what is the coldest month in the sahara desert

Im not saying that you should pack your bags and move to the Sahara Desert. Though hot in the summer, it shares the very cold winters of the rest of Inner Asia. Monthly Temperature and Precipitation from 1970 - 2000. Flight Center. Most precipitation falls from December through March. Akchour Waterfalls + Gods Bridge . "It tends to be a relatively small problem for them," said Dale DeNardo, an environmental physiologist at Arizona State University who specializes in desert animals. The population density is smallfewer than three persons per square mile (one per square km)mostly Mongols with Han Chinese in Inner Mongolia. The temperatures can still reach up to 33C so it's still a great time to go to the beach. An Sfra known as The Gateway to the Desert is around 3,280 feet above sea level and surrounded by the Atlas Mountains. The sun sets and after its heat has dissipated, the majority of what is left becomes a cool breeze. Youll find all kinds of festivities from decorated mosques to market stalls selling traditional snacks and crafts. "They face a much bigger challenge because they don't get to move," DeNardo said. January 12-13 - Yennayer The Amazigh (Berber) New Yearthe beginning of the crop yearis marked by traditional festivities, especially in the High Atlas mountain communities on the edge of the desert. Covering 14.2% of earth's land area, hot deserts are the second most common type of climate on earth[1] after the polar climate. This includes the record of 56.7C (134.1F) in Death Valley, which is currently considered the highest temperature recorded on Earth. The Sahara has rocky plateaus as well as sand dunes. In the Sahara Desert, which extends into the country's southeast, the days are sunny (though shorter than you'll experience in summer) with temperatures pleasant for outdoor activities during the day. September is one of the best times to visit Morocco as the weather starts to cool down, the skies are blue, and the summer holiday crowds tend to leave. The weather continues to cool down in October, making this month a popular time for tourists. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. Harry is a U.K.-based staff writer at Live Science. The desert air is considered the driest in the world, but weather and rainfall vary throughout the different regions of the Sahara. Enjoy the view of snow-capped peaks from a distance: in the desert, the weather is comfortable. Snowfall occurs occasionally over the northern plateaus. Some locations in the Sahara Desert such as Kufra, Libya record an even drier 0.86mm (0.034in) of rainfall annually. The average daily temperature in Marrakesh is around 28C, but temperatures can range from 15C and 35C from the mountains to the desert. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Subtropical deserts like the Sahara are what people generally imagine when they think about the desert. The Sahara is dominated by two climatic regimes: a dry subtropical climate in the north and a dry tropical climate in the south. So when is the best time to visit Morocco and the Sahara Desert? At 9.4 million square kilometers(3.6 million square miles), the Sahara is also the largest hot desert on Earth. In semidesert tracts vegetation is richer, belonging to the herbaceous and wormwood groups: Gobi feather grass, Gobi kumarchik, timuriya, snakeweed (Cleistogenes species; another perennial), and cold wormwood. "The bigger challenge is getting enough food and water to survive.". These storms can cause tremendous flash floods that rush into areas where no precipitation has fallen. . As in the north, much of this rainfall occurs as thunderstorms. Snow fell in the Sahara and Saudi Arabia in January 2022 and 2021, but it is not the first time these normally scorching hot spots have been blanketed in white. Hot-month average temperatures are normally between 29 and 35 C (84 and 95 F), and midday readings of 43-46 C (109-115 F) are common. In contrast, desert birds use evaporative cooling where they use water to transfer heat away from their bodies, like how humans sweat and dogs pant through a range of different methods (some vultures urinate on their legs to cool down). At night, desert temperatures fall to an average of -3.9C (about 25F). On the plateau and on the plains beneath the mountains, small bushlike vegetation occurs: Echinochloa (a type of succulent grass found in warm regions), yellowwood bean caper, winter fat (a shrub covered with densely matted hairs), nitre bush, and bushlike halophytic vegetation. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Hot deserts are lands of extremes: most of them are among the hottest, the driest and the sunniest places on Earth because of nearly constant high pressure; the nearly permanent removal of low-pressure systems, dynamic fronts and atmospheric disturbances; sinking air motion; dry atmosphere near the surface and aloft; the exacerbated exposure to the sun where solar angles are always high makes this desert inhospitable to most species. In comparison to summer months, when the heat can be dangerous in the Sahara, January is a great time for outdoor activities. The average daytime temperature in the Sahara Desert is 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In 2022, Ramadan will begin April 2nd and ends May 1st. "For most deserts, we are predicting an average rise in temperature of 3 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit [1.7 to 2.2 C].". This makes hot deserts present in every continent except two: Antarctica and Europe. The traditional living quarters of the Mongol nomads are felt yurts and orgers (types of tent), while the Chinese farmers live in clay homes built from crude brick. However, very rarely do temperatures drop far below freezing under the hot subtype. And most deserts, far from being empty and lifeless, are home to a variety of plants, animals, and other organisms. Milad un Nabi. Mawazine Festival. If youre a jazz fan, you cant miss this international jazz festival. Based on fossil evidence, the Sahara and Antarctica appear to have been the homes of many plants and animals in the past. The highest temperature ever recorded in the Sahara Desert is 58C. A more accurate definition of a desert is a region in which the potential evaporation rate is twice as great as the precipitation. You cannot download interactives. A number of factors influence the climate of the African continent. Vegetation, as mentioned above, is sparse and rare. The trip was delayed but Kim Kim was great and honored our booking well after Covid ended. During the Holocene Epoch (i.e., about the past 11,700 years), the Gobis lakes have shrunk in size, leaving a series of terraces considerably farther from and higher than the present shorelines. But their ability to fly long distances between water sources or to scavenge food, means they don't have to worry as much about conserving water like other desert animals. Snowy conditions make much of the High Atlas mountains impassable and snow falls heavily in many of the smaller villages. The age of the Sahara has been a matter of some dispute. A post shared by Visit Morocco (@visit_morocco_). An example of this is the Patagonian Desert in Argentina bounded by the Andes ranges to its west. February, however, is a warm month with an average high temperature at 24C (75.2F). But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The best time for skiing in Morocco falls from mid-January to mid-February. During the 1990s, joint Mongolian-Russian-American archaeological expeditions excavated Paleolithic and Neolithic caves in the Mongolian Gobi. During the summer, the temperature in the Sahara can reach over 50C (122F), making it one of the hottest deserts on Earth. Hot desert climates (BWh) are typically found under the subtropical ridge in the lower middle latitudes or the subtropics, often between 20 and 33 north and south latitudes. From the ", Traveled to Morocco as a group in April, 2023, "Soufiane, our driver and day-to-day guide, had excellent food recommendations, kept us hydrated with fresh water in the car each day, and was a friendly and ", "Late to review. By far the coldest continent, Antarctica has winter temperatures that range from 128.6 F (89.2 C), the world's lowest recorded temperature, measured at Vostok Station (Russia) on July 21, 1983, on the high inland ice sheet to 76 F (60 C . Both deserts have fossil evidence suggesting that this was not always true. These are the words typically used to describe the desert. Ultimate Morocco Itineraries: 5, 7, 10, & 14 Days, Morocco in November: Travel Tips, Weather, and More, 2 Weeks in Morocco - 3 Family-Friendly Itinerary Ideas. However, temperatures in the Sahara are not constant; there is variability according to the geographical areas and their climatic characteristics. Almond Blossom Festival in Tafraoute. To delineate "hot desert climates" from "cold desert climates", there are three widely used isotherms: most commonly[2] a mean annual temperature of 18C (64.4F), or sometimes the coldest month's mean temperature of 0 or 3C (32.0 or 26.6F), so that a location with a BW type climate with the appropriate temperature above whichever isotherm is being used is classified as "hot arid subtype" (BWh), and a location with the appropriate temperature below the given isotherm is classified as "cold arid subtype" (BWk). Erfoud Dates Festival. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. The world absolute heat records, over 50C (122F), are generally in the hot deserts, where the heat potential can be the highest on the planet. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thinkmorocco_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_5',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thinkmorocco_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');This article will talk about what the temperature is like in this area during the day and at night time. Yennayer (Amazigh New Year). When not at work he can be found watching sci-fi films, playing old Pokemon games or running (probably slower than he'd like). Although they occur at various times of the year, they are especially common during the spring. While Morocco and the Sahara Desert are known for their scorching temperatures, it actually gets quite cold in winter. Summers in South America's Atacama Desert are mild with only slight temperature variations between seasons. Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip. The air temperature of the aptly named Furnace Creek in Death Valley reaches a staggering average daily high of 46C - making Death Valley the hottest place on Earth.. The dry tropical climate is characterized by a strong annual temperature cycle following the declination of the sun; mild, dry winters; and a hot dry season preceding variable summer rains. Yassine thought nothing of going the extra mile in customer service and did that the day I hurt my ankle.", Moroccan Highlights: Fes, the Sahara Desert, & Marrakech - 6 Days, Marrakech & Grand Tour of the Sahara Desert - 6 Days, Morocco's Imperial Cities & the Sahara Desert - 13 Days, Ultimate Guide to Luxury Travel in Morocco, Planning Your Perfect Honeymoon in Morocco, Morocco in January: Travel Tips, Weather, and More, Morocco in February: Travel Tips, Weather, and More, Morocco in March: Travel Tips, Weather, and More, 5 Days in Morocco - 4 Unique Itinerary Ideas, 1 Week in Morocco - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas, 10 Days in Morocco - 6 Unique Itinerary Ideas, 2 Weeks in Morocco - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas, Grand Morocco Tour: North to South - 10 Days, Marrakech & Grand Tour of the Sahara Desert - 5 Days, A Taste of Morocco: Casablanca to Marrakech - 7 Days, Ultimate Guide to Chefchaouen: Morocco's Blue City. Winters can be dry or wet depending on how much rainfall there was from season-to-season.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thinkmorocco_com-leader-3','ezslot_20',119,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thinkmorocco_com-leader-3-0'); Summers in the Sahara Desert are like living on a hot, humid day for most of your life. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. This is the time to visit the Erg Chebbi dunes, go on a camel ride, and enjoy an organized tour of desert towns. This is due to its location near a tropical ocean and desert dryness which has led it to be one of Earths hottest regions year round (even at night). You might recall that February of 2021 was a brutally cold month. The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world and the third-largest desert overall, behind the cold deserts of Antarctica and the Arctic. Indeed, Lakes Orog and Bntsagaan, in the easternmost Mongolian Altai, and Lake Ulaan, in the northwestern Gobi Altai, are but shadows of their former selves. That's why iconic desert plants, like cactuses, have developed a range of defenses, such as spikes and toxins, to protect their precious water from predators. In comparison to summer months, when the heat can be dangerous in the Sahara, January is a great time for outdoor activities. January falls in the middle of winter, meaning icy temperatures and snowy mountains. Do camels really have water in their humps? As the last month of spring, the weather starts getting warmer and sunnier in May. Outdoor activities. During the day, sand's radiation of the sun's energy superheats the air and causes temperatures to soar. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Sign up to our newsletter and receive $250 of FREE Trafalgar travel credit. Daily temperature ranges are considerable during both the winter and summer months. The Sahara is a dry place, but it gets chilly at night. In the northwest region of the desert, in Morocco, January is the middle of winter, and temperatures turn bitterly cold in the nearby High Atlas mountains. If you're taking a day trip to the Sahara Desert in North Africa, you're going to want to bring a lot of water and plenty of sunscreen. Frogs, toads, and crocodiles live in the lakes and pools of the Sahara. The soil of the Gobi is chiefly grayish brown and brown carbonaceous (rich in carbon), gypseous (containing gypsum), coarse gravel, often combined with sandy salt marshes and takyr. RELATED CONTENT: All the different types of music you can look forward to on your next trip to Morocco. He is also interested in evolution, climate change, robots, space exploration, environmental conservation and anything that's been fossilized. Copyright Trafalgar Tours, all rights reserved. Cold desert climates (BWk) usually feature hot (or warm in a few instances), dry summers, though summers are not typically as hot as hot desert climates. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. At night, find a cozy place to try traditional Moroccan cuisineanywhere near an open fire will dobut you'll want to focus your energy on activities during January's relatively short daylight hours, when the temperatures are pleasant for being outside. He studied Marine Biology at the University of Exeter (Penryn campus) and after graduating started his own blog site "Marine Madness," which he continues to run with other ocean enthusiasts. Since desert conditions are so severe, the plants that live there need to have adaptations to compensate for the lack of water. window.StacklaGoConnectConfig.cdn : 'assetscdn.stackla.com'; December and February are the coldest months in other states. Up to 2.3 feet oftorrential rainis now tipped to drench England and Wales early this week sparking multiple weather warnings. Youll likely find the sun shining and the flowers blooming when you visit Morocco in March. The daytime temperature averages 38C while in some deserts it can get down to -4C at night. High radiation levels caused by fallout have been detected in the western Gobi in the area around Chinas chief nuclear weapons test site near Lop Nur. Some desert plant species have a short life cycle of a few weeks that lasts only during periods of rain. Tan-Tan Moussem (Festival). The summers in the Sahara Desert are very humid, and temperatures can reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit during summer. The temperatures can still reach up to 33C so its still a great time to go to the beach. Early January is a popular time for tourism in the desert: lots of travelers plan trips over the Christmas and New Year holidays, so prices for tours and accommodations are higher than usual. The Ladakh region, and the city of Leh in the Great Himalayas in India also have a cold desert climate. Daily temperature ranges are considerable during both the winter and summer months. Desert . Held every year in Marrakesh to celebrate cinema, there are all kinds of films, workshops and events running, and dont miss the movie projections on the main square of Jemaa El Fna. RELATED CONTENT: Christmas in the sunshine: where to go for winter sun in Morocco. The heat of the desert can reach extreme temperatures during the day. To improve your online experience, we use cookies for enhanced functionality and analytics. European interest in the region was rekindled in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Just remember to bring some warm clothes for those chilly nights. Download issues for free. Let us know in the comments below! The dry desert air cools off quite a bit after the summertime peak, with average temperatures in the low 70s, highs in the low 80s, and lows in . RELATED CONTENT: All the essentials to include on your Morocco packing list. Read more:Why Are There So Many Cats In Morocco?Weddings in MoroccoExcursion to BerkaneAsilah International Cultural FestivalA 5200 Km Morocco Road TripBest Things To Do In Ifrane (Morocco)Where To Eat in MeknesBest Hotels in LaracheWhat To Eat in Rissani, How Hot Is The Sahara Desert? While spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October) are hailed as the best times to visit due to the pleasant temperatures, every season offers something different. November starts to ease into winter, offering cooler days and fewer crowds. In the southern Sahara the winter is the period of the harmattan, a dry northeasterly wind laden with sand and other easily transported dust particles. The climate is acutely continental and dry: winter is severe, spring is dry and cold, and summer is warm. At night, desert temperatures fall to an average of -3.9 degrees celsius (about 25 degrees fahrenheit). Weather fronts rarely penetrate far into the continent, because of the katabatic winds. It can be hard to imagine that a place like the Sahara desert could ever have been considered lush and fertile. January is the middle of winter in Morocco. Its a great month for hiking in the mountains or sightseeing in the souks and medinas. However, large warm blooded, or endothermic mammals, like camels, are too big to hide away from the sun and can't let their body temperature drop. But if youre looking for a change of scenery, I cant think of any place more beautiful than this land of sand, sunsets and camels. Its not a great time to visit the Sahara Desert due to the scorching temperatures and influx of snakes and insects. Agriculture is developed only along the river valleys. RELATED CONTENT: 12 quarantine-free travel experiences to try in 2021. When there is no water vapor in the atmosphere, sunlight can be absorbed by rock and sand much easiercausing an increase of at least 10 degrees over a short period of time! Since desert conditions are so severe, the plants that live there need to have adaptations to compensate for the lack of water. What is the modern economy of the Saharan Desert like. The desert climate or arid climate (in the Kppen climate classification BWh and BWk), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. Although precipitation is highly variable, it averages about 3 inches (76 millimetres) per year. "But even if most are wet enough, it will only take one really dry year to cause big problems.". But the desert is vast, and in its northwestern sectionwhere it crosses into Moroccothe weather is lovely at this time of year. If you're prepared for cold and snow, you could also plan to spend a day skiing in the nearby Atlas mountains. Hot desert climates are found across vast areas of North Africa, Western Asia, northwestern parts of the Indian Subcontinent, interior Australia, the Southwestern United States, northern Mexico, the coast of Peru, and Chile. The name Sahara derives from the Arabic noun ar, meaning desert, and its plural, ar. Winters are relatively cold in the northern regions and cool in the central Sahara. This is because of what we know now about climate change, but in the past it was not uncommon for civilizations to flourish in this region. It also gets colder and windier in coastal cities like Essaouira and snow gets thicker in the High Atlas Mountains. Its also a special experience to witness the breaking of the fast at sundown each day. The temperatures are warm but not sweltering, and the rain is easing off. var cdn = window.StacklaGoConnectConfig ? Youll experience shows, workshops, conferences and more throughout the festival. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. In the Gobi Altai and other high mountains, desert-grass steppes completely cover the lower slopes, and, on the upper parts, mountain versions of the feather-grass steppes appear. Its not hard to imagine how quickly temperatures plummet when there isnt any sunshine! October means chilly fall temperatures in some parts of the Sahara. On January 10, locals in the mountainous region were treated to a flurry of snow. Be aware that spring sandstorms are common in the Sahara Desert during March. The desert covers most of the North African countries, including Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya and Sudan. March heralds the start of spring in Morocco, with the weather warming up. RELATED CONTENT: Our guide to everything you need to know before travelling to Morocco. Although some deserts are very hot, with daytime temperatures as high as 54C (130F), other deserts have cold winters or are cold year-round. However, research indicates that "Nights are going to be warmer, but that's not as bad as warmer days," DeNardo noted. Snow also fell in Lebanon, Syria and Iran where some regions were buried under four feet. January 11 - Proclamation of Independence Morocco celebrates independence from French colonial power. On some occasions, temperatures as low as 36F(-33 C) have been reported. Hot Desert Climate . Its also the start of the lower season, so if youre looking for a quieter experience, this is the month to do it. Temperatures in the Sahara can drop an average of 75 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) overnight. Late spring and early summer are hot; high temperatures of 122 F (50 C) are not unusual. The religious month of Ramadan usually falls between April and May. Most of the heat during day dissipates by evening, so temperatures drop.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thinkmorocco_com-leader-2','ezslot_18',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thinkmorocco_com-leader-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thinkmorocco_com-leader-2','ezslot_19',113,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thinkmorocco_com-leader-2-0_1'); .leader-2-multi-113{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. The drainage of the desert is largely underground; surface rivers have little constant flow. A desert is actually just a place that has very little precipitation. With daytime temperatures rising to 45C, its best to go exploring in the mornings and evenings and spend the midday soaking in a pool. What Electric Power Plugs Are Used in Morocco. Lgbt Friendly Tattoo Shops Near Me, Winghaven Country Club Membership Fees, Articles W