Chicago in March

By mid-March, Chicagoans can see the light at the end of the tunnel that is a Chicago winter. The days are getting longer, the first boat tours are back on the river, and the Garfield Park and Lincoln Park conservatories have their spring flower shows up. The weather hasn't caught up yet. March is the month when winter and spring fight it out, and you won't know who's winning until you look out the window that morning.

The weather

By the official 1991-2020 normals, which the National Weather Service measures at O'Hare, March averages a high of 47°F and a low of 31°F, with 2.45 inches of precipitation and 5.5 inches of snow. Those averages hide a lot of swing. A 65-degree afternoon in one week and a snowstorm the next is a normal March here, not a freak one. The wind off Lake Michigan makes the lakefront and the river bridges feel colder than the forecast, so check the wind chill as well as the temperature. Our Chicago weather page has the full month-by-month numbers, and the NWS Chicago forecast is the one to trust for the week you're here.

What to pack

Pack as if it's still winter and bring a lighter layer for the good days. That means a warm, windproof coat, a hat and gloves, and a scarf, plus a sweater or fleece you can wear on its own if you get a mild afternoon. Waterproof shoes matter more than warm ones. Melting snow and salty slush at the curb will soak through sneakers in a block. An umbrella is worth packing, but a cheap one won't last long on a windy corner of Wacker Drive, so a hood is often the better bet. For more, see what to wear in Chicago in winter and what to wear in Chicago in spring.

Crowds and hotel prices

March is still the off-season for most of the month. From October to April, outside the holidays, hotels compete for guests, and you'll usually pay a lot less than you would in June or July. Museums are quieter too, at least until spring break sends families back to the Museum Campus.

The exception is St. Patrick's Day weekend. The river is dyed green and the downtown parade runs on the Saturday on or before March 17, and hotels near the river and in the Loop fill up fast. If you want to see the green river, book early. If you don't care about it, pick a different weekend and save money. It's also worth checking the McCormick Place events calendar before you book, because a big trade show can push up prices downtown in any month. Our accommodation guide covers the hotel tax, which adds a lot to the rate you see online.

What's on

St. Patrick's Day is the big one. Plumbers Local 130 dyes the river on the morning of the parade, something the union has done since the early 1960s, and the parade marches down Columbus Drive in Grant Park the same day. The South Side Irish Parade in Beverly follows on the Sunday. After the parades, the bars take over, and we've picked the best bars for St. Patrick's Day.

The rest of the month is quieter, and that's part of the appeal. The Chicago Architecture Center river cruise starts its season in March, the Chicago Botanic Garden's Orchid Show runs until late in the month, and the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K fills Grant Park with runners on a weekend in March. For the full list, with the free museum days and indoor fallbacks, see things to do in Chicago in March, plus winter activities in Chicago for the colder days and spring break in Chicago if you're coming with the kids.

If you can, come in the last week of March instead of the first. The odds of a mild day are better, the St. Patrick's crowds are gone, and the city is starting to wake up.

Photo by multisanti