Weather in Chicago in March 2025
Average weather
Average temperature in Chicago in March
The expected average maximum temperature in March is +8°C with a maximum of +17°C and a minimum of -11°C.
The average maximum temperature goes up 11% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +14°C to +17°C.
Is Chicago warm or cold in March?
Chicago is typically cool in March.
Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +1°C to +6°C. The minimum temperature also goes up from -5°C to -1°C.
Pack a sweater and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.
Take a look at how March is compared to other months in Chicago:
Water temperature in Chicago in March
Water in Chicago in March is Cold. It varies from +2°C to +5°C, with an average of +3°C. This is almost similar to the air temperature, which averages +6°C.
The water temperature in March is one of the coldest of the entire year:
Can you swim in Chicago in March?
Climate in Chicago in March
| February | March | April | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +1°C | +6°C | +12°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| -26°C | -20°C | -8°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +18°C | +25°C | +30°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 21 mm | 50 mm | 93 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 4 m/s | 4 m/s | 4 m/s | ||||
| Avg. water temperature | ||||||
| +3°C | +3°C | +5°C | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 71% | 68% | 64% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1018 HPa | 1017 HPa | 1014 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | 10 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 2 | 7 | 12 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 9 | 6 | 2 | ||||
March weather is still as ok as in February. It’s getting warmer as March arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +1°C to +6°C during the day. Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 21 mm to 50 mm. It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 71% 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 3 sunny days during the month.
April brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind
The average wind speed is 5 m/s getting up to 8 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 4 m/s to 8 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
Snow
Here’s how March is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:
How was the weather last March in Chicago?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in Chicago in March has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1979 (+12°C) and the highest in 2012 (+17°C). The driest year was 2005 with only 501 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2023 with 1535 mm.
FAQ
Is March a good time to visit Chicago?
Can you sunbathe in Chicago in March?
Can you swim in Chicago in March?
Is Chicago rainy in March?
Is it sunny in Chicago in March?
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, 2023.
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.