March is one of the cooler months of the year in Modesto, with average highs near 17.4°C and lows around 5.7°C (mean 11.5°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 72 mm of rainfall and 78% relative humidity across the period.
March is one of the cooler months of the year in Modesto. Across 45 years of records, the warmest March in Modesto was 2015 — when the month averaged 15.2°C — while the coldest was 2006 at 8.3°C. Typical March days reach 17.4°C with nights near 5.7°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
March is a relatively wet time of year in Modesto, averaging 72 mm of rainfall. The wettest March on record was 1995 with 204 mm, while the driest was 1988 at 1 mm.
Relative humidity in Modesto during March averages 78%. The most humid March was 1983 at 87%, and the least humid was 1988 at 64%.
March receives about 4.8 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Modesto. The sunniest Marchs were 1988, 2007 and 2008 at 5.5 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2006 at 3.9.
Average wind speed in Modesto during March is 2.1 m/s. The windiest March was 1988 at 2.9 m/s, while the calmest were 1993, 1996 and 2020, among others at 1.7 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.1°C | 11.4°C | 11.8°C | 12.1°C | 11.3°C | +0.2°C |
| Avg High | 16.8°C | 17.0°C | 17.9°C | 18.0°C | 17.1°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Low | 5.4°C | 5.8°C | 5.7°C | 6.1°C | 5.5°C | +0.1°C |
| Avg Rain | 91 mm | 77 mm | 47 mm | 75 mm | 68 mm | -23 mm |
March temperatures in Modesto have risen by about 1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
March has ranged from a record low of -1.4°C (2009) to a record high of 29.5°C (2007).
Rainfall in March is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 72 mm, with a wettest year of 204 mm.
A quieter season to visit Modesto
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of June and September tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Modesto. That said, March — with days averaging 17.4°C and nights around 5.7°C (mean 11.5°C) and moderate rainfall (72 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17.3°C | 11.7°C | 6.1°C | 29.5°C | 3.0°C | 56 mm | 79% | 2.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2024 | 16.6°C | 11.4°C | 6.2°C | 22.7°C | 3.9°C | 78 mm | 82% | 2.1 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2023 | 13.2°C | 8.7°C | 4.2°C | 18.8°C | -1.0°C | 163 mm | 86% | 2.3 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2022 | 20.9°C | 13.7°C | 6.4°C | 29.1°C | 1.9°C | 21 mm | 69% | 2.2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2021 | 17.8°C | 11.1°C | 4.4°C | 28.4°C | 1.3°C | 32 mm | 69% | 2.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2020 | 17.0°C | 11.4°C | 5.7°C | 24.6°C | 1.8°C | 60 mm | 74% | 1.7 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2019 | 16.1°C | 11.0°C | 5.9°C | 23.3°C | 1.3°C | 83 mm | 81% | 1.9 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2018 | 17.1°C | 11.3°C | 5.5°C | 27.7°C | 0.5°C | 112 mm | 75% | 1.9 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2017 | 17.4°C | 12.0°C | 6.6°C | 26.0°C | 1.2°C | 56 mm | 84% | 2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2016 | 17.8°C | 12.4°C | 6.9°C | 22.9°C | 3.3°C | 131 mm | 83% | 2.2 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2015 🔥 | 22.2°C | 15.2°C | 8.1°C | 28.7°C | 3.8°C | 5 mm | 72% | 1.9 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2014 | 20.7°C | 14.0°C | 7.3°C | 28.4°C | 3.8°C | 53 mm | 69% | 2 m/s | 5 |
| 2013 | 20.0°C | 13.1°C | 6.2°C | 26.1°C | 1.6°C | 21 mm | 73% | 2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2012 | 17.0°C | 10.9°C | 4.9°C | 24.8°C | -0.4°C | 100 mm | 71% | 2.1 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2011 | 15.2°C | 10.2°C | 5.2°C | 24.1°C | 1.2°C | 141 mm | 86% | 2.2 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2010 | 16.1°C | 10.4°C | 4.7°C | 23.0°C | -0.5°C | 48 mm | 79% | 1.9 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2009 | 16.6°C | 10.8°C | 4.9°C | 25.1°C | -1.4°C | 53 mm | 78% | 2.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2008 | 17.5°C | 11.0°C | 4.4°C | 23.6°C | 0.5°C | 4 mm | 75% | 2.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2007 | 21.5°C | 14.1°C | 6.7°C | 29.5°C | -0.4°C | 10 mm | 69% | 1.9 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2006 ❄️ | 12.8°C | 8.3°C | 3.7°C | 20.1°C | 0.8°C | 124 mm | 84% | 2.1 m/s | 3.9 |
| 2005 | 17.5°C | 12.1°C | 6.8°C | 25.2°C | 2.8°C | 88 mm | 82% | 1.8 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2004 | 21.6°C | 14.8°C | 8.1°C | 28.4°C | 2.5°C | 13 mm | 75% | 2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2003 | 18.6°C | 12.4°C | 6.2°C | 25.9°C | 3.5°C | 35 mm | 78% | 2.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2002 | 17.1°C | 10.8°C | 4.5°C | 27.2°C | -1.2°C | 56 mm | 75% | 2 m/s | 5 |
| 2001 | 18.9°C | 12.9°C | 6.9°C | 26.0°C | 2.3°C | 52 mm | 81% | 2.2 m/s | 5 |
| 2000 | 16.8°C | 10.9°C | 5.1°C | 23.1°C | 2.1°C | 36 mm | 81% | 2.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1999 | 14.6°C | 9.1°C | 3.7°C | 19.4°C | 0.4°C | 54 mm | 82% | 2.2 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1998 | 16.0°C | 11.0°C | 6.0°C | 21.1°C | 0.6°C | 76 mm | 84% | 1.8 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1997 | 18.7°C | 12.4°C | 6.1°C | 25.4°C | -0.2°C | 6 mm | 79% | 2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1996 | 17.6°C | 11.8°C | 6.1°C | 23.1°C | 1.3°C | 63 mm | 80% | 1.7 m/s | 5 |
| 1995 🌧️ | 15.1°C | 10.3°C | 5.4°C | 20.4°C | 0.2°C | 204 mm | 85% | 2.1 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1994 | 19.9°C | 13.0°C | 6.1°C | 26.0°C | 1.5°C | 8 mm | 72% | 1.9 m/s | 5 |
| 1993 | 18.2°C | 12.9°C | 7.5°C | 23.4°C | 3.0°C | 78 mm | 85% | 1.7 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1992 | 17.0°C | 12.1°C | 7.2°C | 21.3°C | 4.9°C | 72 mm | 84% | 1.7 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1991 | 14.2°C | 9.2°C | 4.3°C | 21.2°C | 1.2°C | 185 mm | 81% | 2.7 m/s | 4.1 |
| 1990 | 18.8°C | 12.3°C | 5.7°C | 24.0°C | 2.0°C | 28 mm | 74% | 2.3 m/s | 5 |
| 1989 | 17.0°C | 11.7°C | 6.3°C | 21.4°C | 0.3°C | 87 mm | 80% | 2.3 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1988 | 20.7°C | 13.0°C | 5.2°C | 27.0°C | -1.1°C | 1 mm | 64% | 2.9 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1987 | 17.3°C | 11.2°C | 5.1°C | 25.5°C | 0.2°C | 71 mm | 74% | 2.2 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1986 | 18.1°C | 12.6°C | 7.2°C | 24.9°C | 2.4°C | 123 mm | 84% | 2 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1985 | 15.6°C | 9.6°C | 3.7°C | 22.5°C | 0.0°C | 87 mm | 76% | 2.6 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1984 | 17.9°C | 11.8°C | 5.7°C | 23.4°C | 2.2°C | 30 mm | 76% | 2.5 m/s | 5 |
| 1983 | 14.4°C | 10.2°C | 6.0°C | 19.8°C | 2.9°C | 169 mm | 87% | 2.1 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 13.8°C | 9.0°C | 4.2°C | 18.4°C | 0.7°C | 163 mm | 84% | 2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 16.5°C | 10.7°C | 5.0°C | 21.4°C | 1.1°C | 89 mm | 79% | 2.2 m/s | — |
Actual recorded March data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in March is around 17.4°C with lows near 5.7°C (mean 11.5°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
March averages 72 mm of rainfall in Modesto, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 204 mm in 1995.
The hottest March reached 29.5°C in 2007. The coldest dipped to -1.4°C in 2009.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average March temperatures have risen by about 1°C. Daytime highs moved from 15.6°C to 17.2°C and overnight lows from 4.9°C to 5.5°C over the same span.
March is one of the cooler months of the year in Modesto and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 17.4°C daytime highs and 5.7°C at night.
Not quite — March is the 4th coolest month in Modesto, averaging 11.5°C.
For March in Modesto, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 17.4°C and lows of 5.7°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in March averages 78% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in March is 2.1 m/s. The windiest March on record averaged 2.9 m/s (1988).
The wettest March on record was 1995 with 204 mm. On average, March sees 72 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 Modesto 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.
