March weather: warm days, cool nights and wind
March is the month Las Vegas turns from winter to spring, and the numbers move quickly. Typical highs run about 70–72°F (21–22°C) on average, from the mid 60s in the first week to the high 70s by the last, with overnight lows around 48–52°F (9–11°C). Sunshine averages ten hours a day and rain is uncommon, three days or fewer in a typical March, with most of them early in the month.
The defining weather feature of March is wind. Spring fronts push through the valley every week or so and bring gusty afternoons, occasionally strong enough to close the High Roller or the Strat observation deck for a few hours and to make a pool deck feel cold despite a 75°F reading. Dust can blow on the strongest days. The pattern is usually a windy day followed by two or three calm, warm ones, so build in flexibility. Mornings are cool enough for a hoodie; afternoons are T-shirt weather in the sun; evenings still need a light jacket.
Pool season opens
March is opening month. The big resort pool complexes typically start reopening in the first half of the month, with most fully open by the end of it, though hours are shorter than summer and some sections, lazy rivers and wave pools included, may wait until April. Dayclubs follow the same schedule: the major ones usually launch their season in March, often with a headline DJ on a weekend around the middle of the month, and run weekends only until the weather and crowds justify more days.
The catch is that March pool weather is hit or miss. A calm 78°F afternoon by the Mandalay Bay beach is perfect; a windy 70°F one is not. Early March is more often the second kind, late March the first. If the pool is central to your trip, aim for the last ten days of the month or wait for April. For which pools open earliest and how the dayclubs work, see pool season and dayclubs and pool parties.
March Madness weekend
The first weekend of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, typically in the second half of March, is the second-biggest sports weekend of the year in Las Vegas after the Super Bowl. Sixteen games in two days, tip-offs from morning to night, and every sportsbook packed from the first game. The large books sell reserved seats for viewing parties, ballrooms at resorts like Caesars Palace, Westgate and Mandalay Bay host all-day watch events with buffets, and the sports bars overflow.
Rates for that Thursday through Sunday climb sharply, often to the highest level of the month, and rooms near the big books go first. The second tournament weekend is busy but noticeably calmer. Nightclubs and bars lean into the college crowd, so it is also one of the rowdier weekends of spring. If you are coming for it, book the sportsbook seat before the hotel; if you are not, that weekend is one to avoid. Our March Madness guide explains the viewing parties and how to get in.
Spring break and rising crowds
March is when college and school spring breaks start rolling through, and they stack up through early April. The effect on Las Vegas is a steady rise in leisure crowds every week of the month, with a particularly young, loud energy on weekends at the party-oriented resorts and pools. Families on school break add to the daytime crowd at the free attractions, the High Roller and the Shark Reef.
Hotel prices track this. Early March weeknights can still be very reasonable, close to February levels, but by the last week of March weekend rates are near the spring peak and midweek rates have climbed too. The weekend-to-weekday swing is roughly double, sometimes more at the party hotels. Restaurants that took walk-ins in February need reservations by late March, and show tickets for the popular Cirque productions and residencies should be bought before you arrive. For where to sleep cheaply as rates rise, see cheap Las Vegas hotels.
St. Patrick's Day and other March dates
St. Patrick's Day in mid-March is a genuine event here. Fremont Street runs a large street party, the Irish pubs on and off the Strip, including the ones at New York-New York and Downtown, are packed, and if the date falls on or near a weekend it combines with March Madness to make one of the busiest stretches of spring. Green beer, bagpipes in the casinos and a heavy nightlife crowd are the norm.
March also hosts a handful of mid-size conventions, mostly in the first half, and the NASCAR weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway usually falls in early March, drawing a big drive-in crowd and filling hotels on the north end of the valley. Late March often sees a major boxing or UFC card as well. None of these moves prices as far as the tournament weekend, but the combined effect is that almost every March weekend has something going on. Check the events hub when you are choosing dates.
What to pack for March
March demands the widest wardrobe of any month: you can plausibly need a jacket, a swimsuit and a windbreaker on the same day.
- Light jacket or hoodie for mornings, evenings and windy afternoons
- Swimsuit and cover-up for the pools that have opened; a warm layer for walking back from the pool
- Sunscreen with real SPF; late-March sun at 2,000 feet elevation burns quickly
- Comfortable walking shoes and one pair for going out
- Sunglasses and a hat that will stay on in wind
- Hiking shoes and a windproof layer if you are doing Red Rock or Valley of Fire, which are at their absolute best this month
The interactive version is at our packing list.
Best things to do and who March suits
This is the finest month for the desert. Red Rock Canyon's scenic drive, the Calico Hills trails and Valley of Fire are at peak comfort, and in a wet winter the wildflowers put on a show along the highway to Valley of Fire and around Lake Mead. Hoover Dam tours are comfortable, and the Grand Canyon West Rim is warm enough without the summer heat. On the Strip, the freshly opened pools, the sportsbook energy and the first outdoor patio nights make March feel celebratory.
Sports fans: March Madness is the draw, plus NASCAR and usually a big fight. Groups and bachelor or bachelorette parties: excellent, with dayclubs launching and nightlife at full tilt. Couples: good early in the month before the crowds; see romantic things to do. Families: good weather for day trips and the pools begin opening, but the spring break crowds are not always family-friendly on weekends. Budget travelers: early-March weeknights only; by the end of the month it is peak-season pricing.
