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Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic Weather in March

Punta Cana weather in March
Average high temperature and rainfall for Punta Cana in March. © Scott S. Bateman

Dominican Republic weather in March is great in one popular destination and not so great in another.

One of the joys of going to Dominican Republic is the luxury of its famous all-inclusive resorts, especially in Punta Cana and Puerto Plata.

One of the miseries of being in an all-inclusive resort is picking a month when it rains a lot.

The weather in March is usually dry in Punta Cana. Puerto Plata is a different story because March is part of its rainy season.

In fact, the weather for these two popular destinations are completely different because of their locations on opposite sides of the country.

Punta Cana Weather in March

The resort oasis of Punta Cana has a distinct rainy and dry season. March is part of the dry season, which lasts from January through April. Temperatures are somewhat cool compared to the summer months.

Punta Cana March Weather

Avg. High
82.6 degrees F
Avg. Low
71.6 degrees F
Rain Inches
2.1

Total rainfall in Punta Cana during March averages about two inches, according to Oficina Nacional de Meteorologia, the national weather service of Dominican Republic.

By comparison, rainfall increases slightly in April, picks up in May to five inches during a brief rainy season, drops back down to four inches in June and July, and then picks up during the main rainy season of August through November. October is the worst month for rain with an average of six inches.

Temperatures in Punta Cana are mild throughout the year and have an average high ranging from the low to upper 80s Fahrenheit depending on the month.

March in Punta Cana may have the lowest rainfall of the year, but it also has one of the lowest temperatures with daytime highs of 83 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime lows of 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Water temperatures may feel cool for swimming. It makes Punta Cana in March a good time to go for people who like land activities but not such a good time to go for people who like to spend time in the water. April is better because of warmer temperatures and a similar low risk of rain.

Puerto Plata Weather in March

Puerto Plata is not only rainier than Punta Cana in March, it’s also much warmer—at least in the daytime.

Puerto Plata weather in March has an average high temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit or 29 Celsius. The average low is 64 Fahrenheit or 18 Celsius.

Those cool nighttime temperatures will increase the chances of cool seawater even more. The warmer daytime temperatures will make spending time on the beach more comfortable.

The rainy and dry seasons in Puerto Plata are almost completely opposite Punta Cana.

Puerto Plata March Weather

Avg. High
84.7 degrees F
Avg. Low
63.9 degrees F
Rain Inches
5.1

It actually receives quite a bit more rain throughout the year than Punta Cana, especially from November through January when the average ranges between eight and 10 inches a month.

February through May is still a rainy season compared to the rest of the Caribbean because total rainfall averages more than five inches a month. That makes March a risky time to visit Puerto Plata.

The dry season kicks in from June through September when the average is two to three inches. What makes this unusual is that September is the peak season of the Caribbean hurricane season; other destinations average more rain. So cloud cover is likely to be higher than normal even though the rain is lower than normal.

• Dominican Republic weather in: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December

Scott S. Bateman is a professional journalist who has traveled widely throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. He is the author of four books about cruising in the Caribbean, Alaska and Mexican Riviera.
February 15, 2024

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