Chicago · United States

Chicago in March: every year compared

In March, Chicago averages highs of 6.8 °C and lows of -0.8 °C, with 72 mm of precipitation. The warmest March was 2012 (10.9 °C), the coldest 1960 (-4.6 °C).

Avg. highAvg. high 6.8 °C

Avg. lowAvg. low -0.8 °C

PrecipitationPrecipitation 72 mm

Rainy daysRainy days 10

Day by day through March

Normal high and low for each day of March in Chicago.

Normal high and low, day by dayNormal 1991–2020

Every March in Chicago, ranked

86 months of March since 1940. The last one, 2025, ranks 3 of 86 (+3.5 °C vs normal).

194019832025

2025 · 6.5 °C · +3.5 °C vs normal · rank 3 of 86

Warmest years

1201210.9 °C
219457.2 °C
320256.5 °C
420006.4 °C
520216.2 °C

Coldest years

11960-4.6 °C
21941-4.2 °C
31940-3.4 °C
41965-2.9 °C
51943-1.9 °C

All 86 years in a table

Year	Mean temperature	Daytime highs	Night lows	Precipitation	Frost days	Snowfall	Rainy days
2025	6.5 °C	11.4 °C	1.8 °C	99 mm	10 days	9 cm	12 days
2024	6.0 °C	10.2 °C	2.2 °C	96 mm	9 days	3 cm	11 days
2023	3.4 °C	7.0 °C	0.2 °C	126 mm	13 days	16 cm	18 days
2022	4.1 °C	8.5 °C	0.5 °C	126 mm	15 days	10 cm	15 days
2021	6.2 °C	10.5 °C	2.2 °C	49 mm	10 days	4 cm	8 days
2020	4.8 °C	8.8 °C	1.3 °C	112 mm	9 days	7 cm	14 days
2019	1.7 °C	5.5 °C	-2.2 °C	75 mm	23 days	1 cm	11 days
2018	2.1 °C	5.4 °C	-1.0 °C	68 mm	22 days	6 cm	10 days
2017	3.6 °C	7.1 °C	0.5 °C	124 mm	13 days	9 cm	12 days
2016	5.9 °C	9.4 °C	2.4 °C	113 mm	10 days	8 cm	14 days
2015	1.9 °C	6.0 °C	-2.5 °C	27 mm	20 days	9 cm	4 days
2014	-0.7 °C	3.6 °C	-4.9 °C	49 mm	24 days	20 cm	10 days
2013	0.2 °C	3.2 °C	-3.1 °C	56 mm	27 days	20 cm	7 days
2012	10.9 °C	15.2 °C	6.9 °C	39 mm	5 days	2 cm	6 days
2011	2.2 °C	5.5 °C	-1.1 °C	48 mm	22 days	2 cm	7 days
2010	4.3 °C	8.0 °C	0.7 °C	58 mm	16 days	7 cm	11 days
2009	3.4 °C	8.0 °C	-0.8 °C	151 mm	14 days	12 cm	8 days
2008	1.3 °C	4.9 °C	-2.4 °C	67 mm	24 days	14 cm	8 days
2007	5.5 °C	9.5 °C	1.3 °C	68 mm	14 days	3 cm	15 days
2006	3.4 °C	6.5 °C	-0.1 °C	78 mm	18 days	10 cm	15 days
2005	1.6 °C	5.3 °C	-2.3 °C	40 mm	23 days	11 cm	10 days
2004	4.9 °C	8.5 °C	1.0 °C	88 mm	13 days	5 cm	14 days
2003	2.4 °C	6.8 °C	-2.1 °C	65 mm	17 days	13 cm	14 days
2002	1.3 °C	5.5 °C	-2.9 °C	65 mm	19 days	24 cm	13 days
2001	0.9 °C	4.7 °C	-3.0 °C	42 mm	25 days	11 cm	7 days
2000	6.4 °C	10.7 °C	2.0 °C	44 mm	12 days	0 cm	9 days
1999	1.8 °C	5.4 °C	-2.1 °C	42 mm	25 days	25 cm	5 days
1998	3.6 °C	6.5 °C	0.4 °C	123 mm	19 days	21 cm	11 days
1997	3.0 °C	6.6 °C	-0.6 °C	57 mm	21 days	1 cm	10 days
1996	-0.9 °C	3.8 °C	-5.4 °C	33 mm	26 days	7 cm	7 days
1995	3.7 °C	7.6 °C	0.1 °C	51 mm	12 days	7 cm	7 days
1994	2.5 °C	6.7 °C	-1.6 °C	44 mm	23 days	0 cm	11 days
1993	0.5 °C	3.7 °C	-2.6 °C	118 mm	18 days	21 cm	13 days
1992	3.1 °C	6.8 °C	-0.4 °C	66 mm	17 days	14 cm	14 days
1991	4.1 °C	8.2 °C	-0.1 °C	134 mm	17 days	23 cm	13 days
1990	4.9 °C	8.5 °C	1.2 °C	80 mm	17 days	6 cm	7 days
1989	1.6 °C	5.9 °C	-2.5 °C	53 mm	20 days	5 cm	9 days
1988	2.8 °C	7.0 °C	-1.7 °C	71 mm	22 days	9 cm	9 days
1987	4.1 °C	8.2 °C	0.3 °C	34 mm	18 days	7 cm	8 days
1986	4.4 °C	8.7 °C	-0.5 °C	43 mm	18 days	5 cm	8 days
1985	4.0 °C	7.6 °C	0.4 °C	142 mm	14 days	4 cm	13 days
1984	-1.4 °C	1.4 °C	-4.5 °C	69 mm	25 days	20 cm	11 days
1983	3.5 °C	6.5 °C	0.3 °C	112 mm	16 days	23 cm	13 days
1982	0.9 °C	4.6 °C	-3.0 °C	113 mm	17 days	28 cm	11 days
1981	2.8 °C	6.7 °C	-1.6 °C	18 mm	23 days	4 cm	5 days
1980	0.0 °C	3.7 °C	-4.0 °C	82 mm	23 days	21 cm	16 days
1979	1.7 °C	5.8 °C	-2.9 °C	96 mm	24 days	13 cm	12 days
1978	-0.3 °C	2.9 °C	-4.1 °C	46 mm	24 days	16 cm	9 days
1977	5.8 °C	9.3 °C	2.1 °C	124 mm	14 days	20 cm	14 days
1976	5.4 °C	10.4 °C	0.8 °C	129 mm	14 days	7 cm	15 days
1975	0.1 °C	3.7 °C	-3.6 °C	89 mm	24 days	18 cm	13 days
1974	2.9 °C	6.5 °C	-0.4 °C	109 mm	14 days	10 cm	15 days
1973	6.0 °C	9.5 °C	2.7 °C	148 mm	7 days	8 cm	17 days
1972	-0.3 °C	3.9 °C	-4.7 °C	96 mm	27 days	29 cm	9 days
1971	0.4 °C	3.8 °C	-3.2 °C	46 mm	26 days	23 cm	11 days
1970	-0.3 °C	3.0 °C	-3.6 °C	66 mm	28 days	24 cm	12 days
1969	-0.3 °C	4.1 °C	-5.0 °C	64 mm	25 days	23 cm	7 days
1968	4.1 °C	9.4 °C	-1.1 °C	26 mm	17 days	4 cm	6 days
1967	2.0 °C	5.6 °C	-1.9 °C	42 mm	18 days	14 cm	8 days
1966	3.2 °C	7.6 °C	-0.9 °C	59 mm	18 days	4 cm	13 days
1965	-2.9 °C	0.3 °C	-6.6 °C	91 mm	29 days	40 cm	15 days
1964	0.9 °C	4.8 °C	-3.4 °C	95 mm	26 days	33 cm	13 days
1963	3.3 °C	7.5 °C	-0.6 °C	96 mm	15 days	18 cm	16 days
1962	-0.2 °C	2.9 °C	-3.4 °C	67 mm	22 days	25 cm	12 days
1961	3.5 °C	7.2 °C	0.1 °C	126 mm	13 days	9 cm	13 days
1960	-4.6 °C	-0.8 °C	-9.1 °C	77 mm	29 days	25 cm	11 days
1959	1.3 °C	5.6 °C	-2.5 °C	103 mm	25 days	14 cm	13 days
1958	0.7 °C	3.6 °C	-1.9 °C	12 mm	29 days	3 cm	4 days
1957	1.6 °C	5.2 °C	-2.2 °C	48 mm	25 days	11 cm	7 days
1956	1.4 °C	5.6 °C	-2.5 °C	71 mm	24 days	8 cm	14 days
1955	1.5 °C	5.9 °C	-2.9 °C	69 mm	20 days	14 cm	9 days
1954	0.2 °C	4.1 °C	-3.6 °C	114 mm	24 days	24 cm	12 days
1953	2.6 °C	6.1 °C	-1.0 °C	95 mm	18 days	16 cm	14 days
1952	0.7 °C	4.0 °C	-2.4 °C	108 mm	21 days	20 cm	14 days
1951	1.1 °C	4.8 °C	-2.8 °C	87 mm	23 days	25 cm	13 days
1950	-0.5 °C	2.8 °C	-4.2 °C	72 mm	21 days	13 cm	16 days
1949	2.6 °C	6.5 °C	-1.3 °C	74 mm	17 days	4 cm	10 days
1948	0.7 °C	4.7 °C	-3.9 °C	132 mm	20 days	25 cm	15 days
1947	-1.6 °C	2.1 °C	-5.5 °C	79 mm	28 days	19 cm	8 days
1946	5.8 °C	10.4 °C	1.7 °C	100 mm	9 days	4 cm	14 days
1945	7.2 °C	11.6 °C	2.8 °C	97 mm	13 days	2 cm	12 days
1944	-1.0 °C	2.7 °C	-4.9 °C	84 mm	28 days	20 cm	14 days
1943	-1.9 °C	2.8 °C	-6.7 °C	79 mm	26 days	20 cm	8 days
1942	1.2 °C	5.0 °C	-2.3 °C	78 mm	23 days	16 cm	15 days
1941	-4.2 °C	0.3 °C	-8.6 °C	48 mm	30 days	17 cm	6 days
1940	-3.4 °C	0.4 °C	-7.2 °C	62 mm	27 days	18 cm	10 days

March records

Hottest day

25.9 °C

March 21, 2012 estimate

Nearby station: 30.0 °C on March 29, 1986 measured

Coldest night

-21.7 °C

March 4, 2002 estimate

Nearby station: -21.7 °C on March 8, 1943 measured

Wettest day

44 mm

March 13, 1972 estimate

The weather on your birthday in Chicago

Any day since 1940: high, low, rain, snow, and how warm it was compared with the same date in every other year.

Questions & answers

How warm is Chicago in March?

Highs average 6.8 °C and lows -0.8 °C. A typical March brings 0 hot days (30 °C or more) and 18 frost days.

Does it rain a lot in Chicago in March?

About 72 mm falls in March, over some 10 days with at least 1 mm. The wettest March was 2009 (151 mm), the driest 1958 (12 mm).

What was the warmest March in Chicago?

2012, with a mean temperature of 10.9 °C. The coldest was 1960 (-4.6 °C). The last one, 2025, ranks 3 of 86.