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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Cancún in March

Cancún in March: 30% of days see measurable rain, 83°F average high, 34% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Cancún in March is historically a poor month for sun: only 34% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 83°F). Historical average, not a forecast.

What you are reading: 8-year historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis, not a forecast. A month that is historically 90% clear can still be overcast on your specific trip. For this week’s actual forecast, see the live Cancún page. Both can be true at once: “historically strong in this month; this particular week is not.” We label which is which.

Early vs. Late March

Clear-sky percentage for Cancún in March, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early March
1st–15th		 29% n=120 83°F
Late March
16th–end		 39% n=128 83°F
Full month average 34% n=248 83°F

Sunshine & warmth in March

A second measure using actual sunshine hours (ERA5 sunshine_duration), not the daily weather code. A Lowcountry day with 12 hours of sun and a 25-minute afternoon storm is counted below as a warm, sunny day — because it was. How we define this.

Sunshine-based metrics for Cancún in March. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early March
1st–15th		 98% n=120
Late March
16th–end		 100% n=128
Full month average 99% n=248
11.8 h median sunshine per day 98% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 30% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 34%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 99%. The 65-point gap is from brief afternoon convective storms that stamp the whole day as “rain” in the WMO code but leave the bulk of the sunshine untouched.

Bottom line

Cancún is mostly overcast in March historically: only 34% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 83°F. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

Every month in Cancún

Compare across all months with data. Numbers are historical clear-sky %.

Historical clear-sky % for Cancún, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 21% n=248 All destinations →
February 22% n=226 All destinations →
March ← this page 34% n=248 All destinations →
April 40% n=240 All destinations →
May 21% n=248 All destinations →
June 10% n=240 All destinations →
July 11% n=248 All destinations →
August 9% n=248 All destinations →
September 5% n=240 All destinations →
October 10% n=248 All destinations →
November 15% n=240 All destinations →
December 20% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Cancún in March?

Sometimes. Cancún sees measurable rain on 30% of days in March historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Cancún good for sun in March?

It's mixed. Cancún in March is clear on 34% of days historically (avg high 83°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — the outcome varies year to year.

How Cancún compares in March

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Cancún this month — same passport tier, similar flight distance, both sides from the same 8-year ERA5 record.

All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.