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Chicago in March: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Planning a trip and want to know what the weather in Chicago in March will be like? Take a look at our weather guide for Chicago, based on historical data.
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March

Weather in Chicago in March 2025

OK Weather
Chill
☁️
Cloudy
Chicago in March usually sees fair weather conditions, with an average daily high temperature of +43°F and roughly 4 sunny days. However, you should prepare for about 5 rainy days with an average precipitation of 49 mm. The weather is changeable so pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.

Average weather

☀️
+43°F
Avg. max. temperature
-4°F
Min.
+77°F
Max.
49 mm
Total precipitation
68%
Avg. humidity
4 m/s
Avg. wind
4 ☀️
Sunny Days
20 ⛅️
Cloudy
5 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Chicago has OK weather in March.

Average temperature in Chicago in March

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Chicago for March based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

Going from a maximum of +75°F during the day to a minimum of +10°F during the night, the temperature in March averages around +50°F.

The average maximum temperature goes up 17% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +48°F to +59°F.

Is Chicago warm or cold in March?

Chicago is typically chill in March.

Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +34°F to +43°F. The minimum temperature also goes up from +23°F to +30°F.

Pack a jumper and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.

Take a look at how March is compared to other months in Chicago:

Climate in Chicago in March

Chicago weather looks like this, on average, in March and the surrounding months.
FebruaryMarchApril
Avg. temperature
+34°F+43°F+54°F
Min. temperature
-15°F-4°F+18°F
Max. temperature
+64°F+77°F+86°F
Rainfall
21 mm49 mm92 mm
Wind
4 m/s4 m/s4 m/s
Humidity
70%68%64%
Air pressure
1017 HPa1016 HPa1013 HPa
Sunny days
444
Cloudy days
192017
Rainy days
258
Snowy days
321

March weather is still as ok as in February. It’s getting warmer as March arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +34°F to +43°F during the day. Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 21 mm to 49 mm. It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 70% to 68%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during March, staying around 4 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 4 sunny days during the month.

April brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in Chicago in March based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 3 m/s getting up to 7 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.

The average wind speed in Chicago is gradually increasing during March, going from 2 m/s to 4 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during March in Chicago based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Total precipitation in March is about 122 mm, with a 42% chance of rain on a typical day. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 32 mm, which is moderate rain. March is a pretty wet month with over 13 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
Here’s how March is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Chicago wettest month is May, where a typical day has a 29% chance of precipitation and 101 mm of rainfall per day. January, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 6% chance of precipitation and 21 mm of rainfall per day.

Snow

Amount of snow in mm during March in Chicago based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
The total snow in March is about 12 mm, with a 6% chance of snow on a typical day.

Here’s how March is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:

How was the weather last March in Chicago?

This is the weather in Chicago in March 2023:
1 March
☁️
+48°F
2 March
☁️
+49°F
3 March
☁️
+44°F
4 March
☁️
+39°F
5 March
☁️
+69°F
6 March
☁️
+66°F
7 March
🌧️
+39°F
8 March
☁️
+40°F
9 March
☀️
+43°F
10 March
☁️
+37°F
11 March
🌨️
+31°F
12 March
☀️
+26°F
13 March
☁️
+51°F
14 March
☁️
+63°F
15 March
☁️
+53°F
16 March
☀️
+69°F
17 March
☁️
+68°F
18 March
☁️
+50°F
19 March
🌧️
+42°F
20 March
☀️
+62°F
21 March
☁️
+74°F
22 March
☁️
+70°F
23 March
🌧️
+57°F
24 March
🌧️
+53°F
25 March
☁️
+46°F
26 March
🌨️
+41°F
27 March
☀️
+32°F
28 March
☀️
+31°F
29 March
☁️
+40°F
30 March
🌧️
+61°F
31 March
🌧️
+59°F
In March 2023 Chicago had 6 sunny days, 17 cloudy days, and 6 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +50°F, with an absolute maximum of +75°F and a minimum of +25°F. The average humidity was 66%, with a maximum of 95% and a minimum of 29%. The average wind speed was 3 m/s, with a maximum of 13 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in March?

Climate Change Over the Years

This is how Chicago climate has changed over the last 43 years.

The climate in Chicago in March has not changed that much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1984 (+37°F) and the highest in 2012 (+64°F). The driest year was 2015 with only 9 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2017 with 201 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Chicago in March:

Is March a good time to visit Chicago?

It’s always a good time to visit Chicago, but the weather is changeable in March, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in Chicago in March?

Not really, March is not the best time to sunbathe, unless you visit a local solarium.

Is Chicago rainy in March?

Chicago is usually dry in March. Plan your packing around outdoor activities and exploring.

Is it sunny in Chicago in March?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Chicago in March, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in USA

Check out the weather for other cities in USA.

Monthly weather in Chicago

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Chicago, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2022.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.