Marrakech weather in January
Marrakech weather in January: 19 °C by day, 6 °C at night and 25 mm of rain over three days. Mild sunny afternoons; pack a warm coat for the evenings.
In January, Marrakech is mild and sunny by day, at about 19 °C in the afternoon, and cold at night, with an average low of 6 °C. Rain is light — about 25 mm over three days in the whole month — so most days are dry and bright.
What is the weather like in Marrakech in January?
January is the coolest month of the year in Marrakech. The average high is 19.1 °C and the average low 5.9 °C, measured at the Menara station over 1991–2020: more than 13 degrees between mid-afternoon and dawn. In the sun at lunchtime, the city feels like spring; after dark, it feels like winter. The station’s record low, −3.6 °C, was set in January.
Rain is rarely the problem. The month brings about 25 mm, over three days with at least 1 mm, which leaves some 28 dry days. The sky is often very clear, with around 230 hours of sunshine in the month — about seven and a half hours a day, most of the short winter daylight. On clear days, the High Atlas usually shows snow on its tops.
Humidity averages 65%, one of the higher figures of the year in Marrakech. In practice, what you notice most is the difference between sun and shade, and between afternoon and evening: a sunny terrace at 2 pm can feel warm while the same street at 7 pm calls for a coat.
January compared with December and February
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rain | Rainy days | Sunshine | Sunset (15th) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 20.1 °C | 7.3 °C | 24 mm | 4.1 | 227 h | 17:29 |
| January | 19.1 °C | 5.9 °C | 25 mm | 3.0 | 230 h | 17:50 |
| February | 20.7 °C | 7.6 °C | 26 mm | 3.7 | 217 h | 18:18 |
January is the bottom of the curve: about one degree cooler than December by day and nearly one and a half degrees cooler at night, before February warms up again. Rainfall barely changes across the three months, around 25 mm each, and January has the fewest rainy days of the three. The clearest change is the light: sunset moves about 20 minutes later between mid-December and mid-January, then almost half an hour more by mid-February. See Marrakech weather in December and Marrakech weather in February for the months either side.
Sunrise and sunset in January
On 15 January, the sun rises at about 7:32 am and sets at about 5:50 pm in Marrakech, at GMT (UTC+0), the time in Morocco since 20 September 2026. That is just over ten hours of daylight, and the mornings start late: before 7:30 am, the sun is not yet up and the air is at its coldest.
Morocco’s time changes neither in summer nor during Ramadan.
In winter, the afternoon departure in Agafay is at 4:00 pm, and the meeting point at the base is at the start time. Sunset in mid-January is at about 5:50 pm. Agafay at sunset gives the sunset time for every month and the fixed afternoon departures.
The Agafay desert in January
The Agafay desert, 45 minutes south-west of Marrakech, shares the city’s climate: the same mild afternoons, the same cold nights, the same few rainy days. What changes is the exposure. The plateau is open, with very little shade, and once the sun goes down it gets cold quickly.
In January there is no heat to avoid, so the middle of the day and the early afternoon are the most comfortable time to be out on the plateau. A 2-hour quad ride in Agafay starting at 12:00 fits the middle of the day, and ends while the sun is still warm.
For the evening, the dinner and live music in Agafay is served under the tents, at low tables. You will still cross open ground on arrival and on the way out, with the average low near 6 °C, so a real warm layer matters more in January than in any other month.
What to wear in Marrakech in January
January calls for layers rather than a single outfit:
- By day: a T-shirt or shirt with a jumper or fleece on top, which comes off in the afternoon sun. Sunglasses are useful all year.
- Morning and evening: a warm coat or padded jacket. At 6 °C, a light jacket is not enough, especially sitting still outdoors.
- In the desert: closed shoes, long trousers and a fleece for the ride, and a proper coat for anything that ends after sunset.
- For the rain: with three rainy days on average, a light waterproof or an umbrella is enough; most visitors never use it.
What to wear and bring for quad biking goes through the kit for an outing on the plateau, piece by piece and season by season.
Is January a good time to visit Marrakech?
January is a good time to visit Marrakech if you like mild, sunny days and do not mind cold evenings. Afternoons around 19 °C are comfortable for walking the city and for outings in the desert, and with only three rainy days on average, the weather rarely gets in the way.
The limits are the cold and the short days. Nights near 6 °C mean the evening plan needs warm clothes, and with sunset around 5:50 pm, the useful part of the day is shorter than in spring. If you want warmer evenings, the numbers improve steadily from February to April.
For the whole year at a glance, see Marrakech weather month by month.
