March is one of the warmer months of the year in Whanganui, with average highs near 20.3°C and lows around 13.9°C (mean 17.1°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 70 mm of rainfall and 78% relative humidity across the period.
March is one of the warmer months of the year in Whanganui. Across 45 years of records, the warmest March in Whanganui was 1999 — when the month averaged 19.2°C — while the coldest was 1992 at 14.6°C. Typical March days reach 20.3°C with nights near 13.9°C. The long-term March temperature trend is broadly flat.
March is one of the drier months in Whanganui, averaging 70 mm of rainfall. The wettest March on record was 2021 with 138 mm, while the driest was 1982 at 18 mm.
Relative humidity in Whanganui during March averages 78%. The most humid March was 2017 at 84%, and the least humid was 2003 at 73%.
March receives about 4.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Whanganui. The sunniest March was 2013 at 5.1 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1988 at 3.9.
Average wind speed in Whanganui during March is 4.3 m/s. The windiest March was 1992 at 5.3 m/s, while the calmest was 2003 at 3.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 17.2°C | 16.8°C | 17.2°C | 17.4°C | 16.7°C | -0.5°C |
| Avg High | 20.5°C | 19.9°C | 20.5°C | 20.7°C | 19.8°C | -0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 13.8°C | 13.8°C | 13.9°C | 14.2°C | 13.5°C | -0.3°C |
| Avg Rain | 61 mm | 90 mm | 43 mm | 76 mm | 83 mm | +22 mm |
March temperatures in Whanganui have fallen by about 0.9°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
March has ranged from a record low of 8.1°C (1992) to a record high of 28.1°C (1981).
Rainfall in March is one of the drier months, averaging 70 mm, with a wettest year of 138 mm.
One of the best times to visit Whanganui
March is one of the best times to visit Whanganui. Expect days averaging 20.3°C and nights around 13.9°C (mean 17.1°C) — warmer than Whanganui's yearly average — with moderate rainfall (70 mm), so conditions are generally comfortable for sightseeing and outdoor plans.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.4°C | 17.3°C | 14.1°C | 23.5°C | 10.4°C | 64 mm | 80% | 4.2 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2024 | 18.8°C | 15.8°C | 12.7°C | 21.9°C | 8.4°C | 55 mm | 77% | 5 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2023 | 19.0°C | 16.2°C | 13.4°C | 22.1°C | 9.2°C | 83 mm | 82% | 4.4 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2022 | 20.2°C | 17.1°C | 14.0°C | 24.4°C | 10.1°C | 100 mm | 83% | 3.8 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2021 🌧️ | 20.4°C | 16.9°C | 13.5°C | 23.7°C | 9.9°C | 138 mm | 78% | 4.1 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2020 | 19.8°C | 16.6°C | 13.4°C | 25.1°C | 10.2°C | 61 mm | 76% | 4.5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2019 | 22.0°C | 18.7°C | 15.3°C | 25.3°C | 10.1°C | 66 mm | 79% | 3.5 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 21.4°C | 18.4°C | 15.4°C | 26.0°C | 11.0°C | 105 mm | 78% | 4.1 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2017 | 20.0°C | 17.1°C | 14.2°C | 26.1°C | 10.5°C | 116 mm | 84% | 4 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2016 | 21.7°C | 18.4°C | 15.1°C | 25.1°C | 10.5°C | 67 mm | 77% | 4.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2015 | 21.1°C | 17.9°C | 14.7°C | 25.3°C | 9.2°C | 82 mm | 78% | 3.9 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2014 | 20.1°C | 16.6°C | 13.0°C | 25.0°C | 10.2°C | 25 mm | 76% | 4.2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2013 | 21.8°C | 17.9°C | 14.0°C | 24.5°C | 10.2°C | 45 mm | 75% | 3.5 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2012 | 18.8°C | 15.9°C | 13.0°C | 22.3°C | 9.3°C | 110 mm | 79% | 4.9 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2011 | 20.3°C | 16.9°C | 13.5°C | 23.3°C | 9.8°C | 106 mm | 78% | 4.2 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2010 | 19.8°C | 16.6°C | 13.3°C | 22.8°C | 8.5°C | 35 mm | 76% | 5.1 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2009 | 19.6°C | 16.4°C | 13.2°C | 24.1°C | 9.1°C | 24 mm | 76% | 4.6 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2008 | 21.8°C | 18.4°C | 15.0°C | 25.4°C | 12.5°C | 47 mm | 76% | 4 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2007 | 21.3°C | 18.1°C | 14.9°C | 24.9°C | 12.6°C | 68 mm | 77% | 4.6 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2006 | 19.1°C | 15.9°C | 12.6°C | 24.6°C | 9.7°C | 58 mm | 76% | 5 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2005 | 20.8°C | 17.7°C | 14.6°C | 23.3°C | 11.6°C | 73 mm | 78% | 4.3 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2004 | 17.4°C | 14.8°C | 12.2°C | 20.8°C | 8.7°C | 39 mm | 83% | 4.4 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2003 | 22.7°C | 18.9°C | 15.0°C | 27.5°C | 11.8°C | 20 mm | 73% | 3.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2002 | 21.0°C | 17.7°C | 14.5°C | 23.2°C | 11.5°C | 43 mm | 76% | 5.1 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2001 | 21.2°C | 17.5°C | 13.8°C | 23.4°C | 9.5°C | 28 mm | 73% | 4.1 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2000 | 20.5°C | 16.9°C | 13.3°C | 25.0°C | 9.6°C | 30 mm | 77% | 4.2 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1999 🔥 | 22.5°C | 19.2°C | 15.9°C | 26.0°C | 13.3°C | 66 mm | 77% | 3.9 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1998 | 22.2°C | 18.9°C | 15.5°C | 26.9°C | 12.9°C | 19 mm | 75% | 4.7 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1997 | 19.3°C | 16.5°C | 13.8°C | 23.8°C | 10.1°C | 99 mm | 80% | 4.4 m/s | 4 |
| 1996 | 18.7°C | 15.8°C | 12.9°C | 21.6°C | 10.5°C | 116 mm | 79% | 4.7 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1995 | 20.1°C | 17.3°C | 14.4°C | 24.1°C | 11.7°C | 120 mm | 80% | 4.8 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1994 | 18.9°C | 15.9°C | 12.9°C | 24.7°C | 9.5°C | 79 mm | 76% | 4.5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1993 | 18.5°C | 15.4°C | 12.4°C | 23.8°C | 8.7°C | 102 mm | 78% | 3.9 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1992 ❄️ | 17.5°C | 14.6°C | 11.8°C | 22.4°C | 8.1°C | 112 mm | 80% | 5.3 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1991 | 19.8°C | 16.4°C | 13.0°C | 22.0°C | 10.2°C | 50 mm | 78% | 3.4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1990 | 21.1°C | 18.1°C | 15.0°C | 25.8°C | 10.0°C | 136 mm | 80% | 4.5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1989 | 21.0°C | 17.8°C | 14.7°C | 24.9°C | 9.5°C | 53 mm | 76% | 4.6 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1988 | 19.3°C | 16.2°C | 13.0°C | 24.7°C | 9.1°C | 64 mm | 77% | 5.1 m/s | 3.9 |
| 1987 | 18.8°C | 15.6°C | 12.5°C | 22.5°C | 9.3°C | 124 mm | 79% | 4.3 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1986 | 20.5°C | 17.0°C | 13.5°C | 25.1°C | 9.2°C | 44 mm | 75% | 4 m/s | 5 |
| 1985 | 20.7°C | 16.9°C | 13.2°C | 26.1°C | 9.4°C | 34 mm | 75% | 4.4 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1984 | 21.6°C | 18.2°C | 14.8°C | 25.1°C | 10.5°C | 112 mm | 77% | 3.7 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1983 | 19.8°C | 16.6°C | 13.4°C | 23.8°C | 8.2°C | 39 mm | 78% | 5.2 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 20.6°C | 17.0°C | 13.5°C | 23.3°C | 9.6°C | 18 mm | 77% | 3.6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 22.4°C | 19.1°C | 15.8°C | 28.1°C | 8.8°C | 64 mm | 77% | 3.9 m/s | — |
Actual recorded March data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in March is around 20.3°C with lows near 13.9°C (mean 17.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
March averages 70 mm of rainfall in Whanganui, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 138 mm in 2021.
The hottest March reached 28.1°C in 1981. The coldest dipped to 8.1°C in 1992.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average March temperatures have fallen by about 0.9°C. Daytime highs moved from 21°C to 19.8°C and overnight lows from 14.1°C to 13.5°C over the same span.
March is one of the warmer months of the year in Whanganui and one of the drier months, so plan for around 20.3°C daytime highs and 13.9°C at night.
Not quite — March is the 10th coolest month in Whanganui, averaging 17.1°C.
For March in Whanganui, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 20.3°C and lows of 13.9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in March averages 78% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in March is 4.3 m/s. The windiest March on record averaged 5.3 m/s (1992).
The wettest March on record was 2021 with 138 mm. On average, March sees 70 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Whanganui behaves each March, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for March specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
