Sahara Desert records about 267mm of rain across roughly 27 wet days a year, which is a 7% chance on an average day. December is the wettest month at 30mm (11% of the annual total) and January the driest at 18mm. Local rain type: brief showers.
Chance of rain on an average day: 7%
Rainfall climatology for Sahara Desert. The live hour-by-hour answer for today loads at the top of this page from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day — the figures below describe a typical year, not today.
Conditions on this page are recalculated from the latest forecast every time it is opened, for the current date in the location's own time zone. Showing .
| Annual rainfall | 267mm |
| Rain days per year | 27 |
| Odds on an average day | 7% |
| Wettest month | December — 30mm over 3 days |
| Driest month | January — 18mm over 3 days |
| Rain type | brief showers |
| Best dry window | January is the most reliable dry stretch of the year. |
| Worst rain window | December carries the highest chance of a washed-out day. |
December delivers 67% more rain than January (30mm vs 18mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.
No single month holds more than 11% of the annual total, so rain in Sahara Desert is spread through the year — there is no season you can rely on being dry.
Sahara Desert rain typically comes as discrete showers, so a compact umbrella and a flexible plan are usually enough.
Rain falls on about 3 days in December against 3 in January — the frequency swing matters more for planning than the millimetre totals.
Climate normals. Use them to judge whether today's live forecast at the top of the page is typical or unusual for the season.
| Month | Rainfall | Rain days | Chance on a given day | Highs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18mm | 3 | 10% | 25°C |
| February | 30mm | 3 | 10% | 27°C |
| March | 21mm | 2 | 7% | 31°C |
| April | 21mm | 2 | 7% | 38°C |
| May | 21mm | 2 | 7% | 44°C |
| June | 21mm | 2 | 7% | 48°C |
| July | 21mm | 2 | 7% | 50°C |
| August | 21mm | 2 | 7% | 48°C |
| September | 21mm | 2 | 7% | 44°C |
| October | 21mm | 2 | 7% | 38°C |
| November | 21mm | 2 | 7% | 31°C |
| December | 30mm | 3 | 10% | 27°C |
Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Sahara Desert we combine the hourly probability curve, expected volume in millimetres, and the city's own rainfall record into a single umbrella verdict.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly probability | 40% | Peak and sustained chance of measurable rain across the next 24 hours. |
| Expected volume | 30% | Total millimetres, which separates a passing shower from a genuine soaking. |
| Timing & duration | 20% | When rain starts, when it eases, and the longest continuous dry window. |
| Local rain type | 10% | Drizzle, brief showers, thunderstorms or monsoon — each needs different gear. |
Live hourly values come from Open-Meteo and refresh through the day. Monthly rainfall figures are climate normals, so they describe a typical year rather than a forecast.
Sahara Desert records rain on roughly 27 days a year — about a 7% chance on any given day — totalling around 267mm.
December, with about 30mm over 3 rain days. That is 11% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.
January is the driest month at 18mm across roughly 3 days.
With rain on about 7% of days and brief showers as the dominant type, a compact umbrella or waterproof shell is worth packing for Sahara Desert outside January.
No. Probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm of rain falls at your location at some point in the period. Check the expected millimetres alongside it: 40% with 0.4mm is a passing shower, 40% with 12mm is a soaking.