Winter is the most misunderstood season in Morocco. Visitors arrive expecting North African warmth and find Merzouga at 4°C after dark and snow closing the Atlas passes. Others avoid winter entirely and miss the clearest light of the year and the emptiest sites.
Both reactions come from the same mistake: treating Morocco as one climate. In January the coast is mild, the cities are cool, the desert is freezing at night, and the mountains are under snow.
The temperatures, month by month
| City | December | January | February |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marrakech | 22° / 8° | 21° / 6° | 22° / 8° |
| Merzouga | 19° / 6° | 18° / 4° | 20° / 7° |
| Ouarzazate | 18° / 4° | 18° / 3° | 18° / 5° |
| Imlil | 15° / 5° | 13° / 3° | 14° / 3° |
| Essaouira | 21° / 12° | 20° / 11° | 20° / 12° |
| Agadir | 23° / 13° | 22° / 12° | 23° / 13° |
The column that matters is the second figure. Merzouga at 4°C and Ouarzazate at 3°C are night temperatures in the open desert, and a tent is not a hotel room. Imlil at 3°C is why the Toubkal ascent becomes a winter mountaineering route rather than a walk.
The desert in winter: warm days, cold nights
Merzouga in January is 18°C in the day, which is pleasant for walking the dunes, and 4°C at night. Our camps provide heavy blankets and the fires are lit early, but you should bring a warm layer and not rely on what the daytime forecast tells you.
What you get in exchange: no heat, no crowds, and the clearest skies of the year. Winter is the best season for stars over Erg Chebbi.
Snow on the Atlas
The High Atlas holds snow from December to March, and it is visible from Marrakech on a clear morning. Imlil stays accessible but the trails above it need equipment. Oukaimeden, an hour further, has a ski season.
The Ourika valley is a good winter day trip: the river is running again after the autumn rain and the snow line is close enough to see.
Where winter is the best choice
The coast. Essaouira at 20°C and Agadir at 23°C in January are the mildest places in the country. This is why Agadir has a winter season at all.
The cities. Marrakech at 21°C in the day is comfortable walking weather, and the medina is quiet. The same sites that are unbearable in August are pleasant in January.
What to pack for a Moroccan winter
More than people expect. Days are mild, evenings are not, and buildings here are built to stay cool rather than warm: a riad at 15°C inside is normal in January. Bring a proper jacket, and for the desert a hat and gloves for the night.
Rain is real in the north and on the coast between December and February, so a waterproof belongs in the bag.
What winter closes, and what it opens
Closed or reduced: the high mountain passes after snow, the Toubkal summit without equipment, and swimming anywhere. The Atlantic in January is cold whatever the air temperature says.
Open, and better than usual: the medinas without crowds, Ait Ben Haddou without the midday coaches, and the clearest views of the Atlas from Marrakech that the year offers. Snow on the peaks behind the city is a winter photograph you cannot take in June.
Christmas and New Year
The two weeks around the new year are the busiest of the winter, with prices to match, particularly in Marrakech and the desert camps. January and February are the opposite: the quietest and cheapest months of the Moroccan year.
If you want the country close to empty, come in the second half of January.
In short
Come in winter for the coast, the cities and the stars. Bring warm clothes for the desert, and treat the high mountains as a serious undertaking rather than a day walk.
Common questions
How cold does the Sahara get at night in winter?
Merzouga averages 4°C at night in January and 6°C in December, with days at 18 to 19°C. Camps provide heavy blankets, but bring a warm layer of your own.
Does it snow in Morocco?
Yes, on the High Atlas from December to March, and it is visible from Marrakech on a clear morning. Oukaimeden has a ski season. The plains and the coast never see snow.
Is Morocco warm in December?
On the coast, yes: Agadir averages 23°C and Essaouira 21°C. Marrakech reaches 22°C by day but drops to 8°C at night, and the desert to 6°C.
