Ouarzazate weather in May
May in Ouarzazate: hot, dry — an excellent time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#6 of 12 months in Ouarzazate · #706 of 1413 destinations to visit in May · comfort 81/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 32°C
- Nights
- 17°C
- Wet days
- 0
- Sun
- 12.5 h
- Humidity
- 29%
- Daylight
- 14 h

Traveller notes on Ouarzazate in May
Other months in Ouarzazate
Regulars are specific this month can swing well outside its own stated averages, one traveler's actual trip recording a high of 32C and a low of 6C against a typical 24C/10C range, with no rain encountered at all. Our row backs that mild, genuinely dry read, 16.1C over 8.6C nights feeling 5C, with rain minimal at 7.2mm across just 1.7 days and humidity low at 38.4 percent. Regulars are consistent this carries elevated sandstorm risk locally, warm pleasant daytime highs paired with desert nights that can drop close to freezing even when the afternoon felt genuinely comfortable. The record: 10.9 hours of sun, an 18.8 kph wind and AQI 62.
Ouarzazate forum threads describe April as warm but not scorching by day, with genuinely cold nights, especially heading toward the mountains - the classic desert-edge day/night swing. Posters noted temperatures typically run cooler at the end of April than by mid-May, and the standard advice is to pack layers since both a hot afternoon and a cold evening are likely on the same day. One thread clarified that while Ouarzazate sits in a semi-arid zone that feels close to desert, it isn't true Sahara-dry - for that, forum regulars pointed further out to Merzouga, Zagora or M'Hamid.
Forum posters generally describe October across Morocco as good, sunny and warm, though they're direct that conditions vary a lot by region and even day to day - one poster cited a range as wide as 6C to 43C depending on where and when. Posters comparing desert-edge towns note that nearby Merzouga can run close to 30C by day in mid-October with warm nights, while Ouarzazate, sitting at higher elevation between Marrakech and the desert, should run a touch cooler than that. Posters also flag a practical detail: Morocco stays on summer time until late October, so daylight hours extend a bit later than travelers might expect. Posters generally rate October as a comfortable, warm and reliably dry time to visit Ouarzazate.
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Ouarzazate climate normals — May
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Ouarzazate in May
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.
Peak crowdsRose festival at Kelaat M'Gouna, Eid al-Adha, Fourth interim break (May) in Morocco(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Ouarzazate'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).
Fair weatherOuarzazate's best weather comes in March, April and November — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Ouarzazate in May
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Rose festival at Kelaat M'Gouna
6–9 MayHarvestCrowdedThe Dades valley picks its damask roses through late April and May and marks the end of it with three or four days of parades and market stalls an hour up the road. Source ↗
- Holiday
Eid al-Adha
27–29 MayRamadan & EidClosuresBook earlyTwo or three days when the town shuts and everyone who works in it goes home to the villages. Transport out is booked well ahead and the studios stop entirely. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Ouarzazate — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Ouarzazate?
Ouarzazate in May — FAQ
- Is May a good time to visit Ouarzazate?
- May in Ouarzazate: hot, dry — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #6 of 12 months for Ouarzazate on SeasonMap's comfort score (81/100).
- What is the weather like in Ouarzazate in May?
- In May, Ouarzazate averages a daily high of 31.9°C and a low of 16.7°C, with about 4.1 mm of rain over roughly 0.4 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Ouarzazate in May?
- Ouarzazate has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 76 in May.
Within 300 km: Marrakesh's Rose harvest in the Dades valley around 20 Apr – 31 May, and Imlil's Toubkal trekking season around 20 Apr – 31 Oct.