Israel Weather Forecast

Israel packs remarkable climate diversity into a small area, ranging from the Mediterranean coast to the Negev Desert and the lowest point on Earth at the Dead Sea. The Mediterranean climate zone along the coast experiences hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters, while the Negev Desert in the south receives less than 25mm of annual rainfall. The Great Rift Valley creates dramatic microclimates, with the Dead Sea region at -430 meters being exceptionally hot and dry.

Winter from November through March is the rainy season, with most of the country's annual precipitation falling in this period. Snow occasionally falls in Jerusalem and regularly covers the peaks of Mount Hermon in the north. The khamsin (sharav) wind brings waves of hot, dry, dust-laden air from the desert, typically during the transition seasons, raising temperatures dramatically and reducing air quality. Flash flooding is a serious hazard in desert wadis during rare rainfall events.

Tel Aviv has a Mediterranean climate with hot, humid summers around 30°C and mild winters around 14°C with moderate rainfall. Jerusalem at 750 meters elevation is cooler with occasional winter snow. Eilat at the southern tip on the Red Sea is hot and dry year-round with summer temperatures exceeding 40°C and virtually no rain. The Galilee in the north is the greenest and wettest region, while the Negev highlands offer warm days and cool nights with extraordinarily clear skies.