October - December

The shoulder season gives way to the low season for most areas of the country by December. Ski resorts in the Atlas Mountains will see business pick up by the month of December. For most of the country, the rainy season begins in earnest in the month of October and continues through the new year. Many locations go from 0-2 rain days in September to 5-8 by December, so pack for rainy weather because you will encounter rain the later in the year you decide to go.

Conditions cool down substantially from October to December. Highs in Tangier cool from the mid-70s Fahrenheit in October to the mid-60s in December, and the lows drop from the 60 degree range to the upper 40s in the same time frame. The temperature drop is more pronounced in Fes and Meknes, from the upper 70s to near 80 in October to the low 60s in December. (Lows descend from the mid-50s to the mid-40s from October to December for those locales.) Rabat and Casablanca start out the final three months of the year with highs in the mid-70s and lows around 60; by the middle of December the temperatures are firmly in the 60s during the day and in the 40s at night. The nights become cooler and longer in Marrakech, dropping from an average of 60 degrees in October to 45 in December. Highs during the same period drop from approximately 82 to 67, respectively. Weather in Essaouira cools a few degrees to the upper 60s by December, with lows in the mid-to-upper 50s. Snow can be seen in the High Atlas Mountains in November and December.

Holidays and Festivals:

October - Fes Festival of Sufi Culture, Fes. The largest festival in the world dedicated to the Sufi branch of Islam and the music and musicians that keep Sufi music and culture alive for generations across the world to experience and admire.

Late October - Salon du Cheval d'El Jadida, Rabat. One of the most popular horse shows in the country, it is attended by the King of Morocco and features judging rounds and a `fantasia` performance.

Late October - Casablanca Marathon, Casablanca

Rabi` al-awwal 12 - Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (Eid Al Mawled / L'anniversaire du prophète Mahomet) Celebrated on the twelfth day of the month of Rabi` al-awwal, this observance coincides with the dates of November 20-21, 2018, November 9-10, 2019, October 28-29, 2020, and October 18-19, 2021. National holiday in Morocco.

November 6 - Green March (Eid Al Massira Al Khadra / Marche Verte) This day commemorates the `Green March` of 1975, when 350,000 demonstrators marched into Western Sahara (then called Spanish Sahara) to demand that Spain cede the disputed territory to Morocco. National holiday in Morocco.

November 18 - Independence Day (Eid Al Istiqulal / La journée du manifeste de l'indépendance) King Mohammed V returned from exile on this date in 1956, marking Morocco`s full transition to independence from France. National holiday in Morocco.

Late November to early December - Tangier International Film Festival, Tangier, one of the two largest film festivals in the country, screening dozens of films from all over the world.

Late November to early December - Marrakech International Film Festival, Marrakech, the second of the two most prestigious film festivals in the country.