Sơn La weather in March

In March, Sơn La sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 50 mm of rain across 7.1 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 26°C in the first days to 27°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in March, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of March to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Sơn La's 1st-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sơn La's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
8th warmest
Overnight low
16°
5th coldest
Rainfall
50 mm
7.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
6:19 AM – 6:09 PM
Cloud cover
50%
1st clearest
Wind
6 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
4.77 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Sơn La is the old provincial capital of Son La province, Vietnam.

Density
328/km²
people per km²

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 26°C in the first days to 27°C by the end.

A typical March day in Sơn La reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 3°C warmer than February and about 2°C cooler than April.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12514
22514
32615
42615
52615
62615
72615
82615
92615
102715
112716
122716
132716
142716
152716
162716
172716
182716
192716
202717
212717
222717
232717
242717
252717
262717
272717
282717
292818
302818
312818

How March really feels in Sơn La

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
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.

Sơn La weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 8th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 12°24410.87.3
Feb23° / 13°193.611.37.9
Mar27° / 16°507.111.87.1
Apr29° / 19°7212.812.55.2
May30° / 22°14719.3133.7
Jun30° / 23°2092313.33.2
Jul29° / 23°28824.513.23.4
Aug29° / 22°28325.312.73.4
Sep29° / 21°15017.512.14.4
Oct27° / 19°498.311.56.6
Nov25° / 16°274.5117.8
Dec22° / 12°233.610.77.6

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in March, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 39%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16634
26634
36733
46733
56733
66733
76733
86733
96634
106634
116634
126634
136436
146337
156337
166139
176040
185941
195941
205842
215743
225644
235545
245446
255446
265446
275347
285347
295347
305446
315446

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Sơn La gets around 50 mm of rain over 7.1 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 23% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
113
214
314
414
514
614
714
815
915
1016
1117
1218
1319
1420
1521
1622
1723
1825
1926
2027
2128
2229
2330
2431
2532
2633
2733
2834
2934
3035
3135

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of March feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, March lands in the humid band about 40% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 15% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
136342640
235342740
334332840
433332940
532323150
631323250
730323350
828323560
926313660
1025313870
1123303980
1222304080
13203041100
14182942110
15172843120
16162843130
17152744140
18142645150
19142545160
20132445170
21132345190
22122246200
23122145220
24112045230
25111945251
26101944261
27101844281
2891843291
2991743311
3081742321
3181641341

Wind in March

Winds average 6 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of March to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:31 AM to 6:04 AM, and sunset from 6:04 PM to 6:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:316:04
211.66:316:04
311.66:306:05
411.66:296:05
511.66:286:05
611.66:276:06
711.76:266:06
811.76:266:07
911.76:256:07
1011.76:246:07
1111.76:236:08
1211.86:226:08
1311.86:216:08
1411.86:206:09
1511.86:196:09
1611.86:196:09
1711.96:186:10
1811.96:176:10
1911.96:166:10
2011.96:156:11
2112.06:146:11
2212.06:136:11
2312.06:126:12
2412.06:116:12
2512.06:106:12
2612.16:096:13
2712.16:086:13
2812.16:076:13
2912.16:066:14
3012.16:056:14
3112.26:046:14

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.77 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.14 kWh/m² to a high of 5.26 kWh/m² in April across the year — March's 4.77 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.6Bright
74.6Bright
84.7Bright
94.7Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.8Bright
134.8Bright
144.8Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.8Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.8Bright
224.8Bright
234.8Bright
244.8Bright
254.8Bright
264.9Bright
274.9Bright
284.9Bright
294.9Bright
304.9Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Sơn La

In seasonPeak

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

Sơn La's monsoon runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is March a good time to visit Sơn La?

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

7.1
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

March is one of the better times to visit Sơn La for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Sơn La in March

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

In March, Sơn La sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 7 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Sơn La in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sơn La peaks around June 20 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 6 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highExtremeVery highHighJun 20UV 13Dec 18UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7Very high
Feb9Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr9Very high
May11Extreme
Jun14Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec6High

Air quality in Sơn La 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 Sơn La is worst in April — around 151 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 12.9× the cleanest month (August, 12 µg/m³).

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

0306090120150JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyModerateGoodModerateApr 16140 µg/m³Aug 912 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan32Moderate
Feb38Poor
Mar67Unhealthy
Apr151Very unhealthy
May58Unhealthy
Jun14Moderate
Jul12Good
Aug12Good
Sep16Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov26Moderate
Dec31Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sơn La?

Sơn La sits at 21.3°N, 103.9°E, 608 m above sea level, in Vietnam. The nearest listed city is Ít Ong, 24 km away.

Dien Bien PhuXam NuaVieng XaiMường LayYên Bái

Topography around Sơn La

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sơn La.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sơn La has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 348 m around an average of 674 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,404 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,830 m.

The land around Sơn La is covered by trees (59%) within 3 km, trees (69%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and trees (68%) and grassland (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
348 m
16 km
1,404 m
80 km
2,830 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Ít Ong 24 km · Thị Trấn Thuận Châu 27 km · Nghĩa Lộ 69 km · Dien Bien Phu 93 km · Xam Nua 102 km · Vieng Xai 107 km · Mường Lay 111 km · Yên Bái 112 km

Vietnam travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,066
2025
Happiness
6.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
59%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2011
Road deaths
30.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 500
Religion
none 86%Catholic 6%Buddhist 6%Protestant 1%

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 Sơn La (21.3256°, 103.9188°, elevation 608 m), 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. 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).