Marrakech in February: weather, temperatures and tips
Winter, softened: 21°C (70°F) by day, 8°C at night, the days lengthening and the Atlas still white. Low prices and quiet streets - bar the half-term fortnight.
February stretches winter and softens it. The average high climbs to 21°C (70°F), the low to 8°C, and the day gains close to an hour of light on January - enough to feel, around 6pm, that dusk is arriving less abruptly. The sun stays crisp and the Atlas stays white; the city keeps its uncluttered streets and low prices. Only two caveats: half-term, which fills the riads for a fortnight, and, some years, the start of Ramadan.
This last window where the Atlas stays white deserves more than a temperature chart: the low light, the crowd tilting back towards Marrakchis themselves, the cool patios and full hammams.
Marrakech weather in February
At 21°C average high and 8°C low, February is a notch milder than January without changing register: pleasant days in the sun, cool nights still. The gap between day and night stays wide, around twelve degrees. Mornings are sometimes misty, and rain falls on six to eight days, in short showers, for about 26 mm.
The month marks the end of winter and the first cherguis, that hot wind out of the south which can, on some late-February days, push the thermometer close to 25°C, sometimes more. On the High Atlas, the snow still holds: it’s one of the last months you clearly see it from a city terrace.
Your day, hour by hour
| Time | Feel | What you do with it |
|---|---|---|
| 8-10am | 9-12°C, cool | Medina at wake-up, light jacket |
| 11am-5pm | 18-21°C in the sun | Gardens, terraces, long walks |
| 6-8pm | dropping to 12°C | Hammam, dinner, indoor mint tea |
| night | 8°C | Heating in the riad useful |
What to pack
As in January, layers are the rule. Enough to be comfortable at 20°C in the middle of the day, and a proper jumper plus a jacket for the evenings, which stay cold. Riad heating is worth checking: traditional interiors hold the cool, and many addresses heat lightly. A pool only earns its keep heated. Closed shoes for the medina, sunglasses and a little SPF for the midday sun - already sharp - round out the case.
Crowds and prices in February
Outside half-term, February stays a quiet low season: uncluttered medina, riad rates close to January’s, so £48-£72 a night double in a boutique riad. The picture shifts around mid-February, when UK February half-term and French winter school holidays overlap for one to two weeks. Families fill the riads with heated pools and the Hivernage hotels, and prices step up a notch. If you’re aiming for those dates, book one to two months ahead; otherwise, place your stay early or late in the month.
What to do in Marrakech in February
February has a window the other months don’t: the almond blossom in the Ourika valley and the Atlas foothills, orchards blushing white-pink against still-snowy peaks, from the end of the month. In town, the programme stays wintery: medina and palaces in the softer hours, then hammam and mint tea on a sheltered terrace once the cold falls.
For day trips, it’s still snow season: the Oukaïmeden resort opens its runs when the snowpack allows, and the Ourika valley lends itself to a walking day. The Agafay desert and the Essaouira coast stay accessible, bearing in mind the sea sits at 17°C and the Atlantic wind sharpens the feel.
Our verdict on February
February is a decent compromise for a softer Marrakech winter: low prices, quiet city, pleasant days, Atlas still white.
Skip mid-February for silence and the best rates. For the pool and the heat, wait for May.
To fix your dates, compare with January and March, and with our best time to visit.
