Samarra climate
Samarra (Iraq) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C73 °F, and about 151 mm5.9 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Samarra climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1457 | 337 | 847 | 261.0 | 4 |
| Feb | 1763 | 541 | 1152 | 240.9 | 2 |
| Mar | 2373 | 1050 | 1661 | 230.9 | 0 |
| Apr | 2984 | 1559 | 2272 | 190.8 | 0 |
| May | 3696 | 2271 | 2983 | 60.3 | 0 |
| Jun | 41105 | 2780 | 3493 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 43110 | 2984 | 3697 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Aug | 43109 | 2984 | 3697 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 39102 | 2576 | 3289 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Oct | 3289 | 1967 | 2678 | 80.3 | 0 |
| Nov | 2171 | 1151 | 1661 | 210.8 | 0 |
| Dec | 1560 | 541 | 1050 | 220.9 | 2 |
| Year | 43110 | 337 | 2373 | 1515.9 | 6 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64% | 59% | 2.9 | 10:06 |
| Feb | 59% | 51% | 3.9 | 10:55 |
| Mar | 49% | 47% | 5.2 | 11:53 |
| Apr | 41% | 49% | 6.1 | 12:00 |
| May | 31% | 37% | 7.2 | 13:56 |
| Jun | 22% | 16% | 8.1 | 14:25 |
| Jul | 22% | 14% | 7.8 | 14:13 |
| Aug | 22% | 15% | 7.1 | 13:25 |
| Sep | 25% | 24% | 6.0 | 12:20 |
| Oct | 33% | 44% | 4.4 | 11:15 |
| Nov | 50% | 54% | 3.3 | 10:20 |
| Dec | 62% | 61% | 2.6 | 9:53 |
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 Samarra is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 43 °C110 °F and a low of 29 °C84 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 14 °C57 °F and lows 3 °C37 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 27.6 °C49.8 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 151 mm5.9 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 48% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: April–October. The wettest month is January (26 mm1.0 in), the driest is August (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 22% in July to 64% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 14%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in December to 15 km/h (9 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 9.9 hours in December to 14.4 hours in June.
Best time to visit Samarra
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and November: average highs of 21 °C71 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 19 mm0.8 in to 23 mm0.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 43 °C110 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to 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 Samarra
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1457 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 337 to 5 °C41 °F, about 24 mm0.9 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 2373 to 36 °C96 °F, lows 1050 to 22 °C71 °F, about 16 mm0.6 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 41105 to 43 °C110 °F, lows 2780 to 29 °C84 °F, about 0 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2171 to 39 °C102 °F, lows 1151 to 25 °C76 °F, about 10 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Samarra compares
Compared with Bayji, about 89 km to the northwest, Samarra has practically the same average temperature and receives 25% less precipitation (151 mm5.9 in vs 202 mm8.0 in). The difference is largest in May (0.9 °C1.6 °F warmer).
Of the 39 places in Iraq covered by World Climates, Samarra is the 25th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 24th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Iraq climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Jahrom (Iran, BWh), Deir ez-Zor (Syria, BWh) and Izeh (Iran, BSh).
Nearby places
- Baqubah 83 km · 24 °C74 °F · 227 mm9.0 in
- Bayji 89 km · 23 °C73 °F · 202 mm8.0 in
- Al Fallujah 95 km · 23 °C74 °F · 140 mm5.5 in
- Al Miqdadiyah 100 km · 24 °C75 °F · 282 mm11 in
- Ramadi 101 km · 23 °C74 °F · 109 mm4.3 in
- Tuz Khurmatu 103 km · 23 °C73 °F · 266 mm10 in
- Baghdad 106 km · 24 °C75 °F · 201 mm7.9 in
- Al Mahmudiyah 134 km · 24 °C76 °F · 181 mm7.1 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Samarra?
July is the warmest month in Samarra, with an average high of 43 °C (110 °F) and an average low of 29 °C (84 °F).
What is the coldest month in Samarra?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 14 °C (57 °F) and an average low of 3 °C (37 °F).
When does it rain the most in Samarra?
January is the wettest month with about 26 mm (1.0 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Samarra?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April 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 — most of all 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.