Illinois · United States
Chicago in March
In March, Chicago averages a daytime high of 9 °C and a night-time low of -1 °C, with about 64 mm of rain over the month. Chicago has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here.
- Average high
- 9 °C
- Average low
- -1 °C
- Rain in the month
- 64 mm
- Daylight on 15 Mar
- 11 h 50 min
- Comfortable month
- No
- Places to stay
- 73
When to go
How March compares with the rest of the year in Chicago
March is tied for the 8th warmest month in Chicago by average daytime high; across the year the highs run from 0 °C to 29 °C and the lows from -8 °C to 18 °C. By day, March is 6 °C warmer than February, and April is 7 °C warmer than March.
March brings 64 mm of rain, less than the monthly average of 82 mm (989 mm a year); it is the 9th wettest month.
On 15 March the sun is up for about 11 h 50 min, against 9 h 10 min at the shortest and 15 h 10 min at the longest point of the year (calculated from the latitude, sunrise to sunset).
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 °C | -8 °C | 57 mm | |
| February | 2 °C | -7 °C | 48 mm | |
| March | 9 °C | -1 °C | 64 mm | |
| April | 15 °C | 4 °C | 106 mm | |
| May | 22 °C | 10 °C | 104 mm | |
| June | 27 °C | 15 °C | 116 mm | |
| July | 29 °C | 18 °C | 102 mm | |
| August | 28 °C | 17 °C | 101 mm | |
| September | 24 °C | 13 °C | 82 mm | |
| October | 17 °C | 7 °C | 86 mm | |
| November | 9 °C | 0 °C | 68 mm | |
| December | 3 °C | -5 °C | 55 mm |
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
When to go
Is March a good time to visit Chicago?
Not by the measure used here: the average high of 9 °C is below 18 °C. No month in Chicago meets it.
The measure is about weather for a city stay only; it says nothing about events, school holidays or prices.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Chicago
This guide lists 73 places to stay in Chicago, hotels recorded in Wikidata. By straight-line distance from the centre: under 1 km, 42; 1–3 km, 18; 3–10 km, 13.
Sources: climate from CRU TS v4.10 (Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia; Open Database License), 1991–2020 averages; day length calculated from the latitude; places to stay from each operator's own public pages and Wikidata. How this guide is made.