Berber villages and 4000 m peaks two hours from Marrakech, with snow on the tops well into spring. Daytime highs in the High Atlas run from about 11 °C in January to 29 °C in July, an annual range of roughly 18 °C.
Measured against a hiking trip, the conditions hold up September to May. January is the most consistent single month: highs near 11 °C, nights around -1 °C, and roughly 34 mm of rain across the month.
What rules months out here is temperature, not any composite judgement. July is the weakest month on these criteria.
What the High Atlas is known for
- Toubkal, at 4,167 m, is North Africa's highest peak, usually climbed in two days from Imlil
- Berber villages here are reached on mule tracks rather than roads
- Snow lies on the tops into May, and the passes can close in winter
- Marrakech is close enough that the mountains are a day trip, though they deserve longer
Month by month
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Precip mm | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11 | -1 | 34 | 5.2 |
| February | 12 | 0 | 41 | 7.1 |
| March | 14 | 2 | 56 | 9.1 |
| April | 17 | 4 | 51 | 8.8 |
| May | 20 | 7 | 39 | 8.4 |
| June | 25 | 11 | 22 | 6.2 |
| July | 29 | 14 | 17 | 4.3 |
| August | 28 | 14 | 27 | 7.0 |
| September | 24 | 11 | 41 | 8.0 |
| October | 19 | 7 | 50 | 7.6 |
| November | 15 | 3 | 42 | 6.3 |
| December | 12 | 0 | 34 | 5.4 |
Ticked rows are months where every hard requirement for a hiking trip is met across at least half the month.
Open High Atlas, Morocco on the map →
Nearby regions
Figures are 30-year climatology sampled at Imlil, Asni, Ouirgane, Setti Fatma and Tinmel, averaged across those locations, from ERA5-Land reanalysis fitted with a harmonic seasonal cycle and a trend term, evaluated for 2026. Sampling named towns rather than averaging the whole region avoids blending valley and mountain conditions into a figure true of neither. Cells are about 0.08° wide, from ERA5-Land's 0.1° grid, which is itself driven by a 0.25° (~28 km) atmospheric reanalysis — so individual valleys, sheltered bays and single summits are not resolved. In steep terrain read these as conditions for the wider area rather than for one village. They describe typical conditions, not a forecast. Read how the climatology is built.