Ghardaïa climate

Algeria · 32.49°N, 3.67°E · elevation 503 m · population 142,913

Warmest month
July
high 42 °C107 °F
Coldest month
January
low 2 °C36 °F
Wettest month
September
12 mm0.5 in
Best time to visit
March and April and October and November
by our comfort score
Annual precipitation
88 mm3.5 in
July driest
Year average
21 °C69 °F
hot desert (BWh)

Ghardaïa (Algeria) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C69 °F, and about 88 mm3.5 in of precipitation falls in an average year.

Temperature by month

Average highAverage low
0°10°20°30°40°50°40°60°80°100°120°JFMAMJJASOND42°107°2°36°January: high 15 °C / 59 °F, low 2 °C / 36 °FFebruary: high 17 °C / 63 °F, low 4 °C / 39 °FMarch: high 22 °C / 72 °F, low 8 °C / 46 °FApril: high 27 °C / 81 °F, low 12 °C / 53 °FMay: high 32 °C / 90 °F, low 17 °C / 62 °FJune: high 38 °C / 100 °F, low 22 °C / 72 °FJuly: high 42 °C / 107 °F, low 26 °C / 79 °FAugust: high 40 °C / 104 °F, low 25 °C / 78 °FSeptember: high 35 °C / 94 °F, low 21 °C / 70 °FOctober: high 28 °C / 83 °F, low 15 °C / 60 °FNovember: high 20 °C / 69 °F, low 8 °C / 46 °FDecember: high 16 °C / 60 °F, low 4 °C / 39 °F

Precipitation by month

Precipitation per month (mminches)
05101500.20.4JJanuary: 11 mm / 0.4 inFFebruary: 4 mm / 0.2 inMMarch: 11 mm / 0.4 inAApril: 7 mm / 0.3 inMMay: 7 mm / 0.3 inJJune: 4 mm / 0.1 inJJuly: 1 mm / 0.1 inAAugust: 4 mm / 0.2 inSSeptember: 12 mm / 0.5 inOOctober: 10 mm / 0.4 inNNovember: 8 mm / 0.3 inDDecember: 9 mm / 0.4 in120.5

Ghardaïa climate table

Monthly averages, 2001–2025
MonthHigh °C°FLow °C°FMean °C°FPrecip. mminFrost days
Jan1559236948110.42
Feb1763439105140.22
Mar22728461559110.40
Apr27811253206770.30
May32901762257670.30
Jun381002272308640.10
Jul421072679349310.10
Aug401042578339140.20
Sep359421702882120.50
Oct288315602271100.40
Nov2069846145880.30
Dec1660439105090.41
Year421072362169883.55

“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.

Humidity, cloud, sun and daylight
MonthHumid.CloudSolarDaylight
Jan58%23%3.710:14
Feb50%25%4.710:59
Mar42%26%5.911:54
Apr36%29%6.912:57
May30%29%7.513:49
Jun24%21%8.014:16
Jul19%23%7.814:05
Aug22%25%7.113:20
Sep33%33%5.912:19
Oct40%29%4.911:19
Nov51%25%3.910:26
Dec62%25%3.310:01

Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.

What the climate of Ghardaïa is like

The warmest month is July, with an average high of 42 °C107 °F and a low of 26 °C79 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 15 °C59 °F and lows 2 °C36 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 25 °C45 °F warmer than the coldest.

It is very dry, with only 88 mm3.5 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is September–November, which brings 34% of the annual total. The wettest month is September (12 mm0.5 in), the driest is July (1 mm0.1 in).

Relative humidity ranges from 19% in July to 62% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 21%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in October to 13 km/h (8 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 10.0 hours in December to 14.3 hours in June.

Best time to visit Ghardaïa

Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and October and November. Average highs then reach 20 °C69 °F to 28 °C83 °F. Precipitation is 7 mm0.3 in to 11 mm0.4 in per month.

The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 42 °C107 °F.

Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.

What to pack for Ghardaïa

  • Winter (December–February) — highs 1559 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 236 to 4 °C39 °F, about 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
  • Spring (March–May) — highs 2272 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 846 to 17 °C62 °F, about 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
  • Summer (June–August) — highs 38100 to 42 °C107 °F, lows 2272 to 26 °C79 °F, about 3 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
  • Autumn (September–November) — highs 2069 to 35 °C94 °F, lows 846 to 21 °C70 °F, about 10 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.

How Ghardaïa compares

The nearest larger place is Ouargla, about 167 km to the east. Compared with it, Ghardaïa is on average 1.6 °C2.9 °F cooler. It receives 25% more precipitation (88 mm3.5 in vs 71 mm2.8 in). The difference is largest in May (2 °C3.7 °F cooler).

World Climates covers 37 places in Algeria. By annual mean temperature, Ghardaïa is the 6th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 34th wettest. See all of them on the Algeria climate page.

Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Yazd (Iran, BWh), Las Vegas (United States, BWh) and Henderson (United States, BWh).

Nearby places

All places in Algeria

Frequently asked questions

What is the warmest month in Ghardaïa?

July is the warmest month in Ghardaïa. Its average high is 42 °C (107 °F) and its average low is 26 °C (79 °F).

What is the coldest month in Ghardaïa?

January is the coldest month. Its average high is 15 °C (59 °F) and its average low is 2 °C (36 °F).

When does it rain the most in Ghardaïa?

September is the wettest month with about 12 mm (0.5 in) of precipitation. July is the driest with about 1 mm (0.1 in).

What is the best time to visit Ghardaïa?

Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April and October and November.

About this data

All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.

Sources and method