Salalah in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Salalah sees average daytime highs around 26°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 5 mm of rain over about 1 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 26°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 84% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.
Winter is Salalah's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Salalah's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 26°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 19°C
- Rainfall
- 5 mm
- 1 wet days
- Avg wind
- 9 km/h
- Travel score
- 8.9
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Salalah in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 26°C.
A typical winter day in Salalah reaches about 26°C and drops to 19°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Salalah
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.
Salalah 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° / 18° | 2 | 0.5 | 11.1 | 9.1 |
| Feb | 27° / 19° | 1 | 0.3 | 11.4 | 8.9 |
| Mar | 29° / 22° | 7 | 1.4 | 11.9 | 7.5 |
| Apr | 31° / 24° | 2 | 0.7 | 12.4 | 6.1 |
| May | 32° / 26° | 30 | 1.1 | 12.8 | 5.1 |
| Jun | 32° / 27° | 9 | 1.3 | 13 | 5.2 |
| Jul | 29° / 25° | 3 | 0.7 | 12.9 | 6.7 |
| Aug | 28° / 24° | 3 | 0.7 | 12.6 | 7.3 |
| Sep | 29° / 24° | 5 | 1.3 | 12.1 | 6.8 |
| Oct | 30° / 24° | 9 | 0.8 | 11.6 | 6.6 |
| Nov | 29° / 22° | 8 | 1.2 | 11.2 | 7.3 |
| Dec | 27° / 20° | 2 | 0.5 | 11 | 8.7 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 84% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Salalah gets around 5 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 9 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 min 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 Salalah
In winter, Salalah overlaps its cyclone season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Salalah sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.
Salalah sees seasonal dust haze (May–September), heaviest in July.
Is winter a good time to visit Salalah?
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 Salalah for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Salalah in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Salalah sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
Sea temperature near Salalah in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 26°C across winter — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 16 km away) is warmest in May at about 29°C and coldest in August near 24°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | Warm |
| Feb | 25 | Warm |
| Mar | 26 | Warm |
| Apr | 28 | Tropical |
| May | 29 | Tropical |
| Jun | 28 | Tropical |
| Jul | 25 | Warm |
| Aug | 24 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 25 | Warm |
| Oct | 27 | Warm |
| Nov | 28 | Warm |
| Dec | 26 | Warm |
UV index in Salalah in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Salalah peaks around April 23 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 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) | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Very high |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 6 | High |
Air quality in Salalah 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 Salalah is worst in July — around 60 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.7× the cleanest month (October, 22 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) | 42 | 44 | 39 | 35 | 37 | 58 | 60 | 45 | 30 | 22 | 31 | 41 |
| Level | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | Poor |
| Feb | 44 | Poor |
| Mar | 39 | Poor |
| Apr | 35 | Poor |
| May | 37 | Poor |
| Jun | 58 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 60 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 45 | Poor |
| Sep | 30 | Moderate |
| Oct | 22 | Moderate |
| Nov | 31 | Moderate |
| Dec | 41 | Poor |
Where is Salalah?
Salalah sits at 17.0°N, 54.1°E, 13 m above sea level, in Oman. The nearest listed city is Ghayl Bā Wazīr, 563 km away.
Topography around Salalah
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Salalah.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Salalah has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 26 m around an average of 11 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 856 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,685 m.
The land around Salalah is covered by artificial surfaces (38%) within 3 km, water (39%) and grassland (22%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (54%) and water (30%) within 80 km.
Oman travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type G
- 240 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 47% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $19,947
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.2 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 91%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 0.1
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 10.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 407
- 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 Salalah (17.015°, 54.0924°, elevation 13 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.