March is the first month of spring in China. In general, it is a cold but sunny month in the north and in Tibet, mild but cloudy (and sometimes even rainy) in the south.
Given the size of the country, the average
temperatures vary greatly: they are still cold in the north-west, in Xinjiang, largely occupied by desert plateaus (see Ürümqi) and in the north-east, in Manchuria (see Harbin), especially in the part closest to Siberia (see Tahe).
In Beijing, the nights are still cold, but the days are quite mild, and sometimes the temperature can already exceed 20 °C (68 °F), especially in the second half of the month.
In the central area (see Shanghai, Wuhan), the temperatures are mild, and the rains are more frequent than in the north.
In the south, the temperatures are very mild, and in Guangdong and Guangxi, the daily average exceeds 20 °C (68 °F) on the coasts south of the Tropic.
In the extreme south, on the island of Hainan, where the climate is tropical, the average temperature is 23 °C (73 °F) on the north coast (see Haikou), and even 26 °C (79 °F) on the southern coast (see Sanya).
In March there may be
cold spells, especially in the first half of the month, even though they are less intense than in the previous months. In these situations, the temperature can drop to about -20 °C (-4 °F) in the north, to -6/-7 °C (19/21 °F) in Beijing and 0 °C (32 °F) in Shanghai, while in the south (see Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong), there can be windy days, with highs of 13/15 °C (55/59 °F).
Precipitation is rare in the north and in Tibet, where it can occur in the form of snow, while
in the center-south the rains are quite frequent, and in some areas they are already abundant. The rainiest area is the south-eastern one, south of Shanghai and north of the Tropic (see Ganzhou, Guilin, Nanchang, Fuzhou), where rainfall exceeds 100 mm (4 in) per month.
The
sea is warm enough for swimming, with temperatures exceeding 23 °C (73 °F), only on the southern coast of Hainan (see Sanya).
China - Climate data in March| City | Temperature | Rain | Sun | Daylight |
|---|
| (north to south) | Min°C
(°F) | Max°C
(°F) | mm
(in) | Days | Hours | Hours |
|---|
Tahe
(360 m.) | -19
(-2) | -2
(29) | 8
(0.3) | 2 | 8.2 | 12.0 |
|---|
| Harbin | -8
(18) | 3
(38) | 17
(0.7) | 3 | 7.4 | 12.0 |
|---|
Urumqi
(650 m.) | -3
(27) | 5
(41) | 20
(0.8) | 7 | 5.8 | 12.0 |
|---|
Baotou
(1,050 m.) | -4
(24) | 9
(49) | 7
(0.3) | 3 | 8.0 | 12.0 |
|---|
| Beijing | 0
(32) | 13
(56) | 10
(0.4) | 3 | 7.3 | 12.0 |
|---|
Kashgar
(1,300 m.) | 3
(37) | 15
(58) | 7
(0.3) | 2 | 6.0 | 12.0 |
|---|
| Shanghai | 7
(45) | 14
(58) | 95
(3.7) | 12 | 4.1 | 12.0 |
|---|
Lhasa
(3,650 m.) | -1
(30) | 13
(56) | 3
(0.1) | 2 | 8.2 | 12.0 |
|---|
Chongqing
(250 m.) | 11
(51) | 18
(65) | 45
(1.8) | 12 | 2.1 | 12.0 |
|---|
| Fuzhou | 11
(51) | 19
(66) | 140
(5.5) | 18 | 2.9 | 12.0 |
|---|
Kunming
(1,900 m.) | 8
(46) | 22
(71) | 20
(0.8) | 7 | 8.2 | 12.0 |
|---|
| Guangzhou | 16
(60) | 22
(72) | 101
(4) | 9 | 2.0 | 12.0 |
|---|
See also: China, the weather in
February -
AprilThe climate of
China