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Weather in Jordan
How Hot Can It Be?
Does it really snow in Jordan?
Quick Jump to Local Weather Details:
The weather in Jordan can really impact your holiday so please read this page carefully.
When I first visited Jordan it was August and felt like I had been baked alive in a giant oven everywhere I went. But I sort of expected that in a Middle-Eastern desert country.
The big surprise came when I got back 4.5 months later, at the end of December:
While we were able to swim in the Red Sea at Aqaba, we had snowball fights in Amman and couldn't visit the Dead Sea because the traffic got detoured due to landslides caused by heavy rains.
We also had to buy additional jumpers as the regular winter jackets we brought were not warm enough.
Best Time to Visit Jordan
In my opinion the best time to visit Jordan is April and October: the weather is warm enough to enjoy the sea in Aqaba but not too hot for the excursions inside the country.
The only thing that can ruin the 'Kodak Moments' in April are the occasional Khamsini depressions, but they usually don't last longer than a couple of days.
What is "Khamsini" depression?
The Khamsini phenomenon, that affects North Africa, the Arabian peninsula and the Levant, is a dusty, hot, cyclonic-type wind originating in the Atlas Mountains (in Morocco and North Algeria).
Its name "Khamsini" was derived from the Arabic word khamseen, meaning 50, because it occurs over 50 days between March and early May and affects the region on average once a week during the 50-day period.
(Sources: The Jordan Times and Wikipedia)
Between November and March the weather in Jordan is colder and more rainy with occasional snowfalls and hails.
The coldest month is January when the temperature can get below zero Celsius in the North of the country and in the mountains.
The hottest months are July and August with mercury levels hitting 40 Celsius and above.
Aqaba Weather
Thanks to the protection provided by the surrounding mountains and the balancing effect of the Red Sea, Aqaba has a balmy winter weather. Even on the coldest days when it's snowing behind the mountains we enjoy 15-20 Celsius during the day.
It does get really hot during the summer but thanks to the constant breeze it is bearable. And, afterall, we can always jump into the sea to chill ourselves, can't we?
So, if you asked me, I'd say that Aqaba has the best weather in Jordan.
Aqaba Weather Forecast
Amongst all weather forecast websites my favourite is WeatherUnderground.com.
If you click on this banner a new window will open with a 1-week forecast and other useful weather facts for Aqaba.
History & Almanac is a great feature: you can check what the weather was like on any given day in the past so it can give you some idea of what you can expect, let's say, in half a year's time.
Amman Weather
I find Amman's weather quite similar to Central Europe's. Hot summer, cold winter and Autumn and Spring in between - with less rain, of course.
Amman Weather Forecast
Basically it's the same story here as with Aqaba. You can also get a special weather report for Queen Alia International Airport by typing AMM in the search bar on the page that opens when you click this banner:
Petra Weather
For Petra I've only found a 4-day weather report by the Jordan Meteorological Department.
Even though Petra is some 230 km south of Amman, it is up in the mountains so the temperatures here are usually very similar to the ones measured in the capital.
During the winter months - December till March - it CAN well happen that Petra gets snowed under for a couple of days.
Dead Sea Weather
Temperatures at the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley are usually 8-10 Celsius higher than in Amman due to the geographics.
Remember, this area is 400 meters below sea-level, the lowest point on Earth!
Wadi Rum Weather
Wadi Rum has a desert climate with a high fluctuation of daily temperature due to the fact that the dry air is not capable of trapping the heat that is radiating from the sand after sunset.
(Wow, my geography teacher would be so proud of me! Maybe I should send him a link...)
What does that mean? The desert gets hot very quickly and then cools down very quickly. So hot days and cool nights during the summer and warm days and very cold nights in the winter time.
I couldn't find any dedicated weather forecast for Wadi Rum so my suggestion is to have a look at Aqaba Weather and deduct a few degrees from the night temperature there.
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