Sanaa in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Sanaa sees average daytime highs around 22°C and overnight lows near 9°C, with 15 mm of rain over about 4 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Over the season highs climb from about 22°C in early December to 24°C by late February. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 81% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.
Winter is Sanaa's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Sanaa's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 22°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 9°C
- Rainfall
- 15 mm
- 4 wet days
- Avg wind
- 6 km/h
- Travel score
- 8.8
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Sanaa in Winter
Over the season highs climb from about 22°C in early December to 24°C by late February.
A typical winter day in Sanaa reaches about 22°C and drops to 9°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest December.
Sanaa 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 | 22° / 8° | 6 | 1.6 | 11.2 | 8.6 |
| Feb | 23° / 10° | 6 | 1.6 | 11.5 | 8.9 |
| Mar | 24° / 12° | 21 | 5.4 | 11.9 | 8.3 |
| Apr | 25° / 13° | 44 | 8.3 | 12.3 | 7.5 |
| May | 26° / 15° | 41 | 8.1 | 12.7 | 7.1 |
| Jun | 28° / 16° | 17 | 5 | 12.9 | 7.2 |
| Jul | 26° / 16° | 58 | 13.2 | 12.8 | 6.0 |
| Aug | 26° / 15° | 112 | 22.1 | 12.5 | 5.0 |
| Sep | 26° / 14° | 22 | 6.1 | 12.1 | 7.5 |
| Oct | 24° / 11° | 10 | 1.1 | 11.7 | 9.1 |
| Nov | 22° / 9° | 4 | 1 | 11.3 | 8.9 |
| Dec | 22° / 8° | 3 | 0.8 | 11.1 | 8.8 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 81% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Sanaa gets around 15 mm of rain over 4 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 6 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 min in early December to 11 h 42 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 5.9 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Sanaa
None of Sanaa's seasonal hazards peak in winter. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Sanaa sees seasonal dust haze (June–August), heaviest in July.
Is winter a good time to visit Sanaa?
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 Sanaa for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Sanaa in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Sanaa sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 9°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes.
UV index in Sanaa in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sanaa peaks around April 13 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 12 at about 9 (very 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) | 11 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 15 | Extreme |
| Apr | 16 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 10 | Very high |
| Dec | 9 | Very high |
Air quality in Sanaa 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 Sanaa is worst in July — around 48 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.0× the cleanest month (November, 24 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) | 29 | 38 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 43 | 48 | 41 | 35 | 27 | 24 | 24 |
| Level | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | Moderate |
| Feb | 38 | Poor |
| Mar | 37 | Poor |
| Apr | 40 | Poor |
| May | 40 | Poor |
| Jun | 43 | Poor |
| Jul | 48 | Poor |
| Aug | 41 | Poor |
| Sep | 35 | Moderate |
| Oct | 27 | Moderate |
| Nov | 24 | Moderate |
| Dec | 24 | Moderate |
Where is Sanaa?
Sanaa sits at 15.4°N, 44.2°E, 2,253 m above sea level, in Yemen. The nearest listed city is Saḩar, 12 km away.
Topography around Sanaa
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sanaa.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Sanaa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 194 m around an average of 2,266 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,014 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,201 m.
The land around Sanaa is covered by artificial surfaces (84%) within 3 km, cropland (32%) and bare terrain (26%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (51%) within 80 km.
Yemen travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 4
- Do Not Travel
- Power plugs
- Type A / D / G
- 240 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 7% of US
- price level, 2013
- GDP per capita
- $634
- 2018
- Happiness
- 3.5 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 5.8
- per 100k, 2013
- Road deaths
- 29.4
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Low
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 402
- 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 Sanaa (15.3545°, 44.2065°, elevation 2,253 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.