Climate and Weather

Morocco

Morocco's climate is moderate and subtropical, cooled by breezes off the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. In the interior the temperatures are more extreme; winters can be fairly cold and the summers very hot. Marrakech has an average winter temperature of 70°F (21°C) and summer temperature of 100°F (38°C). In the Atlas Mountains temperatures can drop below zero and mountain peaks are snow capped throughout most of the year. The winter in the north of the country is wet and rainy, while in the south, at the edge of the Moroccan Sahara, it is dry and bitterly cold.

The weather in Marrakech is sunny nearly all year round, with pleasantly warm summers and mild winters. The hottest months of the year are July, August and September, but there is no humidity so temperatures are generally bearable. Winter can bring heavy downpours of rain, which leave the streets of the old town very muddy, and winter nights can be cold.

Fez has a continental climate with extreme temperatures. In summer the mercury can reach a sizzling 120°F (45°C), so a more pleasant time to visit would be during spring and autumn, when the weather is warm and dry. Winters, by contrast, are very cold