Best Time To Travel To: Algeria
Algeria is located in North Africa. The relatively large country can be roughly divided into two climatic zones: a Mediterranean climate prevails in the coastal areas along the Mediterranean Sea and in the mountains. The rest of the country has - more or less - a desert climate. The north of the country is dominated by two ranges of the Atlas Mountains, which are separated by a plain. The climate here is changeable and depends primarily on the altitude.
The highest precipitation falls along the Mediterranean coast and the higher Atlas regions. The main rainy season is from September to May with the heaviest rainfall recorded between November and March. At altitudes above 900 meters rain can always turn into snow.
From May to September Algeria is generally warmest. The coastal area has mild winters and pleasant summers with the exception of times when the Scirocco brings its hot wind from the desert over the coast. Typical for the coast is the climate diagram of Algiers.
In the inland on the plateau of the Shots and the Atlas there is a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. In winter it can be chilly and snowy. In summer it gets very hot but quite pleasant due to the low humidity. At night, temperatures drop significantly. In this region it's quite dry with the most precipitation usually in spring and autumn. Typical for the region is the climate table of Biskra.
The Sahara in Algeria has a typical desert climate. It appears extremely dry throughout the year. Rain may fall from time to time but it is hardly worth talking about. In the southeast, the Hoggar massif has a lasting influence on the climate. Here it can rain all the time, the days in summer can be very hot but the temperatures drop far at night. Basically, the nights here can always be very cold, which is quite typical for desert areas. The climate table of In Salah in the center of the Sahara is typical for the region.
When is the best time to travel to Algeria?
The best time to travel to the Sahara region is most likely between November and April, while the best travel time for Algeria in relation to the coastal regions is rather the period from May to September. September and October can bring heavy rain according to the experiences of the last years, especially in the south and northeast. If the precipitation comes down on the still extremely dry soil this leads - as observed in 2008 and 2011 - to severe flooding.
