Philadelphia weather in March
March in Philadelphia: cool, rainy, with clean air — a good time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#8 of 12 months in Philadelphia · #973 of 1413 destinations to visit in March · comfort 69/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 13°C
- Nights
- 3°C
- Wet days
- 8
- Sun
- 8.1 h
- Humidity
- 63%
- Daylight
- 12 h

Traveller notes on Philadelphia in March
Other months in Philadelphia
Regulars call this warm and humid, high 80s Fahrenheit with humidity to match, and are candid that an occasional heat wave can push several consecutive days into the high 90s or even past 100. Our row backs the intense heat, 31C reading as a hot 33C at 72 percent humidity, over 21.5C nights, with 114.4mm of rain across 8.7 days. Regulars point out a real practical upside for a hot-weather visit here specifically: the historic core and Center City are compact enough that a heat-avoidant visitor doesn't need long open-air walks between major sights the way a more spread-out city would demand. Crowds are also noted as lighter than June or July despite the summer heat. The record: 10.3 hours of sun, a 13.7 kph wind and AQI 60.
Regulars describe summer here as warm and humid with highs in the high eighties Fahrenheit and humidity to match, occasionally spiking into a run of consecutive days near the high nineties - June is the gentler end of that stretch before July and August intensify it. Our row gives 29.3C reading as 31C at 68.4 percent humidity, over 19.2C nights, with 94.4mm of rain across 7.3 days. Their consolation on the storms is practical: when they hit, they rarely last more than an hour, so waiting one out under cover is usually enough. June and July are also the crowded months here, ahead of the late-summer lull. The record: 11.4 hours of sun, a 15.7 kph wind and AQI 67.
September is mild here by local standards, which regulars measure against a summer of high-eighties heat and heavy humidity rather than against anything else - autumn is the season they recommend for walking the historic centre and the parks. Our row still reads warm: 27.3C by day feeling 28C at 72 percent humidity, over 17.9C nights. The rain is worth planning around, 100.9mm across 7.2 days, so fourteen millimetres a time - storms that pass rather than days that are lost. Sun is modest at 8.6 hours inside 12.4 of daylight, so the long evenings of June have gone. The record: a dew point of 14.9C, a 14.6 kph wind and AQI 45.
Philadelphia-forum packing threads for May land on the same list every time: long and short sleeves both, a sweater or light jacket for cool mornings, comfortable shoes for the cobblestones in Old City, and a small umbrella for showers that arrive without much warning. The advice to pack layers rather than trust one forecast matches the record's spread: 24C days but 13.9C nights, and 101mm of rain across ten days - a genuinely wet month, not just an occasional shower. 9.4 hours of sun and 70 percent humidity round out a month that swings from a warm afternoon to a cool, damp evening inside the same day.
Year-round notes are on Philadelphia's overview. Add your own note from Philadelphia's card on the map.
Philadelphia climate normals — March
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Philadelphia in March
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsPhiladelphia Flower Show, Spring break in United States(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Philadelphia's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherPhiladelphia's best weather comes in April, May and October — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Philadelphia in March
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Philadelphia Flower Show
1–22 Mar · usuallyMajor festivalCrowdedBook earlyThe oldest and largest indoor flower show in the world, ten days at the convention centre in early March. It is what the city does instead of waiting for spring. Source ↗
- Rule
Independence Hall timed tickets
1 Mar – 31 DecBook earlyEntry to the hall is by timed ticket for most of the year, released a month ahead and gone within hours for spring and summer weekends. A small block is held back for same-day pickup. Source ↗
- Nature
Cherry blossom in Fairmount Park
28 Mar – 20 Apr · usuallyA couple of thousand trees around the Shofuso house and the Horticulture Center in West Fairmount Park, peaking in the first two weeks of April with a Japanese festival built around them. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Philadelphia — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Philadelphia?
Philadelphia in March — FAQ
- Is March a good time to visit Philadelphia?
- March in Philadelphia: cool, rainy, with clean air — a good time to visit. It ranks #8 of 12 months for Philadelphia on SeasonMap's comfort score (69/100).
- What is the weather like in Philadelphia in March?
- In March, Philadelphia averages a daily high of 12.9°C and a low of 3.3°C, with about 99.1 mm of rain over roughly 7.5 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Philadelphia in March?
- Philadelphia has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 45 in March.
- Does it snow in Philadelphia in March?
- Philadelphia sees roughly 4.7 cm of snowfall in March.
Within 300 km: New York's Cherry blossom around 25 Mar – 30 Apr, and Washington's Cherry blossom peak bloom around 20 Mar – 8 Apr.