The climate in Morocco in Autumn and Winter

Wikivoyage,  Sunday, 29 October 2017

Sanddunes 
in the Moroccan desert  

Morocco is a country that can be visited in every season, but for every season some regions are more pleasant than others. Coastal cities are ideal when it is warm in the interior. It is often interesting to visit an area in the low season: one sees a different way of life and other landscapes.

Depending on the wind, the Moroccan climate changes between warm and cold periods: when the wind comes from the ocean it is cool, a breeze from the desert provides warmth. Heat periods last 3-4 days but a cold period often takes longer. Also, it is scorching in the sun while the air usually stays cool.

Autumn in Morocco

Autumn is often pleasant in all regions of Morocco.

It rarely rains before mid-November. When the rain starts, it may take a few days: boots are needed because the ground is impermeable and the streets become muddy quickly.

The coldest areas are located in the , where it cools down sharply, especially at night. The climate is mild on the Atlantic Ocean, but if you want to swim from October, onwards you have to go to and further south. After September, few Moroccans swim in the sea.

Winter in Morocco

In the cities in the Moroccan interior (...) it is cold in winter. The houses rarely have central heating. Traditional homes are often designed to dissipate summer heat. Even though it is less severe than in Europe, the feeling of cold is higher because you do not move from one heated place to another, as in Europe. You have to wear warm clothes, but you don't have to pack too thickly because you often wear the clothes in your home as well. Families have large blankets for the night. The (bath) is a trendy place in winter to give your body a supply of warmth.

Winter is the season in which it rains more often, especially in the north. When it starts raining, it can take a few days: boots are needed because the ground is usually rock-hard and the streets become muddy quickly. Moroccans experience the rain as a real blessing: everyone is thrilled when it rains. The fields - hardened in the summer and plagued by the severe season - become green and the landscape gets a beautiful and radiant color.

But beware, in the countryside, you can't walk in case of rain, there is too much mud.

Pleasant winter regions in Morocco:

  • the Mediterranean coast: the Mediterranean climate in Al Hoceima and the .
  • In the south: , the region, the only area where tourists still swim (Moroccans wait with swimming until it gets scorching). Winter is the ideal season for the (Tata, Tazenakhte, Tissint, Akka, etc.).
  • the southern Atlantic coast: from and further south. Note that the wind in Essaouira makes the city cooler than Safi in the north, where the climate is particularly pleasant in winter because it is sheltered from the wind. But be careful! In the , in case of rain, you can't go hiking because the soil is hugely muddy during heavy and prolonged rainfall.

  • Less pleasant regions in the winter in Morocco

  • the mainly in January and February, because it can freeze and snow at night. There is a small ski area near Ifrane. The roads between Azrou, , and Meknes can be closed off. The houses in the are heated in winter by a wood stove in the middle of the house.
  • In the High Atlas, there is sometimes snow: the road between and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouarzazate can be closed for 1 or 2 days, but it is possible to bypass the Atlas via the drive from to .
  • The Dades and Drama valleys in the south are also cold in winter, but the days are milder with high-temperature fluctuations between day and night. And again there is no heating in the houses.
  • North on the Atlantic coast, between Rabat and Tangier, where the climate is cold and humid. Fog in the morning is typical.

  • Creative Commons-Licentie This article of is subjected to a licence. Based on . Translated from the French by Jos Deuling.  


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