Shanghai weather in March
In March, Shanghai has daytime highs averaging 14 °C, nights around 6.5 °C, with 11 wet days, and a sea temperature of 9.5 °C. Figures are 1991–2020 climate normals.
- 13.8°C Average high
- 6.5°C Average low
- 11days Wet days
- 96mm Rainfall
- 9.5°C Sea temperature
- 12h Daylight
Daily temperatures through March
How March develops
Averages for the first, middle and last part of the month, from daily 1991–2020 normals. Chance of rain is the share of years in which that calendar day recorded more than 1 mm.
| Days | Avg high | Avg low | Chance of rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 March | 12.3 °C | 4.9 °C | 32 % |
| 11–20 March | 13.9 °C | 6.7 °C | 36 % |
| 21–31 March | 14.9 °C | 7.7 °C | 37 % |
- Average highs rise from 12.3 °C early in March to 14.9 °C by the end of it.
- Rain is most likely over days 21–31 of March (37 % of days) and least likely over days 1–10 (32 %).
What to expect
| Measure | Typical March | Share of the month |
|---|---|---|
| Days above 25 °C | 0.2 of 31 | 1 % |
| Days above 30 °C | 0 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days below 0 °C | 0.8 of 31 | 2 % |
| Days with more than 1 mm rain | 11 of 31 | 35 % |
Conditions in March
| Measure | Average |
|---|---|
| Mean temperature | 9.8 °C |
| Record high (1991–2020) | 27 °C |
| Record low (1991–2020) | -3.6 °C |
| Relative humidity | 76 % |
| Wind speed | 20 km/h |
| Cloud cover | 66 % |
March compared with the months around it
| Month | Avg high | Rainfall | Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.3 °C | 65 mm | 60 % |
| February | 10.0 °C | 63 mm | 62 % |
| March | 13.8 °C | 96 mm | 66 % |
| April | 19.2 °C | 105 mm | 67 % |
| May | 24.0 °C | 128 mm | 68 % |
See all twelve months for Shanghai
- March is the 9th warmest month here.
- It is the 6th driest month of the year.
- It ranks 8th for least cloud cover.
- Days last about 12 hours from sunrise to sunset.
- It rains on 11 of 31 days — 35 % of the month.
- Nights are about 7.2 °C cooler than the middle of the day.
- The hottest March day on record since 1991 reached 27 °C, 13 °C above the usual daytime high.
- Beach score: 9 / 100 — see how this is calculated.
Nearby destinations in March
| Destination | Avg high | Wet days | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | 14 °C | 11 | 9.5 |
| Qibao | 14 °C | 11 | – |
| Baoshan | 13 °C | 11 | 9.5 |
| Songjiang | 15 °C | 12 | – |
| Qingpu | 15 °C | 11 | – |
| Nanqiao | 14 °C | 12 | 9.6 |
| Fengxiang | 13 °C | 12 | 9.6 |
| Chongming | 12 °C | 10 | 9.2 |
| Kunshan | 15 °C | 10 | – |
QuestionsMarch in Shanghai, answered
How warm is Shanghai in March?
Daily highs average 14 °C and nights fall to about 6.5 °C, a spread of 7.2 °C between afternoon and dawn. That makes March the 9th warmest month of the year here.
Does it rain much in Shanghai in March?
March averages 96 mm of rain, spread over about 11 of the 31 days — 35 % of the month. Cloud cover averages 66 % of the sky.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in March?
The sea averages 9.5 °C off Shanghai in March. Most people find water below 20 °C bracing and above 25 °C comfortable for a long swim; this figure is a monthly surface average, so a sheltered bay on a still afternoon can be warmer.
How long are the days in March?
Shanghai averages 12 hours between sunrise and sunset in March. Day length is computed from latitude and date, so it is exact rather than modelled — but it says nothing about how much of that time is sunny.
Data sources and method
- ERA5 / ERA5-Land reanalysis — Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), ECMWF. Copernicus Licence
- Open-Meteo — Open-Meteo.com. CC BY 4.0
- NOAA OISST v2.1 — NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Public domain
- GeoNames — GeoNames.org. CC BY 4.0
- Normal period
- 1991–2020
- Dataset version
- era5-1991-2020-scores1.1
- Last processed
Measured values come from ERA5 reanalysis and are reproduced unchanged. Calculated by us: daylight hours, beach and comfort scores, monthly rankings, threshold day counts, chance of a wet day by date, ten-day averages within the month. Full formulas are on the methodology page.
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.