average 4 mph in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 4 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 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 66 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:27 AM to 5:47 AM, and sunset from 5:40 PM to 6:04 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.26:275:40
211.26:265:41
311.36:255:42
411.36:245:43
511.46:225:43
611.46:215:44
711.46:205:45
811.56:185:46
911.56:175:47
1011.56:165:48
1111.66:155:48
1211.66:135:49
1311.66:125:50
1411.76:115:51
1511.76:095:52
1611.76:085:52
1711.86:065:53
1811.86:055:54
1911.86:045:55
2011.96:025:55
2111.96:015:56
2212.06:005:57
2312.05:585:58
2412.05:575:58
2512.15:555:59
2612.15:546:00
2712.15:536:01
2812.25:516:01
2912.25:506:02
3012.25:486:03
3112.35:476:04

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.35 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.99 kWh/m² to a high of 7.98 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 5.35 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.6Bright
34.7Bright
44.7Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.9Bright
85.0Bright
95.0Bright
105.1Bright
115.1Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.3Bright
155.3Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
316.0Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Rancho Santa Margarita?

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

6.9
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
3.2
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Rancho Santa Margarita for sightseeing.

What to pack for Rancho Santa Margarita in March

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

In March, Rancho Santa Margarita sees daytime highs around 67°F and nights near 48°F. Worth packing: sun protection. About 7 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Rancho Santa Margarita in March

The nearest coast averages about 59°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 16 mi away) is warmest in August at about 69°F and coldest in February near 59°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 13 to Sep 28 — about 2.6 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°65°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan59Cool
Feb59Cool
Mar59Cool
Apr60Cool
May63Cool
Jun65Cool
Jul68Refreshing
Aug69Refreshing
Sep69Refreshing
Oct67Cool
Nov64Cool
Dec60Cool

UV index in Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita peaks around June 23 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 10Dec 16UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov3Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita is worst in September — around 49 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.0× the cleanest month (May, 12 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateSep 1447 µg/m³May 1713 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan18Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr17Moderate
May12Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug32Moderate
Sep49Poor
Oct21Moderate
Nov21Moderate
Dec18Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Rancho Santa Margarita?

Rancho Santa Margarita sits at 33.6°N, 117.6°W, 948 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Mission Viejo, 5.0 mi away.

Topography around Rancho Santa Margarita

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Rancho Santa Margarita has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 764 ft around an average of 1,007 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,564 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 9,967 ft.

The land around Rancho Santa Margarita is covered by artificial surfaces (41%) and trees (35%) within 2 miles, trees (43%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 10 miles, and water (27%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
764 ft
10 miles
5,564 ft
50 miles
9,967 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Mission Viejo 5.0 mi · Lake Forest 5.0 mi · Ladera Ranch 5.0 mi · Laguna Hills 6.8 mi · Laguna Woods 7.5 mi · Aliso Viejo 8.7 mi · Stonegate 9.3 mi · Laguna Niguel 9.9 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 Rancho Santa Margarita (33.6409°, -117.6031°, elevation 948 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).