Weather locations in Jordan

Jordan is a small, mostly arid country on the edge of the desert, but its highlands catch winter rain from the Mediterranean and stand green and tree-covered for several months a year. Climate varies sharply between the highlands and the eastern desert.

Main climate types

Three zones are usually distinguished. A narrow Mediterranean belt hugs the highlands from north to south and takes most of the country's rain. East of that lie semi-arid steppes and desert that grade into the Arabian Desert. Below the line of the Dead Sea, the rift valley holds the hottest and driest ground, including the lowest point on the earth's surface.

Temperatures

On the plateau at Amman, January means are around 7 degrees and July about 26, with winter mornings often near or below freezing on the highest ground and occasional snow on the northern highlands. Aqaba, on the Red Sea, averages about 20 degrees in January and 30 degrees in July, and highs there and in the Dead Sea area can pass 40 degrees in the hot months. The reefs stay warm all year.

Rainfall

Almost all of the rain comes between November and March, when a Mediterranean front pushes across the highlands. Annual totals are around 300 millimetres at Amman, under 100 at Aqaba and in the eastern desert, and above 400 millimetres on the top of the escarpment in the north. Spring melt feeds the streams and waterfalls of the north-west, and the sawdust-like texture of the winter rain is a familiar sight.

When to go

Spring, from March to May, is usually the best season: the highlands are green, the wildflowers are out and daytime temperatures are pleasant. The desert camps around Wadi Rum and the old city of Petra are comfortable at that time as well, though they become very hot from June to August. The Red Sea coast works in most months, but Petra is best in the cooler months of October to April.