Laguna Beach in March

Weather in March

The Laguna Beach station’s 1991–2020 normals put the March average high at 69°F and the average low at 48°F. Both climb from February’s 68°F and 45°F.

Rain drops by half. The normal March total is 1.62 inches, down from 3.39 in February, and the station averages 3.2 days with at least 0.10 inch.

March is the month the evening shifts. Sunset is at 5:48 p.m. on March 1, 2027. Clocks move ahead on the second Sunday of March, which is March 14, and the U.S. Naval Observatory’s figures for Laguna Beach show sunset jumping from 5:57 p.m. on March 13 to 6:58 p.m. on March 14. By March 31 it is 7:11 p.m.

The ocean in March

As a guide to the water, NOAA’s San Pedro South buoy (station 46253) averaged about 59°F in March over 2015 to 2025. The buoy sits offshore, about 23 miles west of Laguna Beach, so its readings show the season and not the temperature at any one beach. The typical figure is 10 degrees below the average afternoon high on land.

On the shore, the city treats tide pooling as a low-tide activity and tells visitors to check a tide chart first. The tide pools guide explains how to read one and lists the coves with pools.

What’s on in March

• Patriots Day Parade. The city says the parade has run every year since 1967. The 2026 edition was on Saturday, March 14, and the city posts each year’s date on its parade page. Entries range from civic and veterans’ groups to school bands, floats and vintage cars.
• Festival of Whales. The 56th Dana Point Festival of Whales runs March 5 to 7, 2027, in Dana Point. It is in a neighboring city, not in Laguna Beach, and the organizer lists whale watching trips on its site. For the Laguna side, read whale watching in Laguna Beach. NOAA Fisheries says gray whales migrate north along the West Coast through May, and Visit Laguna Beach adds that humpbacks can be seen from late March.
• First Thursdays Art Walk. The walk is held on the first Thursday of every month, from 6 to 9 p.m., with free gallery entry, a free trolley and free admission at the Laguna Art Museum. See the Art Walk page.

For the whole year, use the events guide. The February page covers the Music Festival that comes just before, and April follows.

Crowds and getting around

Parade day changes how downtown works. The city’s page lists closures to vehicles before and during the event on portions of Forest Avenue, Ocean Avenue, Beach Street, 2nd Street, 3rd Street, Mermaid Street, Glenneyre Street, Short Street, Legion Street and Park Avenue, plus the Peppertree Parking Lot. The route starts at Park Avenue and Legion Street, runs down Park Avenue, turns right on Glenneyre Street and right on Forest Avenue, and ends just past City Hall. The weekly farmers market is cancelled that Saturday and returns the following week.

The off-season trolley schedule is still in effect through June 25, 2027. The Coastal Route runs free on Coast Highway, and on weekends you can park at Lot 16 for $5 and ride the Canyon Route downtown. The getting around guide has the hours, and the parking guide covers lots and meters.

What to pack

• Layers. A 69°F afternoon and a 48°F night are 21 degrees apart.
• A light rain layer. About three days in March bring 0.10 inch or more.
• Waterproof shoes. The city recommends them for tide pools.