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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Fort Lauderdale in March

Fort Lauderdale in March: 34% of days see measurable rain, 80°F average high, 37% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Fort Lauderdale in March is historically a poor month for sun: only 37% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 80°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 Fort Lauderdale 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 Fort Lauderdale 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		 35% n=120 80°F
Late March
16th–end		 38% n=128 80°F
Full month average 37% n=248 80°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 Fort Lauderdale 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		 90% n=120
Late March
16th–end		 97% n=128
Full month average 94% n=248
11.2 h median sunshine per day 92% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 34% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 37%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 94%. The 57-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

Fort Lauderdale is mostly overcast in March historically: only 37% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 80°F. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

Every month in Fort Lauderdale

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

Historical clear-sky % for Fort Lauderdale, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 27% n=248 All destinations →
February 26% n=226 All destinations →
March ← this page 37% n=248 All destinations →
April 29% n=240 All destinations →
May 20% n=248 All destinations →
June 5% n=240 All destinations →
July 5% n=248 All destinations →
August 2% n=248 All destinations →
September 6% n=240 All destinations →
October 12% n=248 All destinations →
November 26% n=240 All destinations →
December 27% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Fort Lauderdale in March?

Sometimes. Fort Lauderdale sees measurable rain on 34% of days in March historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Fort Lauderdale good for sun in March?

It's mixed. Fort Lauderdale in March is clear on 37% of days historically (avg high 80°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — the outcome varies year to year.

How Fort Lauderdale compares in March

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Fort Lauderdale 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.