Wilmington weather in March

In March, Wilmington sees average daytime highs of 64°F and overnight lows near 47°F, with 4.0 in of precipitation across 9.2 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 61°F in the first days to 67°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% 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 Wilmington's 4th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wilmington's year-round climate.

Daytime high
64°
9th warmest
Overnight low
47°
4th coldest
Precipitation
4.0 in
9.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:29 AM – 6:13 PM
Cloud cover
53%
4th clearest
Wind
9 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
4.69 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Wilmington is county seat city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States.

Density
842/km²
people per km²
Founded
1739

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 61°F in the first days to 67°F by the end.

A typical March day in Wilmington reaches about 64°F in the afternoon and slips back to 47°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 53°F and 74°F. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 6°F warmer than February and about 7°F cooler than April.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16144
26144
36144
46244
56244
66244
76245
86245
96245
106345
116345
126346
136346
146446
156446
166447
176447
186447
196447
206547
216548
226548
236548
246649
256649
266649
276649
286750
296750
306750
316851

How March really feels in Wilmington

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

March sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Wilmington 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
Jan56° / 39°3.69.40.5103.9
Feb58° / 41°3.58.90.310.74.4
Mar64° / 47°4.09.20.111.76.0
Apr71° / 55°3.28.1012.87.0
May78° / 63°3.710.5013.86.8
Jun84° / 71°4.914.6014.25.0
Jul87° / 74°6.217.6014.14.0
Aug85° / 73°7.217.5013.34.3
Sep81° / 68°6.513.4012.25.8
Oct74° / 58°3.98.1011.17.2
Nov65° / 48°3.58010.26.4
Dec59° / 42°3.89.20.19.84.7

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% 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 46%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15149
25248
35248
45347
55446
65446
75446
85446
95446
105446
115446
125446
135446
145446
155446
165446
175446
185446
195446
205446
215446
225446
235446
245446
255446
265545
275545
285644
295644
305743
315743

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Wilmington gets around 4.0 in of rain and snow over 9.2 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 29% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
330
429
529
628
727
827
927
1027
1127
1227
1327
1427
1527
1627
1728
1828
1929
2029
2130
2230
2331
2431
2531
2631
2731
2831
2931
3031
3130

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 78% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1831250
2831250
3831250
4831250
5821260
6811360
7811360
8811360
9811360
10811360
11811360
12811360
13801370
14801370
15801370
16801370
17801370
18791380
19791380
20791380
21781390
22771391
23771391
247613101
257613101
267414111
277414111
287314112
297115122
307115122
316916132

Wind in March

Winds average 9 mph in March, the windiest month of the year.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 9 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
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
269light breeze
279light breeze
289light breeze
299light breeze
309light breeze
319light breeze

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 6:49 AM to 6:08 AM, and sunset from 6:01 PM to 6:25 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.26:496:01
211.26:486:02
311.36:476:03
411.36:456:04
511.36:446:04
611.46:436:05
711.46:426:06
811.46:406:07
911.56:396:08
1011.56:386:09
1111.66:366:09
1211.66:356:10
1311.66:346:11
1411.76:326:12
1511.76:316:13
1611.76:296:13
1711.86:286:14
1811.86:276:15
1911.86:256:16
2011.96:246:17
2111.96:226:17
2212.06:216:18
2312.06:206:19
2412.06:186:20
2512.16:176:21
2612.16:156:21
2712.16:146:22
2812.26:136:23
2912.26:116:24
3012.26:106:24
3112.36:086:25

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.69 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.45 kWh/m² to a high of 6.31 kWh/m² in May across the year — March's 4.69 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.1Bright
24.2Bright
34.2Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.5Bright
94.5Bright
104.5Bright
114.6Bright
124.6Bright
134.6Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.7Bright
174.8Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.9Bright
224.9Bright
235.0Bright
245.0Bright
255.0Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Wilmington

In seasonPeak

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

Wilmington 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 Wilmington?

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

6.0
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
1.9
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Wilmington for sightseeing.

What to pack for Wilmington in March

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

In March, Wilmington sees daytime highs around 64°F and nights near 47°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 9 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Wilmington 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 at the nearest coast (about 9 mi away) is warmest in August at about 82°F and coldest in February near 58°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 1 to Nov 14 — about 6.5 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan60Cool
Feb58Bracing
Mar60Cool
Apr65Cool
May71Refreshing
Jun78Warm
Jul81Warm
Aug82Warm
Sep80Warm
Oct74Refreshing
Nov68Cool
Dec62Cool

UV index in Wilmington in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Wilmington peaks around July 14 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 14UV 9Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Wilmington 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 Wilmington is worst in March — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.1× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMar 1718 µg/m³Dec 136 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May12Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct8Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Wilmington?

Wilmington sits at 34.2°N, 77.9°W, 30 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Leland, 5.6 mi away.

Topography around Wilmington

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Wilmington has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 92 ft around an average of 23 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 121 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 253 ft.

The land around Wilmington is covered by trees (31%), artificial surfaces (25%) and wetland (20%) within 2 miles, trees (54%) within 10 miles, and trees (53%) and water (34%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
92 ft
10 miles
121 ft
50 miles
253 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
March weather nearby: Leland 5.6 mi · Jacksonville 47 mi · North Myrtle Beach 51 mi · Myrtle Beach 66 mi · Lumberton 66 mi · Conway 69 mi · Socastee 71 mi · Kinston 74 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 Wilmington (34.2356°, -77.946°, elevation 30 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). 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).