what is the coldest month in the sahara desert

To determine whether a location has an arid climate, the precipitation threshold is determined. However, this phenomenon alone doesn't account for such a drastic drop in temperature. Do camels really have water in their humps? 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. November is also a great time to visit the Sahara Desert, with milder temperatures. October means chilly fall temperatures in some parts of the Sahara. (Weather station: Asyut Airport, Egypt). The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Another feature of the dry subtropics are the hot, southerly winds that often carry dust from the interior. GET INSPIRED BY: Spain, Morocco and Portugal. 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. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Ait Ben Haddou Some are superhot in the day. 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. Akchour Waterfalls + Gods Bridge January is the coldest month in Saudi Arabia, with the mercury hitting an average of 68.36 degrees . The daytime temperature averages 38C while in some deserts it can get down to -4C at night. 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. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. The coldest temperature recorded there is -10C on January 10, 1913. 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;}. Ouzoud Falls The northeastern portion, however, receives much more rainfall and . All rights reserved. The ice that covers the area is on average 2.45 kilometers (1.5 miles) thick. The temperatures can still reach up to 33C so it's still a great time to go to the beach. This is the time to visit the Erg Chebbi dunes, go on a camel ride, and enjoy an organized tour of desert towns. So, why does this dramatic temperature shift happen in arid deserts like the Sahara? This incredible cultural celebration brings dozens of different tribes from across Morocco to Tan-Tan in southwest Morocco. By the 19th century, however, a climate similar to that of the present was reestablished. 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. Composed of mostly ice flats, Antarctica has reached temperatures as low as -89C (-128.2F). 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. Although precipitation is highly variable, it averages about 3 inches (76 millimetres) per year. 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. The best time for skiing in Morocco falls from mid-January to mid-February. The hot summer nights are especially magical with lively markets and events. The sun sets and after its heat has dissipated, the majority of what is left becomes a cool breeze. Its also the start of the lower season, so if youre looking for a quieter experience, this is the month to do it. Be aware that spring sandstorms are common in the Sahara Desert during March. Our local travel specialists have been recommended by. Whether you want to go hiking, cycling, or quad biking, March is a great month to do it. It also gets colder and windier in coastal cities like Essaouira and snow gets thicker in the High Atlas Mountains. Agriculture is developed only along the river valleys. In the higher elevations of the zone, the lows approximate those of more northerly, subtropical regions. Little precipitation falls in May and June. Since January is a shoulder season, its a quieter time of year for tourism. The dry subtropical climate is characterized by unusually high annual and diurnal temperature ranges, cold to cool winters and hot summers, and two precipitation maximums. The religious month of Ramadan usually falls between April and May. The Sahara Desert extends across ten countries, occupying nearly a third of the continent of Africa. The desert air is considered the driest in the world, but weather and rainfall vary throughout the different regions of the Sahara. Moussem Moulay Abdellah Amghar. Technically, it's the coldest month of the year in Morocco, but you won't need heavier clothing until after dark, when the temperatures fall into the high 30s or lower 40s. However, temperatures in the Sahara are not constant; there is variability according to the geographical areas and their climatic characteristics. Horses make up only a small percentage of the total and, together with the large-horned cattle, are concentrated in the lusher semidesert of the southeast. Morocco's Imperial Cities & the Sahara Desert - 13 Days See Casablanca, Fes, Essaouira, the Erg Chebbi Dunes and more on this well-rounded trip plan. "It will become less consistent, you will have relatively wet years and relatively dry years," DeNardo said. The name Sahara derives from the Arabic noun ar, meaning desert, and its plural, ar. 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. First, most of the continentwhich extends from 35 S to about 37 N latitudelies within the tropics. March heralds the start of spring in Morocco, with the weather warming up. New York, Therefore, a lack of humidity in deserts allows these arid places to quickly heat up but also rapidly cool. The drainage of the desert is largely underground; surface rivers have little constant flow. February, however, is a warm month with an average high temperature at 24C (75.2F). 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, research indicates that "Nights are going to be warmer, but that's not as bad as warmer days," DeNardo noted. Its also a special experience to witness the breaking of the fast at sundown each day. 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. Water vapor in the air traps heat close to the ground like a giant invisible blanket and stops it from dissipating into the atmosphere, according to World Atlas. Competitors take part in the first stage of the Marathon des Sables, between Jebel Irhs and Oued Tijekht in Morocco's Sahara Desert, on Sunday, April 23. How can both the Sahara and Antarctica be deserts? Still, the Moroccan Sahara is not a place to visit casually or spontaneously: to have the best experience in this far-flung region, it's best to plan well ahead of time. Spring continues into April, with lovely temperatures ranging from 15C to 27C depending on the region. RELATED CONTENT: Christmas in the sunshine: where to go for winter sun in Morocco. Most deserts receive less than 300 mm a year compared to rainforests, which receive over 2,000 mm. Erfoud Dates Festival. You cannot download interactives. Held on 10 November, this national public holiday celebrates the birth of the Prophet Mohammed. In the western margin of the desert the cold Canary Current reduces air temperatures, thereby reducing convectional rainfall, but resulting in higher humidity and occasional fogs. We use cookies to analyze our traffic, enhance our websites functionality and performance, and a better experience for our users. The Sahara Desert is 3,600,000 square miles (9,200,000 square kilometers) of arid land stretched across the northern half of Africa, coming in just slightly smaller in size than the continental United States. Held on 18 November, this day commemorates the day Morocco gained independence from Spain and France in 1956. It does not store any personal data. Unlike a thermos, sand doesn't retain heat very well. Air with high humidity also requires more energy to heat up, meaning it also takes more time for that energy to dissipate and for the surroundings to cool down. You can also go exploring in the Sahara Desert or the mountains, although the rain is beginning to increase in the northern mountain ranges. This is the time to visit the Erg Chebbi dunes, go on a camel ride, and enjoy an organized tour of desert towns. When not at work he can be found watching sci-fi films, playing old Pokemon games or running (probably slower than he'd like). 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Much of the geographic study of the Gobi since then was undertaken by Soviet investigators; the Chinese and Mongolians, however, have become increasingly active since the 1960s. Despite these temperatures, the Sahara is home to olive trees, antelope, jerboa, scorpions, jackals, and hyenas. And how do native animals and plants deal with such wild extremes? In the Gobi, particularly its semidesert sections, livestock raising is the main economic activity, sheep and goats constituting more than half of the total herds. In these locations, stable descending air and high pressure aloft clear clouds and create hot, arid conditions with intense sunshine. The northernmost latitudes are arid subtropical and have two rainy seasons, while the southern latitudes are tropical and have one rainy season. Desert . Many reptiles also benefit from being small, which allows them to find shady nooks during the day or warmer rocks at night. Clear. January is one of the coldest months there with an average temperature of 14C (57F). The main occupation of the inhabitants is nomadic cattle raising, though agriculture is predominant in regions where the Chinese are concentrated. Festival of Roses. NY 10036. The climate of Antarctica is the coldest on Earth.The continent is also extremely dry (it is a desert), averaging 166 mm (6.5 in) of precipitation per year. Snow rarely melts on most parts of the continent, and, after being compressed, becomes the glacier ice that makes up the ice sheet. While Morocco and the Sahara Desert are known for their scorching temperatures, it actually gets quite cold in winter. During the hottest months, the average high temperature ranges between 38 to 40C. During the summer, the temperature in the Sahara can reach over 50C (122F), making it one of the hottest deserts on . var t = d.createElement('script'); W", Traveled to Morocco as a couple in April, 2023, "Had the most amazing 10 day trip throughout Morocco! "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 northern parts of the desert experience cold winters, while central areas and warm to mild weather during wintertime. The Sahara desert has been hit by an icy blast with temperatures dipping below freezing. Researchers studying changes to rainfall in the Sahara region found that the desert has grown significantly over the past century due to climate change. What is the modern economy of the Saharan Desert like. Some plants, such as cacti, store water in their stems and use it very slowly, while others like bushes conserve water by growing few leaves or by having large root systems to gather water. The desert kingdom can experience highs of up to 122 degrees during the hot season, but this month temperatures fell below 32 degrees. "But even if most are wet enough, it will only take one really dry year to cause big problems.". A more accurate definition of a desert is a region in which the potential evaporation rate is twice as great as the precipitation. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The summers are hot. She or he will best know the preferred format. In 2018 there was 40cm (15in) of snow. Morocco Family Adventure from Fes to Marrakesh via the De 10 Days in Morocco - 4 Family-Friendly Itinerary Ideas, 1 Week in Morocco - 4 Family-Friendly Itinerary Ideas. Unlike hot desert climates, cold desert climates tend to feature cold, dry winters. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Held in Fes, this incredible festival celebrates spirituality, dance and music. The Sahara is one of the harshest environments on . Plants, on the other hand, are more vulnerable to extreme temperatures. Can plants and animals survive in the Sahara Desert? Temperatures in the town often range from 12 degrees Celsius in January, the coldest month, to approximately 40 degrees Celsius in July. The various snails that inhabit the desert are an important source of food for birds and animals. Timitar Music Festival. This story was updated at 5:00 AM ET on Feb. 22 to fix a Fahrenheit to Celsius conversion. The Moroccan winter continues into February and although the weather gets a little warmer, its still often cold, rainy and snowy. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert climates are dry and hold little moisture, quickly evaporating the already little rainfall they receive. And most deserts, far from being empty and lifeless, are home to a variety of plants, animals, and other organisms. In fact, the most important characteristic of a desert is that it receives very little rainfall. The reason that arid deserts dry regions covering about 35% of Earth's land get so hot, and subsequently so cold, is a combination of two key factors: sand and humidity. 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 . If youre a jazz fan, you cant miss this international jazz festival. So what is the Shara desert temperature? 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. During winter, temperatures in the Sahara Desert are about 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 C) on average. A noteworthy departure from existing norms occurred from the 16th to the 18th century, the period of the so-called Little Ice Age in Europe: precipitation increased significantly along the tropical margin of the Sahara, in the desert itself, and perhaps along the northern margin as well. January 11 - Proclamation of Independence Morocco celebrates independence from French colonial power. Marrakech & Grand Tour of the Sahara Desert - 6 Days Explore the peaks of the High Atlas mountains and the vast sandy landscapes of the Sahara on this outdoorsy tour. At night, desert temperatures fall to an average of -3.9C (about 25F). The weather continues to cool down in October, making this month a popular time for tourists. If youre dreaming of some winter sun, December is a great time to visit Morocco. Perennials survive for several years by becoming dormant and flourishing when water is available. In fact, some of them were among the most advanced on Earth at their time. Related: Could the Sahara ever be green again? The Sahara Desert's vast, harsh landscape is home to little life, but hardy animals and vegetation can be found in sparse pockets like the Merzouga oasis in Morocco. [6] Some desert in the tropics consistently experience very high temperatures all year long, even during wintertime. Therefore, plants grow only in areas where the air temperature does not fall below freezing for more than a couple of hours each night, known as the freezeline. "For most deserts, we are predicting an average rise in temperature of 3 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit [1.7 to 2.2 C].". The Absheron Peninsula in eastern Azerbaijan is also an example of a cold desert climate. Many deserts were formed 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. In the salt marshes, too, halophilous groups prevail: potash bush, Siberian nitre bush, tamarisk, and annual halophytes; in the sands grow saxaul, the sandy wormwood, and sparse perennial and annual herbs such as the annual Gobi kumarchik (Agriophylum gobicum) and the perennial timuriya (Timouria villosa). Since the Pliocene the Sahara has been subject to short- and medium-term oscillations of drier and more humid conditions. Tan-Tan Moussem (Festival). The area alone has nearly one million date palms and youll find some of Moroccos finest date products here. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Lizards, chameleons, skinks, and cobras are found among the rocks and dunes. It covers about a third of Africas landmass! 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. Kelaat-MGouna, known as the valley of roses, hosts this annual festival every year in May. Late spring and early summer are hot; high temperatures of 122 F (50 C) are not unusual. So when is the best time to visit Morocco and the Sahara Desert? This symmetry is, however, imperfect because of a third factorthe great east . Desert insects include flies, malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes, fleas, lice, roaches, ants, termites, beetles, and mantids (predatory insects that camouflage themselves as leaves, twigs, or pebbles). Unlike a thermos,. The dry subtropical climate of the northern Sahara is caused by stable high-pressure cells centred over the Tropic of Cancer. The Sahara has rocky plateaus as well as sand dunes. At night, the average temperature is between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius. In North America the cold desert climate occurs in the drier parts of the Great Basin Desert and in the Bighorn Basin in Big Horn and Washakie County in Wyoming. t.type = 'text/javascript'; This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Daily temperature ranges are considerable during both the winter and summer months. Planning A Moroccan Wedding 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. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. The temperatures generally range between 10C and 20C depending on the region, although it can get colder so its best to come prepared for anything. During the summer, the temperature in the Sahara can reach over 50C (122F), making it one of the hottest deserts on Earth. }(document)); This website uses cookies. Cold deserts are areas whose mean annual temperatures fall below the isotherm. A photographer has captured images of camels after a snowfall in the Tabuk region in northwestern Saudi Arabia. RELATED CONTENT: All the different types of music you can look forward to on your next trip to Morocco. Its not hard to imagine how quickly temperatures plummet when there isnt any sunshine! 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 . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, New coronavirus strain discovered in California as Fauci warns super-Covid should spur you to get vaccine, Melania Trump says violence is never the answer and will never be justified in her goodbye vid, QAnon Rep. 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