Practical Tips Climate in Israel

“And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.”
Deuteronomy 11:13-24

Rain is thought of as a “blessing” in the Holy Land. We at Kenes Tours pray that it happens only at night!

Israel has two basic seasons: the dry season lasts from April to October and the sometimes rainy winter months are from November to March. Israel’s climate is often compared to the temperate climate of Southern California.

In Tiberias, Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea area, the winters are generally mild. The Dead Sea area averages only 2 to 4 inches of rain per year, compared with Jerusalem, only a distance of one half hour by bus, which averages 25 inches annually. Hilly regions such as Jerusalem, Safed and the Golan Heights are cooler with more rainfall and sometimes even snow in winter.

During the winter season, after a storm clears the dust in the air, visibility is often excellent and the air invigorating. If you are a photography buff, you will catch the best panoramic photos in the winter. And the wildflowers are brilliant and omnipresent during the months of February and March.

For the winter months, it’s recommended to dress “like an onion,” that is in layers you can peel on and off as you travel from region to region, within even a short distance. On the same day you depart from Jerusalem where it is windy and cold (perhaps even 45 degrees F), you may later be floating in the Dead Sea with outside temperatures in the 70s F.

During the months of April, May and September, periodic oppressively hot dry winds (called hamsin) will send temperatures soaring for a few days until the mild, pleasant weather returns.

The summer months will be hot and humid by the coastal plain and around the Sea of Galilee. In Jerusalem and the Galilee hills, it will be hot and dry, although sometimes a bit chilly in the evenings.

During the summer months, don’t forget to bring along a layer of "modest dress" to cover your knees and shoulders when you visit religious sites.

Swimming is possible from April through October along the Mediterranean coast and the Sea of Galilee and throughout the year at the Dead Sea and the Red Sea.