Fes (Fez) weather in January
January in Fes: cool, a little rain, with clean air — a great time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#10 of 12 months in Fes · #563 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 76/100 (tier B)
- Days
- 18°C
- Nights
- 5°C
- Wet days
- 6
- Sun
- 8.5 h
- Humidity
- 71%
- Daylight
- 10 h

Traveller notes on Fes in January
Other months in Fes
Regulars are specific this month runs hotter than April or May here, though the first week brings the citywide Sacred Music Festival, when good accommodation gets harder to find and pricier, while the real peak heat of July and August still lies ahead. Our row backs that hot, genuinely dry read, 33.2C reading as a hot 33C, over 16.5C nights feeling 17C, with rain light at 14.1mm across 4.2 days and humidity at 53 percent. Regulars are consistent this inland city runs noticeably hotter than coastal Morocco, mornings and evenings the better window for walking the medina while afternoons call for shade and a slower pace. Sun protection and hydration remain the standard advice given the intensity of midday heat. The record: 12.5 hours of sun, a 13.6 kph wind and AQI 43.
Fez-forum threads on August weather don't hold back: some posters call the heat in Fes and Marrakech alike genuinely oppressive this time of year, with readings pushing toward 45C on the hottest days even though a more typical day sits somewhat below that. The standing coping strategy is the same across threads - book air-conditioned accommodation, ideally with a pool, and restructure the day: sightseeing before noon, a long lunch and nap through the worst hours, back out around 6pm. One tip repeated by regulars is that staying inside the medina's narrow, shaded alleyways runs noticeably cooler than the more open, modern parts of the city. Despite the brutal heat, a well-planned itinerary still delivers a memorable trip. The record: a blistering 38C by day feeling like 38C, 20.4C nights, essentially no precipitation at all, a dry 45 percent humidity and 12.2 hours of sun.
Morocco-forum threads on March weather single out the spring window (March through May) as the recommended stretch for Fes specifically, warm days and cool nights suited to walking the medina without the summer heat. Posters are candid that it's variable within that window - it can rain a bit, but it can also turn lovely and sunny with daytime temperatures around 20C, cold enough after dark that a fleece and long sleeves are the standing packing advice. One regional note worth knowing: the weather generally runs better in Marrakech and further south than it does in Fes at the same time of year, so don't assume Fes matches what you've read about the rest of the country. The record: 20.9C days feeling like 19C, 7.6C nights, 81mm of rain across 11.5 days and 9.8 hours of sun - genuinely changeable, cool nights guaranteed either way.
November in Fes shows off the phrase regulars use for Morocco generally - a cold country with a hot sun - more sharply than the coast does. Our row's 22.5C day over an 8.8C night is the gap; one November visitor puts the nights in the low 40s Fahrenheit and damp, and describes wearing leggings, jeans, two upper layers, a fleece vest and a windbreaker and still being cold after dark. The heat goes out of the sun at around five. The other November possibility is rain, which can arrive as daily downpours in a bad year - our row's 38.5mm across 6.8 days is the average one - so a lightweight waterproof shell goes in the bag with the fleece. The record: feels-like 20C by day and 7C at night, 8.7 hours of sun and AQI 33.
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Fes climate normals — January
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Fes in January
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusyMid-year holiday in Morocco, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Fes's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherFes's best weather comes in April, May and November — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Fes — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Fes?
Fes in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Fes?
- January in Fes: cool, a little rain, with clean air — a great time to visit. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Fes on SeasonMap's comfort score (76/100).
- What is the weather like in Fes in January?
- In January, Fes averages a daily high of 17.9°C and a low of 4.5°C, with about 40.8 mm of rain over roughly 6.4 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Fes in January?
- Fes has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 41 in January.
Within 300 km: Gibraltar's Christmas and Three Kings on 1 Dec – 6 Jan, and Tarifa's Out of season on the strait on 1 Nov – 28 Feb.