San Clemente weather in March

In March, San Clemente sees average daytime highs of 65°F and overnight lows near 50°F, with 2.1 in of rain across 6.2 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 65°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 San Clemente's 10th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Clemente's year-round climate.

Daytime high
65°
9th warmest
Overnight low
50°
4th coldest
Rainfall
2.1 in
6.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:08 AM – 5:52 PM
Cloud cover
46%
10th clearest
Wind
4 mph
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.38 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

San Clemente is city in Orange County, California, United States.

Density
1,300/km²
people per km²
Founded
1928

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 65°F through the month.

A typical March day in San Clemente reaches about 65°F in the afternoon and slips back to 50°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 57°F and 75°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°F warmer than February and about 3°F cooler than April.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16449
26449
36449
46449
56449
66449
76549
86550
96550
106550
116550
126550
136550
146550
156551
166551
176551
186551
196551
206551
216551
226551
236551
246551
256551
266551
276551
286551
296551
306551
316551

San Clemente weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan63° / 47°3.15.9106.4
Feb63° / 48°3.76.810.86.2
Mar65° / 50°2.16.211.76.7
Apr68° / 53°0.93.312.87.6
May71° / 56°0.4213.78.2
Jun75° / 60°0.10.414.29.2
Jul80° / 65°0.10.4148.8
Aug82° / 66°0.10.213.28.4
Sep81° / 64°0.20.812.28.7
Oct76° / 59°0.72.611.28.7
Nov69° / 52°1.03.210.37.9
Dec63° / 47°2.24.99.86.6

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 17% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 38%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15545
25545
35644
45644
55644
65743
75842
85941
96040
106139
116337
126337
136436
146436
156436
166535
176535
186535
196535
206436
216436
226436
236436
246337
256337
266337
276337
286337
296337
306337
316436

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

San Clemente gets around 2.1 in of rain over 6.2 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 20% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
126
226
325
425
524
624
723
822
922
1021
1121
1220
1320
1420
1520
1620
1720
1820
1920
2020
2119
2219
2319
2419
2518
2618
2717
2816
2916
3015
3115

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 94% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1982
2982
3982
4973
5973
6973
7964
8964
9955
10946
11946
12937
13937
14928
15928
16928
17928
18928
19928
20928
21928
22928
23937
24937
25937
26946
27946
28946
29946
30955
31955

Wind in March

Winds average 4 mph in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 4 mph on the calmest days to 5 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
305calm
315calm

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
211.36:265:41
311.36:255:42
411.36:235:43
511.46:225:44
611.46:215:44
711.46:205:45
811.56:185:46
911.56:175:47
1011.56:165:48
1111.66:145:48
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
3012.25:496:03
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 5.38 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.01 kWh/m² to a high of 7.82 kWh/m² in June across the year — March's 5.38 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.7Bright
34.7Bright
44.8Bright
54.8Bright
64.9Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.3Bright
145.3Bright
155.4Bright
165.4Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
306.0Bright
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit San Clemente?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
2.5
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit San Clemente for sightseeing.

What to pack for San Clemente in March

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

In March, San Clemente sees daytime highs around 65°F and nights near 50°F. Worth packing: sun protection. About 6 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near San Clemente in March

The nearest coast averages about 60°F in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 70°F and coldest in January near 59°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 6 to Oct 6 — about 3.1 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°65°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan59Cool
Feb59Cool
Mar60Cool
Apr61Cool
May63Cool
Jun66Cool
Jul69Refreshing
Aug70Refreshing
Sep70Refreshing
Oct67Cool
Nov64Cool
Dec61Cool

UV index in San Clemente 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 San Clemente 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 San Clemente 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 San Clemente 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 San Clemente?

San Clemente sits at 33.4°N, 117.6°W, 233 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Dana Point, 5.6 mi away.

Topography around San Clemente

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around San Clemente has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 886 ft around an average of 236 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,280 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,109 ft.

The land around San Clemente is covered by artificial surfaces (35%), water (27%) and trees (21%) within 2 miles, water (44%) within 10 miles, and water (36%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
886 ft
10 miles
2,280 ft
50 miles
6,109 ft
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Dana Point 5.6 mi · San Juan Capistrano 6.2 mi · Laguna Niguel 8.7 mi · Ladera Ranch 9.9 mi · Aliso Viejo 12 mi · Mission Viejo 12 mi · Laguna Beach 12 mi · Laguna Hills 14 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 San Clemente (33.427°, -117.612°, elevation 233 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).