Tenerife is warm all winter, as long as you stay in the south. At the south airport, days average 24.8°C in November, 22.8°C in December and 22 to 23°C from January to March, with nights around 15 to 18°C. The south gets only 108 mm of rain in those five months. The north of the island is cooler, cloudier and wetter, and the high country around Teide has frost and the odd snowy day.
Below you'll find the winter month by month, the sea temperature, north vs south, Teide in winter, and the whole year.
Tenerife in Winter: the Table
Air temperatures, rain and sunshine are the official 1981-2010 climate normals from AEMET, Spain's weather service, for Tenerife Sur Aeropuerto (AEMET climate normals). The airport is near the south coast, 64 m above sea level, a short drive from Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje. Sea temperatures are the average sea surface temperature off the south-west coast for 2023 to 2025, from the Open-Meteo marine model. They are modelled figures for open water, not a reading at any one beach. "Day high" and "night low" are the average daily maximum and minimum, and "rain days" are days with 1 mm or more.
| Month | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rain | Rain days | Sun a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 24.8°C | 18.2°C | 23.3°C | 26 mm | 1.9 | 6.4 h |
| December | 22.8°C | 16.5°C | 22.1°C | 30 mm | 3.5 | 6.3 h |
| January | 21.7°C | 15.2°C | 21.0°C | 17 mm | 1.8 | 6.2 h |
| February | 22.0°C | 15.0°C | 20.3°C | 20 mm | 2.2 | 7.0 h |
| March | 23.1°C | 15.6°C | 20.4°C | 15 mm | 1.9 | 7.3 h |
Across the five months the south averages 22.9°C by day, 16.1°C at night and 21.4°C in the sea, with about 6.6 h of sunshine a day. Rain falls on only about 11 days in the whole winter.
In Dream Trip your saved places sit on one map, so you can see beaches, restaurants and a Teide day trip side by side before you book.
Month by Month
November: the south averages 24.8°C by day and 18.2°C at night, with 26 mm of rain and about 6.4 h of sun a day. The sea is 23.3°C: warm enough for most people to swim. The north airport averages 19.6°C by day and 81 mm of rain.
December: the south averages 22.8°C by day and 16.5°C at night, with 30 mm of rain and about 6.3 h of sun a day. The sea is 22.1°C: warm enough for most people to swim. The north airport averages 17.1°C by day and 82 mm of rain.
January: the south averages 21.7°C by day and 15.2°C at night, with 17 mm of rain and about 6.2 h of sun a day. The sea is 21.0°C: right on the line for a comfortable swim. The north airport averages 16.0°C by day and 80 mm of rain.
February: the south averages 22.0°C by day and 15.0°C at night, with 20 mm of rain and about 7.0 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.3°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. The north airport averages 16.7°C by day and 70 mm of rain.
March: the south averages 23.1°C by day and 15.6°C at night, with 15 mm of rain and about 7.3 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.4°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. The north airport averages 18.2°C by day and 61 mm of rain.
Each month links to our Tenerife weather page for that month. Those pages use a model average for a point near Costa Adeje, and run up to about 2°C cooler by day, with less rain, than these AEMET airport figures.
North vs South Tenerife in Winter
Tenerife has two climates. The north-east trade winds push cloud against the mountains on the north side, so the north is greener and wetter, while the mountains shelter the south, which stays drier and sunnier (Web Tenerife). Here is what that looks like in AEMET's numbers, averaged over November to March:
| Station | Height | Day high | Night low | Rain, Nov to Mar | Sun a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South airport (Tenerife Sur) | 64 m | 22.9°C | 16.1°C | 108 mm | 6.6 h |
| Santa Cruz (east coast) | 36 m | 22.1°C | 16.3°C | 182 mm | 6.2 h |
| North airport (La Laguna) | 632 m | 17.5°C | 11.1°C | 374 mm | 5.3 h |
| Izaña (Teide high country) | 2369 m | 9.1°C | 2.4°C | 286 mm | 7.6 h |
The south airport is 5.4°C warmer by day than the north airport, and the north gets about 3.5 times as much rain. One caution: the north airport sits inland at 632 m in La Laguna, so the north-coast resorts such as Puerto de la Cruz, down at sea level, are milder than it. Read it as the cool, cloudy end of the north rather than a beach forecast. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital on the east coast, sits in between: almost as warm as the south, with 182 mm of rain over the winter against 108 mm.
For winter sun, base yourself in the south: Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas or Costa Adeje. The north is worth a day for La Laguna, the Anaga mountains and the greener side of the island, with a jacket in the bag.
Teide in Winter
Teide is the highest peak in Spain, and Teide National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 (IUCN World Heritage Outlook). Of the four stations, Izaña is the one in the high country, at 2,369 m, about 15 km north-east of the summit (ICOS station record). It is a different world in winter:
- Cold: days average 7.5°C in January and 8.8°C in December, and nights 1.1°C and 2.4°C.
- Frost: about 44 frosty days from November to March, the most in January.
- Snow: snow falls on about 2.4 days in January and 2.5 in February on average.
- Sun: Izaña records the most winter sunshine of the four stations, about 7.6 h a day. It normally sits above the island's temperature inversion layer (ICOS, above).
So pack warm layers, a hat and sunscreen for a Teide day trip in winter, and check the mountain forecast on the morning you go.
Tenerife Sea Temperature in Winter
Over the year the sea off the south-west coast is warmest in September and October (24.3°C) and coolest in February (20.3°C). In winter:
- November: 23.3°C, the warmest sea of the winter and still close to early-summer levels.
- December: 22.1°C, fine for a swim on a sunny afternoon.
- January to March: 20.3°C to 21.0°C. Swimmable, but most people keep it short.
We use 21°C as the line for comfortable swimming without a wetsuit; November, December and January reach it.
Does It Rain in Tenerife in Winter?
In the south, hardly. The south airport gets about 130 mm of rain in an average year, and its wettest month is December, at 30 mm over about 3.5 days. In January and February it rains on about two days a month.
The north is another story: the north airport gets about 520 mm a year, with 374 mm from November to March over about 39 rainy days.
Tenerife Weather Through the Year
The whole year at the south airport, air and sea:
| Month | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21.7°C | 15.2°C | 21.0°C | 17 mm |
| February | 22.0°C | 15.0°C | 20.3°C | 20 mm |
| March | 23.1°C | 15.6°C | 20.4°C | 15 mm |
| April | 23.1°C | 16.0°C | 20.7°C | 7 mm |
| May | 23.9°C | 17.0°C | 21.4°C | 1 mm |
| June | 25.4°C | 18.8°C | 22.4°C | 0 mm |
| July | 27.7°C | 20.2°C | 23.3°C | 0 mm |
| August | 28.4°C | 21.1°C | 24.0°C | 1 mm |
| September | 27.9°C | 21.1°C | 24.3°C | 4 mm |
| October | 26.8°C | 20.0°C | 24.3°C | 12 mm |
| November | 24.8°C | 18.2°C | 23.3°C | 26 mm |
| December | 22.8°C | 16.5°C | 22.1°C | 30 mm |
January has the coolest days, at 21.7°C (71°F), and August the warmest, at 28.4°C. The whole year spans under 7°C by day.
Tenerife or Another Island?
The Canary Islands keep UK time in winter (Time in Spain). How Tenerife compares with Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura is in our guide to which Canary Island is warmest in winter. If you are weighing it against Madeira, see Madeira weather in winter: Madeira is greener and cooler, with more rain.
How to Choose Your Month
- The warmest sea: November, with the sea at 23.3°C and days at 24.8°C.
- Christmas and New Year: 22.8°C by day in December, though it is the south's wettest month (still only 30 mm). Our Christmas sun holidays guide compares Tenerife with the alternatives for the festive weeks.
- The most sunshine: February and March, at about 7.0 h and 7.3 h a day in the south.
- The best chance of snow on Teide: January and February, with snow on about 2.4 and 2.5 days at Izaña.
For other places a similar flight away, see winter sun holidays from the UK and the Tenerife weather overview.
Keep It All on One Map
A Tenerife trip usually starts as a pile of saved videos and tips: a beach club in Costa Adeje, a boat trip from Los Cristianos, a viewpoint on the road to Teide. In Dream Trip your saved places sit on one map, so you can see which ones are near your hotel and which need a day in the north. Subscribers can import TikTok and Reels links.
Start your Tenerife shortlist in Dream Trip.
FAQ
What is the weather like in Tenerife in November?
The south averages 24.8°C by day and 18.2°C at night, with 26 mm of rain and about 6.4 h of sun a day. The sea is 23.3°C: warm enough for most people to swim. The north airport averages 19.6°C by day and 81 mm of rain. See Tenerife weather in November.
What is the weather like in Tenerife in December?
The south averages 22.8°C by day and 16.5°C at night, with 30 mm of rain and about 6.3 h of sun a day. The sea is 22.1°C: warm enough for most people to swim. The north airport averages 17.1°C by day and 82 mm of rain. See Tenerife weather in December.
What is the weather like in Tenerife in January?
The south averages 21.7°C by day and 15.2°C at night, with 17 mm of rain and about 6.2 h of sun a day. The sea is 21.0°C: right on the line for a comfortable swim. The north airport averages 16.0°C by day and 80 mm of rain. January is the coolest month of the year by day in the south. See Tenerife weather in January.
What is the weather like in Tenerife in February?
The south averages 22.0°C by day and 15.0°C at night, with 20 mm of rain and about 7.0 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.3°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. The north airport averages 16.7°C by day and 70 mm of rain. See Tenerife weather in February.
What is the weather like in Tenerife in March?
The south averages 23.1°C by day and 15.6°C at night, with 15 mm of rain and about 7.3 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.4°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. The north airport averages 18.2°C by day and 61 mm of rain. See Tenerife weather in March.
Is Tenerife warm in winter?
The south is: it averages 22.9°C by day and 16.1°C at night from November to March. That is T-shirt weather by day, with a light layer for the evening.
Is the north or south of Tenerife warmer in winter?
The south. The south airport averages 5.4°C more by day than the north airport over the winter, and about 29% of its rain. The north airport sits inland at 632 m, so expect the north-coast resorts to be a little milder than it.
Can you swim in Tenerife in winter?
Yes. The sea off the south-west coast averages 23.3°C in November, 22.1°C in December and about 20°C by February.
Does it snow on Teide in winter?
Sometimes. AEMET's Izaña station, at 2,369 m, records snow on about 2.4 days in January and 2.5 in February on average, and frost on about 12 nights in January. AEMET's three lower stations record no snow days.
