Kidal in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Kidal sees average daytime highs around 28°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 2 mm of rain over about 0 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the 3rd-wettest season.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.
Winter is Kidal's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Kidal's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 28°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 15°C
- Rainfall
- 2 mm
- 0 wet days
- Avg wind
- 18 km/h
- Travel score
- 7.5
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Kidal in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C.
A typical winter day in Kidal reaches about 28°C and drops to 15°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Kidal
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 1 day that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in winter is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Kidal weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27° / 13° | 1 | 0.3 | 11 | 8.4 |
| Feb | 30° / 16° | 0 | 0.1 | 11.4 | 6.6 |
| Mar | 34° / 20° | 0 | 0 | 11.9 | 3.8 |
| Apr | 39° / 24° | 0 | 0 | 12.4 | 0.9 |
| May | 41° / 28° | 1 | 0.4 | 12.9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 41° / 29° | 3 | 1.2 | 13.1 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 40° / 28° | 9 | 3.1 | 13 | 0.2 |
| Aug | 39° / 27° | 17 | 5.3 | 12.6 | 0.8 |
| Sep | 39° / 27° | 5 | 1.7 | 12.1 | 0.6 |
| Oct | 37° / 24° | 2 | 0.3 | 11.6 | 1.7 |
| Nov | 33° / 19° | 0 | 0 | 11.1 | 4.7 |
| Dec | 28° / 15° | 0 | 0 | 10.9 | 7.5 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 63% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Kidal gets around 2 mm of rain over 0 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 18 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 hours in early December to 11 h 36 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 5.6 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Kidal
In winter, Kidal overlaps its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Kidal sees dust haze year-round, heaviest in June.
Is winter a good time to visit Kidal?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is one of the better times to visit Kidal for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Kidal in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Kidal sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 15°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
UV index in Kidal in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kidal peaks around March 20 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 7 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 7 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Level | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Very high |
| Feb | 9 | Very high |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 6 | High |
Air quality in Kidal in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Kidal is worst in January — around 108 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.2× the cleanest month (September, 50 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 108 | 104 | 94 | 71 | 78 | 78 | 77 | 66 | 50 | 63 | 63 | 100 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 108 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 104 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 94 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 71 | Unhealthy |
| May | 78 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 78 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 77 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 66 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 50 | Poor |
| Oct | 63 | Unhealthy |
| Nov | 63 | Unhealthy |
| Dec | 100 | Unhealthy |
Where is Kidal?
Kidal sits at 18.4°N, 1.4°E, 457 m above sea level, in Mali. The nearest listed city is Bourem, 249 km away.
Topography around Kidal
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Kidal.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Kidal has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 48 m around an average of 460 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 184 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 487 m.
The land around Kidal is covered by bare terrain (90%) within 3 km, bare terrain (94%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (90%) within 80 km.
Mali travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 4
- Do Not Travel
- Power plugs
- Type C / E
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 34% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $1,193
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.6 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Road deaths
- 22.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Low
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 408
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Kidal (18.4434°, 1.4092°, elevation 457 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.