Early March 1 March
51°F
Typical afternoon high
34% historical wet-day frequency
France · Mountains
Is March a good time?
March averages 56°F afternoons, with about 10 rain days. Later March is typically warmer.
Historical Auvergne regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Clermont-Ferrand; conditions vary within the region.
This weather score measures sightseeing comfort. Snow and ski conditions need a separate check.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#6 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your March
Afternoons around 56°F (13°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 36°F (2°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 10 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 12 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 07:02 and sets about 18:52 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 36°F (2°C); afternoons reach about 56°F (13°C). Expect rain on about 10 days in a typical March.
Early, middle or late?
Late March is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 51°F on the 1st, versus 59°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 34% to 29% between those dates.
51°F
Typical afternoon high
34% historical wet-day frequency
56°F
Typical afternoon high
31% historical wet-day frequency
59°F
Typical afternoon high
29% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Public holidays · 2027: 29 Mar Easter Monday.
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 151° | 251° | 351° | 452° | 552° | 653° | 753° |
| 854° | 954° | 1054° | 1154° | 1255° | 1355° | 1456° |
| 1556° | 1656° | 1756° | 1856° | 1956° | 2056° | 2157° |
| 2257° | 2357° | 2458° | 2558° | 2658° | 2758° | 2858° |
| 2958° | 3058° | 3159° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 52°F (11°C) in the first week to 58°F (14°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 27–37%.
No school holidays here in March 2027. Public holidays: 29 Mar Easter Monday. Elsewhere in March 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 27%, Spain 30%, Italy 19%, Netherlands 38%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Visitor season
Low season. March averages 18% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than February.
Overnight stays across Auvergne do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.
Hotel price season
A little below usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Year-to-year variation
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 51°F (11°C) and 59°F (15°C); in 10 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 56°F (13°C). Rain days ranged from 6 to 16; half the years had 8–12.
Rain days in each March
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 55°F | 10 |
| 2012 | 59°F | 6 |
| 2013 | 51°F | 13 |
| 2014 | 58°F | 6 |
| 2015 | 55°F | 12 |
| 2016 | 52°F | 11 |
| 2017 | 59°F | 9 |
| 2018 | 53°F | 16 |
| 2019 | 56°F | 8 |
| 2020 | 56°F | 10 |
| 2021 | 55°F | 8 |
| 2022 | 58°F | 9 |
| 2023 | 57°F | 10 |
| 2024 | 57°F | 12 |
| 2025 | 55°F | 9 |
Checked against 126 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
| Typical conditions | Feb | Mar | Apr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 49°F | 56°F | 61°F |
| Rain days | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Overnight demand | 21% | 18% | 24% |
February: Cooler afternoons than March. More overnight demand. February guide →
April: Warmer afternoons than March. More overnight demand. April guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues.
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. March stays as your reference.
April to October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than March, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
Overnight stays are 21% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the February guide →| Typical conditions | March | February |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 56°F | 49°F |
| Nights | 36°F | 32°F |
| Rain days | 10 | 10 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 7.2 | 6.7 |
| Month rank | #6 | #9 |
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.5 | #12 | 45°F | 32°F | 13 | 4.5 | Low season |
| February | 6.7 | #9 | 49°F | 32°F | 10 | 5.3 | Low season |
| March | 7.2 | #6 | 56°F | 36°F | 10 | 6.1 | Low season |
| April | 7.6 | #4 | 61°F | 40°F | 9 | 7.2 | Low season |
| May | 7.5 | #5 | 67°F | 47°F | 11 | 7.8 | Moderate season |
| June | 7.6 | #3 | 76°F | 54°F | 9 | 8.5 | Moderate season |
| July | 7.0 | #7 | 80°F | 57°F | 7 | 8.9 | Busy season |
| August | 6.5 | #11 | 80°F | 56°F | 8 | 8.8 | Peak season |
| September | 7.9 | #1 | 72°F | 50°F | 8 | 8.7 | Moderate season |
| October | 7.7 | #2 | 64°F | 46°F | 8 | 7.6 | Low season |
| November | 6.9 | #8 | 53°F | 39°F | 12 | 5.4 | Low season |
| December | 6.6 | #10 | 48°F | 35°F | 12 | 4.8 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
LimousinFrance · about 70 miles
Balanced Overall 7.2 · Good weather, 57°F (14°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Lyon & the French AlpsRhône-Alpes · France · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 6.3 · Good weather, 58°F (14°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Languedoc-RoussillonFrance · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 5.3 · Fair weather, 62°F (16°C) · Off season · Cost moderate
Toulouse & the PyreneesMidi-Pyrénées · France · about 150 miles
Balanced Overall 7.5 · Good weather, 60°F (15°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
French Riviera & ProvenceFrance · about 180 miles
Balanced Overall 6.6 · Good weather, 61°F (16°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Elsewhere in Europe
Auvergne's weather ranks 10 of 28 mountain regions this month. We found no mountain regions outside France with a weather score at least 1.0 point higher on these dates.
It's low season, 18% of the busiest month and 51% below its average month. That means about 9,700 overnight visitors on a typical March night across the region, 90% of them from France itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 6,000 more: 63 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 66 |
| How our weather was checked | 126 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.2°C), night lows within 1°F (0.1°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 7 |
| Busiest month here | August · 40 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 0.7% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 37th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 90% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 63 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.1% |
| National hotel-price season | France historical 2024–2025 index: A little below usual (−6% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 1.4 million |
| Statistical region | FRK1 · Auvergne |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.