Hilton Head Island Weather in March

What March feels like on Hilton Head

The average temperature in March is 69°F for highs and 48°F for lows, with about 3.9 inches of rain, and the ocean averages 62°F.

March is when the island starts to feel like spring. Afternoons average about 69 and nights around 48, so daytime is comfortable in a light layer and mornings and evenings still call for a sweater. Landscapes bloom and the bike paths fill up.

Temperatures can swing from one week to the next: a warm run in the mid-70s is common, and so is a cool, breezy day in the 50s. Rainfall averages 3.9 inches, a little wetter than February. The ocean is still cool, in the low 60s, so most visitors are walking the beach rather than swimming. Pack for both ends of the range, and check the forecast a few days before you travel.

March weather on Hilton Head changes more than any other month’s. The first week is often still wintry and the last feels like spring, so a trip at the end of the month is noticeably warmer than one at the start.

The days get noticeably longer, and clocks spring forward on the second Sunday, so sunset jumps from about 6:20 p.m. to after 7:30 p.m. over the month. Azaleas and dogwoods bloom, yellow pine pollen coats the cars and porches for a week or two, and the bike paths fill with spring-break families.

Sunrise and sunset in March

Eastern time, calculated for the island with NOAA’s solar equations. Daylight runs from 11 hr 30 min on Mar 1 to 12 hr 30 min on Mar 31. For today’s times and the next two weeks, see the live weather page.

Hilton Head events in March

Hilton Head events in March start with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Pope Avenue, the state’s oldest, and end with the opening days of the Wine & Food Festival.

Hilton Head Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade

A Sunday in mid-March, 2 p.m.

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South Carolina’s oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade, running since 1983: floats and bands down Pope Avenue from Lowcountry Celebration Park, watched by about 25,000 people. Free.

Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival

Late March to early April · Mar. 25 to Apr. 4, 2027

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Ten days of tastings, wine dinners and a grand tasting at restaurants and venues around the island.

Dates move a little each year. For this year’s dates and everything else on, see the Hilton Head events calendar, which lists every event month by month.

Things to do on Hilton Head in March

Spring break brings the first crowds of the year, so book rentals, bikes and tee times early. The beach is good for walking, shelling and biking at low tide; most people wait until May to swim.

Dogs can be on the beach at any time through the end of March. From April 1, they must be leashed between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Biking

The best biking weather of the spring, before the summer heat.

Shelling

Low tide on a cool morning is the time to look for whelks and sand dollars.

Golf courses

Spring is high season on the courses, so book tee times ahead.

Farmers markets

The Saturday market at Shelter Cove, and the Sea Pines market opening for the season.

What to pack for Hilton Head in March

Pack for both ends of the range: shorts and short sleeves for warm afternoons, plus a sweater or light jacket and long pants for mornings, evenings and cool fronts. Bring sunscreen; the spring sun is stronger than it feels.

Hilton Head weather in other months

To compare all 12 months in one table, with the live forecast, radar and water temperature, see Hilton Head weather by month, and for help choosing dates, the best time to visit Hilton Head.

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