Driving in Iceland in March
March is late winter with equinox daylight - 10 to 13½ hours - and the last reliable aurora month of the season. Roads are still wintry and storms still roll through, but longer days and gradually easing conditions make it the most forgiving 'full winter experience' month.
10–13½ hours, growing ~7 min/day
−2 to +4 °C in the lowlands
Still closed all month - highland opening is months away.
Good through the month - nights shorten fast after the equinox, but March regularly produces strong displays.
What’s open and driveable
The main tourist routes are open with the usual winter caveats. By late March the south is often merely wet rather than icy, while the north and the passes stay properly wintry. The Westfjords start to become plausible for experienced winter drivers late in the month, but conditions there remain the country's most changeable.
Typical conditions
A month of contrasts: you can get a spring-like week in the south and a full blizzard the next. Snow totals are still high in the north. Daytime thaw and overnight refreeze produce black ice on clear mornings - the least visible hazard of the season, and worth more caution than obvious snow.
March driving tips
- Morning black ice after clear nights catches more drivers than storms do - assume shaded bends are icy until midday.
- With 12+ hours of light late in the month, full South Coast days (Reykjavík–Jökulsárlón) are comfortable again.
- It's the last good month for ice caves and the last reliable one for aurora - book both early in the trip.
- Easter (when it falls in March) is an Icelandic holiday week - book accommodation ahead.
Common questions
Is March winter or spring in Iceland?
Winter, by road standards. Locals joke that spring arrives in May. Expect winter tyres, winter statuses on the map, and the possibility of a serious storm any week - just with much more daylight to work with.
Can you see the northern lights in Iceland in March?
Yes - March is the last strong month of the season. Nights are still dark enough all month, and geomagnetic activity is statistically elevated around the equinox. From mid-April the sky becomes too bright.