March is one of the warmer months of the year in New Plymouth, with average highs near 19.7°C and lows around 13.1°C (mean 16.4°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 90 mm of rainfall and 82% relative humidity across the period.
March is one of the warmer months of the year in New Plymouth. Across 45 years of records, the warmest March in New Plymouth was 1981 — when the month averaged 18.1°C — while the coldest was 1992 at 14.1°C. Typical March days reach 19.7°C with nights near 13.1°C. The long-term March temperature trend is broadly flat.
March is one of the drier months in New Plymouth, averaging 90 mm of rainfall. The wettest March on record was 1990 with 255 mm, while the driest was 2000 at 13 mm.
Relative humidity in New Plymouth during March averages 82%. The most humid March was 2017 at 86%, and the least humid was 1985 at 78%.
March receives about 4.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in New Plymouth. The sunniest March was 2013 at 5.3 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1988 at 4.
Average wind speed in New Plymouth during March is 3.8 m/s. The windiest Marchs were 1988 and 1992 at 4.5 m/s, while the calmest were 2001 and 2019 at 3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 16.5°C | 16.0°C | 16.5°C | 16.8°C | 16.0°C | -0.5°C |
| Avg High | 19.8°C | 19.1°C | 19.9°C | 20.1°C | 19.3°C | -0.5°C |
| Avg Low | 13.1°C | 12.9°C | 13.1°C | 13.5°C | 12.7°C | -0.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 79 mm | 115 mm | 58 mm | 96 mm | 107 mm | +28 mm |
March temperatures in New Plymouth have fallen by about 0.9°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
March has ranged from a record low of 5°C (2010) to a record high of 25°C (1981).
Rainfall in March is one of the drier months, averaging 90 mm, with a wettest year of 255 mm.
One of the best times to visit New Plymouth
March is one of the best times to visit New Plymouth. Expect days averaging 19.7°C and nights around 13.1°C (mean 16.4°C) — warmer than New Plymouth's yearly average — with higher rainfall (90 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 | 19.6°C | 16.3°C | 13.0°C | 21.7°C | 9.1°C | 61 mm | 84% | 3.6 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2024 | 17.8°C | 14.8°C | 11.7°C | 19.8°C | 6.9°C | 82 mm | 84% | 4.1 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2023 | 18.9°C | 15.7°C | 12.4°C | 21.6°C | 8.3°C | 106 mm | 84% | 3.5 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2022 | 20.8°C | 17.2°C | 13.7°C | 23.3°C | 9.2°C | 102 mm | 83% | 4 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2021 | 19.5°C | 16.2°C | 12.8°C | 21.2°C | 8.7°C | 184 mm | 83% | 3.9 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2020 | 19.1°C | 15.7°C | 12.4°C | 22.3°C | 8.6°C | 107 mm | 82% | 3.8 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2019 | 21.2°C | 17.9°C | 14.6°C | 24.1°C | 9.6°C | 97 mm | 85% | 3 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2018 | 20.6°C | 17.6°C | 14.6°C | 23.6°C | 10.2°C | 161 mm | 83% | 3.6 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2017 | 19.9°C | 16.9°C | 13.9°C | 23.5°C | 8.9°C | 114 mm | 86% | 3.5 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2016 | 21.0°C | 17.9°C | 14.7°C | 22.8°C | 8.1°C | 66 mm | 82% | 3.6 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2015 | 20.2°C | 17.2°C | 14.1°C | 23.4°C | 7.3°C | 113 mm | 81% | 3.5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2014 | 19.5°C | 15.9°C | 12.2°C | 22.4°C | 9.1°C | 27 mm | 79% | 3.4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2013 | 21.0°C | 17.1°C | 13.3°C | 24.4°C | 10.4°C | 45 mm | 80% | 3.1 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2012 | 18.5°C | 15.3°C | 12.1°C | 21.9°C | 7.1°C | 126 mm | 83% | 4.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2011 | 19.6°C | 16.2°C | 12.7°C | 22.5°C | 7.2°C | 163 mm | 84% | 3.6 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2010 | 19.2°C | 15.8°C | 12.3°C | 22.3°C | 5.0°C | 47 mm | 82% | 4.1 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2009 | 19.0°C | 15.7°C | 12.3°C | 23.2°C | 8.1°C | 35 mm | 81% | 4.1 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2008 | 21.3°C | 17.9°C | 14.5°C | 24.4°C | 11.2°C | 48 mm | 80% | 3.5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2007 | 20.3°C | 17.2°C | 14.1°C | 22.8°C | 11.1°C | 100 mm | 83% | 3.9 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2006 | 18.6°C | 15.2°C | 11.7°C | 21.8°C | 7.8°C | 62 mm | 81% | 4.3 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2005 | 20.1°C | 16.9°C | 13.8°C | 22.7°C | 9.7°C | 120 mm | 83% | 3.8 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2004 | 17.3°C | 14.3°C | 11.3°C | 20.2°C | 7.2°C | 44 mm | 85% | 3.7 m/s | 5 |
| 2003 | 21.4°C | 17.9°C | 14.3°C | 24.7°C | 11.4°C | 61 mm | 79% | 3.1 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2002 | 20.1°C | 16.8°C | 13.6°C | 23.1°C | 9.6°C | 52 mm | 82% | 3.9 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2001 | 20.2°C | 16.8°C | 13.4°C | 22.7°C | 8.8°C | 41 mm | 79% | 3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2000 | 20.3°C | 16.2°C | 12.2°C | 24.9°C | 7.7°C | 13 mm | 80% | 3.9 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1999 | 21.0°C | 17.9°C | 14.9°C | 23.4°C | 13.0°C | 77 mm | 84% | 3.7 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1998 | 20.6°C | 17.5°C | 14.4°C | 24.2°C | 11.8°C | 27 mm | 83% | 4 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1997 | 19.0°C | 16.0°C | 13.0°C | 24.0°C | 9.9°C | 74 mm | 84% | 4 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1996 | 18.2°C | 15.3°C | 12.3°C | 20.9°C | 8.9°C | 108 mm | 83% | 4.1 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1995 | 19.4°C | 16.6°C | 13.8°C | 22.9°C | 9.7°C | 142 mm | 84% | 3.7 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1994 | 17.9°C | 14.7°C | 11.5°C | 21.8°C | 8.3°C | 129 mm | 82% | 4.4 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1993 | 18.0°C | 14.9°C | 11.9°C | 21.8°C | 7.6°C | 121 mm | 83% | 3.7 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1992 ❄️ | 17.0°C | 14.1°C | 11.2°C | 20.4°C | 7.9°C | 131 mm | 84% | 4.5 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1991 | 19.2°C | 15.7°C | 12.1°C | 21.2°C | 8.4°C | 88 mm | 82% | 3.4 m/s | 5 |
| 1990 🌧️ | 20.6°C | 17.5°C | 14.3°C | 23.5°C | 8.9°C | 255 mm | 84% | 4.3 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1989 | 19.7°C | 16.8°C | 13.8°C | 23.8°C | 7.8°C | 70 mm | 82% | 3.7 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1988 | 18.8°C | 15.7°C | 12.5°C | 23.9°C | 7.7°C | 100 mm | 81% | 4.5 m/s | 4 |
| 1987 | 18.4°C | 15.1°C | 11.7°C | 20.6°C | 8.4°C | 125 mm | 82% | 4.4 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1986 | 20.1°C | 16.4°C | 12.7°C | 22.6°C | 7.7°C | 54 mm | 79% | 3.9 m/s | 5 |
| 1985 | 20.8°C | 16.6°C | 12.4°C | 24.0°C | 6.8°C | 32 mm | 78% | 4.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1984 | 20.3°C | 17.2°C | 14.1°C | 23.4°C | 9.9°C | 165 mm | 83% | 3.9 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1983 | 19.4°C | 16.2°C | 12.9°C | 23.8°C | 8.4°C | 45 mm | 82% | 4 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 19.8°C | 16.3°C | 12.8°C | 21.7°C | 8.1°C | 38 mm | 81% | 3.1 m/s | — |
| 1981 🔥 | 21.1°C | 18.1°C | 15.0°C | 25.0°C | 7.1°C | 85 mm | 84% | 3.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded March data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in March is around 19.7°C with lows near 13.1°C (mean 16.4°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
March averages 90 mm of rainfall in New Plymouth, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 255 mm in 1990.
The hottest March reached 25°C in 1981. The coldest dipped to 5°C in 2010.
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 20.3°C to 19.3°C and overnight lows from 13.4°C to 12.7°C over the same span.
March is one of the warmer months of the year in New Plymouth and one of the drier months, so plan for around 19.7°C daytime highs and 13.1°C at night.
Not quite — March is the 10th coolest month in New Plymouth, averaging 16.4°C.
For March in New Plymouth, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 19.7°C and lows of 13.1°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in March averages 82% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in March is 3.8 m/s. The windiest March on record averaged 4.5 m/s (1988).
The wettest March on record was 1990 with 255 mm. On average, March sees 90 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 New Plymouth 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.
