Judaean Desert
The Judaean Desert is a desert in Israel. It is one of the 40 sights listed for the country on this site and is ranked 13th among the most looked-up sights in Israel on English Wikipedia.
Planning a visit
The climate varies throughout the year. The hottest months are July and August, with daily highs of 34 °C and lows of 21 °C. The warmest months with some rain are May and June, where highs reach 28 °C to 32 °C. The coolest period is between January and February, when daily highs are between 14 °C and 15 °C and lows are around 7 °C. Rainfall is highest in January with about 125 mm.
To reach the desert, you can fly into Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, which is 52 km away. The Judaean Desert is 11 km from Jerusalem. While visiting, you can also see nearby sites such as the Chapel of the Milk Grotto, the Church of the Nativity, Rachel's Tomb, the Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery, or the City of David.
Weather by month
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 34 °C. The wettest is January, with about 125 mm of rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 14 | 15 | 18 | 24 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 27 | 21 | 16 |
| Average low, °C | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 12 | 9 |
| Rainfall, mm | 125 | 114 | 69 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 54 | 87 |
| Rainy days | 11 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
