The short answer
Sometimes. Heavy snow can close the Tizi n'Tichka, most often in January and early February, and our winter guide says closures usually last from a few hours to about a day while the road is cleared. Build a spare day into a winter Sahara trip and have your driver check conditions the evening before.
In more detail
The pass sits at 2,260 m on the main road from Marrakech to Ouarzazate, and the High Atlas holds snow through the winter. Most winter days the road is open and the snow is simply scenery. After a heavy fall, the authorities close it until it is cleared, and traffic waits on either side.
This matters most on the first day of a desert trip, because there is no easy way round. Travelling in November or December lowers the odds. If a closure does hit, the usual fixes are to wait a few hours, to shift the plan by a day, or to start the trip with a Marrakech day and cross later.
If your dates are tight around New Year or the February holidays, tell us when you book and we will plan the spare time in. The Agafay, about 40 minutes from the city on the plain, is not affected by Atlas snow and is the fallback if the mountains will not cooperate.
Good to know
- Leave one flexible day in a December to February desert plan.
- Ask your driver to check the road the night before.
- Keep your Marrakech riad booking flexible for the return.