Atar in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Atar sees average daytime highs around 27°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 10 mm of rain over about 1 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 27°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.
Winter is Atar's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Atar's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 27°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 15°C
- Rainfall
- 10 mm
- 1 wet days
- Avg wind
- 17 km/h
- Travel score
- 8.3
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Atar in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C.
A typical winter day in Atar reaches about 27°C and drops to 15°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Atar
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
winter sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Atar 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 | 26° / 14° | 3 | 0.4 | 10.9 | 8.8 |
| Feb | 28° / 16° | 2 | 0.4 | 11.3 | 7.9 |
| Mar | 31° / 18° | 2 | 0.4 | 11.9 | 5.8 |
| Apr | 35° / 21° | 1 | 0.2 | 12.5 | 3.7 |
| May | 38° / 25° | 1 | 0.1 | 13 | 1.7 |
| Jun | 40° / 27° | 1 | 0.6 | 13.2 | 0.2 |
| Jul | 40° / 28° | 3 | 1.1 | 13.1 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 40° / 28° | 14 | 4 | 12.7 | 0.3 |
| Sep | 39° / 28° | 15 | 3.8 | 12.1 | 0.9 |
| Oct | 36° / 24° | 8 | 1.1 | 11.5 | 2.7 |
| Nov | 31° / 19° | 3 | 0.6 | 11 | 5.8 |
| Dec | 27° / 15° | 5 | 0.6 | 10.8 | 8.3 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Atar gets around 10 mm of rain over 1 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 17 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 10 h 48 min in early December to 11 h 30 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 5.2 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Atar
In winter, Atar overlaps its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Atar sees dust haze year-round, heaviest in July.
Is winter a good time to visit Atar?
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 Atar for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Atar in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Atar sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 15°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.
UV index in Atar in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Atar peaks around March 17 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 6 (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 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Extreme |
| Mar | 11 | Extreme |
| Apr | 10 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Extreme |
| Sep | 10 | Extreme |
| Oct | 9 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | Very high |
| Dec | 6 | High |
Air quality in Atar 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 Atar is worst in January — around 117 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 1.9× the cleanest month (April, 60 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) | 117 | 102 | 80 | 60 | 62 | 89 | 114 | 94 | 77 | 69 | 64 | 112 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 117 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 102 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 80 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 60 | Unhealthy |
| May | 62 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 89 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 114 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 94 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 77 | Unhealthy |
| Oct | 69 | Unhealthy |
| Nov | 64 | Unhealthy |
| Dec | 112 | Unhealthy |
Where is Atar?
Atar sits at 20.5°N, 13.0°W, 192 m above sea level, in Mauritania. The nearest listed city is Akjoujt, 164 km away.
Topography around Atar
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Atar.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Atar has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 26 m around an average of 229 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 603 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 691 m.
The land around Atar is covered by bare terrain (96%) within 3 km, bare terrain (100%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (100%) within 80 km.
Mauritania travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type C / E / F
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 31% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $2,198
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.5 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 1
- per 100k, 2020
- Road deaths
- 25.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- 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 Atar (20.5188°, -13.0464°, elevation 192 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.