Climate in Syria

In Syria, a country in western Asia, the climate is Mediterranean on the coast, with mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers, while it is temperate arid or semi-arid in the vast inland areas, with relatively cold winters and very hot, sunny summers. Therefore, the summer is sunny throughout the country, but the air is humid on the coast and dry in the rest of the country.
In winter, cold spells from Russia can occur, affecting mainly inland areas.
In spring, and less often in autumn, Syria can be affected by strong southerly winds, which cause sandstorms and raise the temperature considerably.

The climate in detail

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• The coast
• Inland areas
• When to go
• What to pack
• Climate data

The coast

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Along the coast (see Latakia, Tartus, Baniyas), there is a Mediterranean climate. The average temperature ranges from 12 °C (53.5 °F) in January to 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) in August, which is, albeit slightly, the warmest month on the coast (but often also in the interior).
In winter there can be rainy and windy periods, and sometimes even a bit cold, even though the temperature rarely drops, and only slightly, below freezing.
Summer is muggy and sunny, with the breezes that make the heat more bearable. Sometimes the wind blows from the desert, and the temperature can rise to 37/38 °C (99/100 °F).
Precipitation amounts to around 800 millimeters (31.5 inches) per year, concentrated from October to April, with a maximum in winter, which is definitely rainy. In summer, on the other hand, it almost never rains.
The Mediterranean Sea is warm enough for swimming from June to October.

Behind the coast, there is a mountain range, known as An-Nusayriyah, which reaches 1,562 meters (5,125 ft) in height and separates the Mediterranean region from the mainland.

Inland areas

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The interior of Syria is largely occupied by a plateau, at an altitude between 400 and 1,200 meters (1,300 and 3,900 feet) above sea level, while the altitude of the Euphrates Valley (see Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor) is lower, about 200/300 meters (650/1,000 feet).
In this area, the climate is temperate, quite mild in winter, but with possible cold periods, and very hot and dry in summer.
In the interior of Syria, the climate is fairly homogeneous, with slight differences due to latitude, altitude and distance from the sea. Winter is a bit colder and rainier in the north, while summer becomes hotter the further you move from the sea (so the east is hotter than the west).
In winter, the January average ranges from 6.5 °C (43.5 °F) in Aleppo, in the northwest, to 7 °C (44.5 °F) in the capital, Damascus, located in the southwest, to 7.5 °C (45.5 °F) in Palmyra, in the center but at a lower altitude, to 9 °C (48 °F) in Dara'a, in the far south.
However, although the average temperatures are not very low, on the Syrian plateau, snow and frost can sometimes occur. During the most intense cold waves, the temperature can drop as low as -10 °C (14 °F).
In summer, the average temperature in July and August is 28 °C (82.5 °F) in Damascus, 30 °C (86 °F) in Aleppo, 31 °C (88 °F) in Palmyra and Raqqa, and 32.5 °C (90.5 °F) in Qamishli, located in the northeast, the most continental area as it is furthest from the sea.
On hotter periods, the temperature can reach or exceed 45 °C (113 °F).

The archaeological site of Ebla is situated in the west, at 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level and 85 kilometers (50 miles) away from the sea, and has a climate similar to that of Aleppo.



In Syria, there are also some mountain ranges: in addition to the aforementioned mountain range parallel to the coast, there is the Anti-Lebanon range in the south-west, dominated by Mount Hermon, 2,800 meters (9,185 ft) high, while in the south-west, in the As-Suwayda Governorate, we find the Jabal al-Druze, which reaches 1,803 meters (5,915 ft) in Tell Qeni, and where it can snow in winter.

As regards to the rainfall, the wettest areas of the interior are the western mountains: in the mountain range parallel to the coast, rainfall exceeds 1,100 mm (43 in) per year, while in the Anti-Lebanon, they exceed 900 mm (35 in). In the Jabal al-Druze, further south and away from the sea, it exceeds 400 mm (15.7 in).
On the plateau, the rainest areas are the northern one along the border with Turkey and the western one, where annual rainfall exceeds 300 mm (12 in), and in some cases even 500 mm (20 in), and the climate is semi-arid.
In the rest of the plateau, including in Damascus, rainfall drops below 250 mm (10 in) per year, and the climate is desert. However, as we have said, the summer is dry throughout Syria, so this distinction, which is shown in the following map, only applies to the cold half of the year.

When to go

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The best times to visit Syria are spring and autumn, and in particular, the months of April and October, to avoid both the winter cold and the summer heat, both more likely in inland areas.

What to pack

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In winter: in Aleppo, Damascus and the plateau: pack warm clothes, such as a down jacket, a hat, a raincoat or umbrella, a scarf for the wind-borne sand and dust, and hiking shoes. On the coast, pack spring/autumn clothes, a sweater and a jacket, and a raincoat or umbrella.

In summer: in Aleppo, Damascus and the plateau: pack lightweight clothing of natural fibers, a desert turban, hiking boots, a sweatshirt or sweater for evenings outdoors, and a sleeping bag for outdoor overnight stays. For the coast, pack light clothing, and a light sweatshirt for the evening. It's better for women to avoid low-cut dresses.

Climate data - Syria

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See also the temperatures month by month

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