MIAMI · MARCH · THE MONTH GUIDE
Miami’s March average high is 80.6°F, read from a real thermometer at Miami International Airport. The Atlantic hurricane season is still months away (it runs June 1 to November 30). The month falls late in South Florida’s warm, dry stretch, which runs December through April, before the summer pattern of 90°F afternoons and daily storms sets in. It also carries two big 2027 dates, the Miami Open and Ultra Music Festival, plus a spring-break plan that Miami Beach rewrites every winter.
Miami International (MIA) is about 12 miles from South Beach, 20 to 45 minutes by car depending on traffic. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) is about 25 miles away, 35 to 50 minutes on I-95. Without a car, Route 150, the Miami Beach Airport Express, leaves the airport Metrorail station roughly every 30 minutes for $2.25, with luggage racks on board. Our Florida guide sizes a Miami stay at three to four nights, and airline and airport choices sit in our Florida flights guide.
MARCH AT A GLANCE · MIAMI
March gives Miami warm, dry, hurricane-free days and a 78.4°F sea, inside the February-to-April window of high hotel rates and alongside spring break and two major 2027 events.
HIGH 80.6°F · SEA 78.4°F · 3.5 RAIN DAYS · OUTSIDE HURRICANE SEASON
Go for: sea swims at 78.4°F, garden and museum days in 80°F air, and free Thursday evenings at the Perez Art Museum Miami.
Think twice before: booking a car-dependent room in South Beach: during spring break 2026, Art Deco District garages went to $40 to $100 flat rates and non-resident towing cost $548.
Climate: NOAA NCEI, station USW00012839 · Sea: Open-Meteo Marine · Spring break: City of Miami Beach · full sources at the end
On this page
- Miami weather in March80.6°F highs and 3.5 rain days
- Can you swim in March?A 78.4°F sea, as a mean of daily maxima
- Hotel prices and spring breakThe high-rate window, the 6% county tax, 2026 parking rules
- Things to do in MarchVizcaya, PAMM’s free hours, Lummus Park
- A two-day Miami itineraryTwo days from a 7:27 sunrise to a 7:31 sunset
- February or April instead?How the three months compare on heat, rain and sea
- Is March a good time to go?Who March suits, and when to shift
Some Miami questions do not depend on the date. Miami Beach, the City of Miami and Coral Gables are three separate cities, each with its own government, and Vizcaya sits in Coconut Grove, inside the City of Miami. Neighborhoods and hotels are in where to stay in Florida, buses and trains in our getting-around guide, full budgets in Florida trip costs, and beach and street safety in our safety guide.
Miami weather in March: average highs, lows and rain days
| Measure | March | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average high | 80.6°F (27.0°C) | NOAA NCEI, MIA station |
| Average low | 65.6°F (18.7°C) | NOAA NCEI, MIA station |
| Precipitation | 2.46 in | NOAA NCEI, MIA station |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 3.5 | NOAA NCEI, MIA station |
| Days with 1 in or more | 1.0 | NOAA NCEI, MIA station |
| Daylight on March 15 | 12 h 03 min | sunrise-sunset.org |
| Sunrise · sunset, March 15 | 7:27 a.m. · 7:31 p.m. EDT | sunrise-sunset.org |
| Sea surface (mean of daily maxima) | 78.4°F (25.8°C) | Open-Meteo Marine |
Every temperature and rain figure here comes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991 to 2020 normals, recorded at station USW00012839, Miami International Airport. That is a station normal from an actual thermometer, rather than a reanalysis grid cell such as ERA5, and it gives March an 80.6°F average high, a 65.6°F average low and 2.46 inches of precipitation. The thermometer stands on the mainland, about 12 miles from South Beach, so read each number as an airport measurement.
Measurable rain, 0.10 inch or more, falls on 3.5 days of an average March, about one day in nine. A week’s stay averages fewer than one such day. One day of the month typically brings an inch or more, the kind of downpour that moves a beach afternoon indoors. Keep a museum or an indoor visit in reserve for that day.
Between the 80.6°F afternoon average and the 65.6°F night, the gap is 15 degrees. Shorts and a T-shirt cover the day. For dinner outdoors or a late walk by the water, pack a light long-sleeve layer or a thin sweater. Early risers heading to the sand for sunrise meet the low end of that range, so the same layer goes in the beach bag.
On March 15, Miami gets about 12 hours 03 minutes of daylight. Clocks have moved to daylight saving time by mid-month, so the sun rises at 7:27 a.m. and sets at 7:31 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Light fades around 7:30 in the evening, late enough for a full beach afternoon and a sunset before dinner.
Can you swim in Miami in March? Sea temperature and what it feels like
The sea surface off Miami averages 78.4°F in March, according to the Open-Meteo Marine API over 2015 to 2024. That figure is the mean of daily maxima, the warmest reading of each day, so it runs a shade warmer than a 24-hour mean would. Other published tables put the winter sea off Miami near 72°F and disagree on January, between about 72°F and 76°F, a gap we have not resolved.
A sunrise swim puts you in water about 13 degrees warmer than the 65.6°F average low, so the chilly moment is climbing out into the morning air. By early afternoon the 80.6°F average high leads the sea by roughly two degrees, and getting out is easy. Lummus Park, the beach in front of Ocean Drive, has lifeguards on duty and public restrooms.
We found no wind or swell data for Miami in March, so we cannot say how often the surf builds or the water turns choppy. On the day, the lifeguard flags at Lummus Park show current conditions, and a guarded beach is the safer choice whenever a warning flag is up.
How busy is Miami in March? Crowds and prices
On price, March sits inside the February-to-April stretch that market data relayed by travel guides places at the top of Miami’s hotel year, with August to October at the bottom. That is a market trend rather than an official statistic, and we found no monthly rate series to rank March against its neighbors. Two 2027 events add pressure late in the month: the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, March 14 to 28 (dates subject to change), and Ultra Music Festival at Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami, March 26 to 28.
We have no booking-window data, so we give no number of weeks. Lock a refundable rate as soon as the dates are set, above all for March 26 to 28, 2027, when the Miami Open’s last three days overlap Ultra. Spring break is the other variable. In 2026, Miami Beach police ran a traffic plan from 6 p.m. each Thursday through Sunday around South of Fifth and Flamingo Park, with garage and lot closures, restricted beach access and DUI checkpoints, but no blanket curfew. The city publishes each year’s plan in winter, so check the 2027 rules before booking South Beach.
Miami-Dade County levies a 6.0% transient rental tax on stays, filed and paid together with Florida’s 6% state sales tax. We could not verify whether city-level levies add to those two in Miami Beach or the City of Miami, so we give no combined total. Resort fees are a separate line: Miami Beach hotels commonly add one per night, and published amounts diverge sharply, from about $25 on average to $35 to $95 depending on the property. Check the fee in the booking total before paying.
In spring break 2026, the four Art Deco District garages between 5th and 16th streets went to flat rates of $40 to $100, and towing a non-resident’s car cost $548, double the regular rate, plus administrative fees. That makes location the place where spending more changes March. A room on the free Miami Beach trolley, which runs 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. about every 20 minutes on five routes, lets you skip a rental car in South Beach. Ask the hotel which trolley stop is nearest before you book.
Things to do in Miami in March
March falls late in Miami’s warm, dry stretch, and the air tops out near 80.6°F. Summer highs reach about 90°F, with humidity between 85 and 90 percent and afternoon thunderstorms. June, the wettest month at the Miami International gauge, averages 10.51 inches of rain against 2.46 in March. Full days outside, from gardens at noon to a long beach afternoon, fit comfortably into March’s range.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, in north Coconut Grove overlooking Biscayne Bay, opens Wednesday to Monday at 9:30 a.m., last admission 4:30 p.m., and is closed on Tuesdays. Adults pay $20 while restoration work is underway (usually $25), children 6 to 12 pay $5 and under-6s enter free. Lummus Park, the beach fronting Ocean Drive from 5th to 15th Streets, is free and open 24 hours, with lifeguards, restrooms and picnic tables. On Key Biscayne, Crandon Park charges $7 to park on weekdays and $10 at weekends.
Across February, March and April the sea moves only 2.7 degrees, from 76.9°F to 79.6°F, while the average afternoon high moves 5.4 degrees, from 78.2°F to 83.6°F. At Vizcaya, the gardens are an outdoor walk, and a March afternoon averages 80.6°F, well under the roughly 90°F of summer. On the beach, a 78.4°F sea and an 80.6°F afternoon sit 2.2 degrees apart. Swim between late morning and mid-afternoon, when the two readings run closest.
The Perez Art Museum Miami is free every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. That leaves about two and a half hours of daylight before the mid-March sunset at 7:31 p.m. It is also free all day on the second Saturday of each month, March 13 in 2027, with art-making from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. South Pointe Park is free to enter, though its lot starts at $2 an hour and charges a $20 flat rate on weekends and holidays. Lummus Park costs nothing, and the Metromover through Downtown and Brickell is free.
Miami in March: a two-day itinerary
Day one. Be on Lummus Park by 7:30 a.m., just after the 7:27 sunrise, while the air sits near its 65.6°F low. At 9:30, head for Vizcaya as it opens (not on a Tuesday): Metrobus route 120, the Beach MAX, crosses the MacArthur Causeway to the Downtown Bus Terminal for $2.25, then change to Metrorail for Vizcaya station, a few minutes’ walk from the gate, with the transfer free. Finish the gardens by lunch, spend the early afternoon in the 78.4°F sea, and be at South Pointe Park for the 7:31 sunset.
Day two. Drive to Crandon Park on Key Biscayne for a morning swim ($7 parking on weekdays, $10 at weekends), then spend the afternoon downtown on the free Metromover, with cars every three minutes off-peak. On a Thursday, the Perez Art Museum Miami is free from 5 to 9 p.m. If the month’s one inch-plus downpour lands on day two, trade Crandon for the museum and Vizcaya’s interiors. Metromover hours differ by source (5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. per Miami-Dade, 5 a.m. to midnight elsewhere), so confirm them on arrival.
Miami in March vs February and April
| Measure | February | March | April |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 78.2°F | 80.6°F | 83.6°F |
| Average low | 63.2°F | 65.6°F | 69.8°F |
| Precipitation | 2.15 in | 2.46 in | 3.36 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.3 |
| Sea surface (mean of daily maxima) | 76.9°F | 78.4°F | 79.6°F |
Across the three months, the NOAA averages at Miami International climb steadily. February tops out at 78.2°F, March at 80.6°F and April at 83.6°F, while lows go from 63.2°F to 65.6°F to 69.8°F. Rain rises from 2.15 inches to 2.46 and then 3.36, though February logs 3.6 days of measurable rain against 3.5 in March and 4.3 in April. The sea, as a mean of daily maxima, reads 76.9°F, 78.4°F and 79.6°F.
Shifting to February costs 2.4°F on the afternoon high and 1.5°F on the sea, and it stays inside the same February-to-April window of high hotel rates. April buys 3.0°F more in the afternoon, nights 4.2°F warmer and a 79.6°F sea, at the price of 0.90 inch more rain and nearly one extra wet day. The 2027 Miami Open and Ultra both end on March 28, so an April trip skips them.
Is March a good time to visit Miami?
Yes, for swimmers who want a 78.4°F sea without summer’s 90°F afternoons, for garden and museum days at Vizcaya and the Perez Art Museum Miami, and for tennis or electronic-music fans holding 2027 tickets. No, for anyone chasing a bargain room, since March falls in the February-to-April high-rate window, and no for a quiet South Beach weekend during spring break.
If you want warmer water and nights, April adds both at the cost of a little more rain. If price decides, the lower-rate stretch of August to October overlaps the heart of hurricane season, whose peak falls on September 10, so book refundable and read our Florida best-time guide before trading March for savings.
March is the one month of 2027 that puts the Miami Open and Ultra Music Festival on the same dates, March 26 to 28, with a 78.4°F sea off the beaches.
The last word
Pick your end of the month first. A stay from March 26 to 28, 2027 lands on Ultra at Bayfront Park and the Miami Open’s final days in Miami Gardens, while a trip before March 14 meets neither. Then set aside one day for the Everglades: the national park charges $35 per private vehicle for seven days, and its three entrances sit at least an hour’s drive apart, so choose one with our Everglades guide and leave Miami at first light.
Sources & data for Miami in March
- March normals (80.6°F / 65.6°F, 2.46 in) and rain days · NOAA NCEI 1991 to 2020 normals, station USW00012839, Miami International Airport · checked Sep 24, 2026
- February and April normals and rain days · same station, same period · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Sea surface 78.4°F, February 76.9°F, April 79.6°F, mean of daily maxima 2015 to 2024 · Open-Meteo Marine API · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Winter sea near 72°F, January between 72°F and 76°F · seatemperature.org and Current Results · the two disagree and we have not settled it
- Daylight, sunrise and sunset on March 15 · sunrise-sunset.org, converted from UTC to Eastern Daylight Time · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Summer highs, humidity, June rainfall at MIA · NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals and seasonal guides · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Hurricane season and September 10 peak · NOAA National Hurricane Center · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Miami-Dade transient rental tax · Florida Department of Revenue, form DR-15TDT · checked Sep 24, 2026 · we could not verify city-level add-ons
- Hotel rate seasons · market data relayed by travel guides · checked Sep 24, 2026 · a trend, not an official statistic
- Resort fees · fee comparison sites and local guides · amounts diverge sharply, so we give the range only
- Spring break 2026 garages, towing, traffic plan and curfew position · City of Miami Beach via NBC 6, Time Out Miami, CBS News Miami, WLRN and Fox News · checked Sep 24, 2026 · these are the 2026 measures, the 2027 plan is published in winter
- Vizcaya hours, prices and location · vizcaya.org · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Perez Art Museum Miami free hours · pamm.org · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Lummus Park, South Pointe Park, Crandon Park · City of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade Parks · checked Sep 24, 2026 · parking rates change
- Metrorail, Metrobus 120 and 150, Metromover, trolley · Miami-Dade Transit and City of Miami Beach · checked Sep 24, 2026 · Metromover hours differ by source
- Airport distances and drive times · airport transport sources · checked Sep 24, 2026 · drive times are indicative
- Ultra 2027 · ultramusicfestival.com · Miami Open 2027 · miamiopen.com, dates subject to change · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Everglades vehicle fee and entrances · National Park Service · our reading date was not recorded, confirm at nps.gov before you go
- Layers, swim timing and itinerary pacing are editorial advice.