March is one of the cooler months of the year in Palm Desert, with average highs near 22.5°C and lows around 8.3°C (mean 15.4°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 32 mm of rainfall and 49% relative humidity across the period.
March is one of the cooler months of the year in Palm Desert. Across 45 years of records, the warmest March in Palm Desert was 2004 — when the month averaged 20°C — while the coldest was 1991 at 11.1°C. Typical March days reach 22.5°C with nights near 8.3°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
March is a relatively wet time of year in Palm Desert, averaging 32 mm of rainfall. The wettest March on record was 1983 with 130 mm, while the driest was 1997 at 0 mm.
Relative humidity in Palm Desert during March averages 49%. The most humid March was 1983 at 70%, and the least humid was 2007 at 35%.
March receives about 5.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Palm Desert. The sunniest Marchs were 2008 and 2009 at 6.2 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1992 at 4.6.
Average wind speed in Palm Desert during March is 2.2 m/s. The windiest March was 2025 at 2.7 m/s, while the calmest were 1992 and 2001 at 1.8 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 14.7°C | 14.8°C | 15.8°C | 16.7°C | 14.6°C | -0.1°C |
| Avg High | 22.0°C | 21.8°C | 23.0°C | 24.0°C | 21.5°C | -0.5°C |
| Avg Low | 7.5°C | 7.9°C | 8.5°C | 9.4°C | 7.8°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Rain | 45 mm | 49 mm | 18 mm | 14 mm | 38 mm | -8 mm |
March temperatures in Palm Desert have risen by about 0.9°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
March has ranged from a record low of -1.2°C (1991) to a record high of 34.2°C (2015).
Rainfall in March is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 32 mm, with a wettest year of 130 mm.
A good time to visit Palm Desert
March is a good time to visit Palm Desert, with days averaging 22.5°C and nights around 8.3°C (mean 15.4°C, cooler than Palm Desert's yearly average) and moderate rainfall. October and May are marginally more temperate, but March still suits most travellers.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22.7°C | 15.8°C | 8.9°C | 33.3°C | 3.9°C | 33 mm | 50% | 2.7 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2024 | 20.8°C | 14.2°C | 7.6°C | 27.5°C | 4.6°C | 33 mm | 58% | 2.4 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2023 | 18.9°C | 12.6°C | 6.2°C | 24.6°C | 2.4°C | 56 mm | 58% | 2.4 m/s | 5 |
| 2022 | 25.1°C | 17.3°C | 9.5°C | 33.0°C | 2.2°C | 12 mm | 37% | 2.4 m/s | 6 |
| 2021 | 21.5°C | 14.1°C | 6.7°C | 31.4°C | 2.4°C | 16 mm | 44% | 2.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2020 | 19.7°C | 13.7°C | 7.7°C | 26.4°C | 4.0°C | 75 mm | 61% | 2.1 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2019 | 21.1°C | 14.5°C | 7.9°C | 25.8°C | 2.8°C | 17 mm | 56% | 2.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2018 | 22.9°C | 16.0°C | 9.0°C | 31.5°C | 3.4°C | 17 mm | 44% | 2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2017 | 25.6°C | 18.4°C | 11.2°C | 31.8°C | 1.6°C | 2 mm | 44% | 2.2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2016 | 25.7°C | 17.9°C | 10.2°C | 31.7°C | 4.2°C | 9 mm | 41% | 2.4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2015 | 27.0°C | 19.7°C | 12.5°C | 34.2°C | 4.8°C | 18 mm | 36% | 1.9 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2014 | 24.8°C | 17.4°C | 10.0°C | 29.3°C | 6.8°C | 10 mm | 41% | 2.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2013 | 26.3°C | 18.4°C | 10.4°C | 33.3°C | 5.5°C | 12 mm | 37% | 2.2 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2012 | 23.2°C | 15.3°C | 7.3°C | 29.9°C | 1.0°C | 24 mm | 43% | 2.3 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2011 | 22.7°C | 15.2°C | 7.8°C | 32.9°C | 2.9°C | 21 mm | 54% | 2.2 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2010 | 20.9°C | 14.1°C | 7.2°C | 29.1°C | 1.1°C | 15 mm | 51% | 2.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2009 | 22.9°C | 15.3°C | 7.8°C | 29.1°C | 2.1°C | 2 mm | 43% | 2.1 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2008 | 23.2°C | 15.6°C | 8.0°C | 28.7°C | 3.0°C | 4 mm | 43% | 2.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2007 | 25.7°C | 17.8°C | 9.9°C | 34.0°C | 1.0°C | 8 mm | 35% | 2 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2006 | 18.6°C | 12.2°C | 5.8°C | 26.0°C | 0.8°C | 40 mm | 55% | 2.2 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2005 | 20.9°C | 14.5°C | 8.1°C | 27.8°C | 3.6°C | 19 mm | 60% | 2.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2004 🔥 | 27.6°C | 20.0°C | 12.5°C | 33.6°C | 5.2°C | 10 mm | 40% | 2 m/s | 6 |
| 2003 | 22.9°C | 15.9°C | 8.8°C | 30.1°C | 3.2°C | 37 mm | 47% | 2.1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2002 | 22.5°C | 14.9°C | 7.4°C | 32.7°C | 1.4°C | 15 mm | 37% | 2.3 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2001 | 23.4°C | 16.2°C | 9.1°C | 31.1°C | 4.0°C | 18 mm | 52% | 1.8 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2000 | 22.2°C | 15.1°C | 8.0°C | 29.7°C | 1.7°C | 30 mm | 47% | 2.1 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1999 | 22.0°C | 14.3°C | 6.5°C | 29.4°C | 2.8°C | 12 mm | 49% | 2.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1998 | 20.2°C | 13.8°C | 7.5°C | 30.2°C | 1.5°C | 60 mm | 60% | 2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1997 | 26.5°C | 18.1°C | 9.7°C | 32.0°C | 1.4°C | 0 mm | 36% | 2.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1996 | 22.9°C | 15.6°C | 8.3°C | 29.1°C | 4.0°C | 29 mm | 47% | 2.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1995 | 20.7°C | 14.3°C | 7.9°C | 28.0°C | 1.3°C | 97 mm | 59% | 2 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1994 | 23.1°C | 16.0°C | 8.9°C | 29.1°C | 2.8°C | 46 mm | 50% | 1.9 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1993 | 21.8°C | 15.3°C | 8.7°C | 26.5°C | 2.6°C | 20 mm | 61% | 1.9 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1992 | 19.6°C | 13.7°C | 7.9°C | 23.6°C | 5.2°C | 92 mm | 66% | 1.8 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1991 ❄️ | 17.7°C | 11.1°C | 4.5°C | 24.7°C | -1.2°C | 123 mm | 61% | 2.5 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1990 | 23.0°C | 15.9°C | 8.8°C | 31.9°C | -0.2°C | 12 mm | 44% | 2.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1989 | 25.3°C | 17.3°C | 9.2°C | 31.5°C | -1.0°C | 24 mm | 42% | 2.4 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1988 | 23.9°C | 15.7°C | 7.5°C | 32.9°C | 2.2°C | 4 mm | 39% | 2.2 m/s | 6 |
| 1987 | 20.7°C | 13.3°C | 5.9°C | 25.5°C | 1.8°C | 31 mm | 49% | 2.3 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1986 | 23.6°C | 16.7°C | 9.9°C | 30.7°C | 3.7°C | 66 mm | 53% | 2.2 m/s | 5 |
| 1985 | 20.6°C | 13.2°C | 5.9°C | 26.8°C | 1.2°C | 21 mm | 49% | 2.4 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1984 | 24.4°C | 16.3°C | 8.3°C | 28.5°C | 2.6°C | 3 mm | 37% | 2.4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1983 🌧️ | 19.0°C | 13.0°C | 6.9°C | 27.5°C | 3.1°C | 130 mm | 70% | 2.4 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 19.6°C | 13.2°C | 6.7°C | 24.3°C | 3.1°C | 83 mm | 57% | 2.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 20.8°C | 13.9°C | 7.0°C | 28.0°C | 3.8°C | 45 mm | 54% | 2.1 m/s | — |
Actual recorded March data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in March is around 22.5°C with lows near 8.3°C (mean 15.4°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
March averages 32 mm of rainfall in Palm Desert, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 130 mm in 1983.
The hottest March reached 34.2°C in 2015. The coldest dipped to -1.2°C in 1991.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average March temperatures have risen by about 0.9°C. Daytime highs moved from 20.9°C to 21.8°C and overnight lows from 7°C to 7.8°C over the same span.
March is one of the cooler months of the year in Palm Desert and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 22.5°C daytime highs and 8.3°C at night.
Not quite — March is the 4th coolest month in Palm Desert, averaging 15.4°C.
For March in Palm Desert, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 22.5°C and lows of 8.3°C.
Relative humidity in March averages 49% — relatively dry.
Average wind speed in March is 2.2 m/s. The windiest March on record averaged 2.7 m/s (2025).
The wettest March on record was 1983 with 130 mm. On average, March sees 32 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 Palm Desert 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.
