The Carmel Mountains are in the northern coastal plain at an elevation of 250-536 meters above sea level. The Carmel Mountains stretch from Ramot Menashe in the south to Haifa Bay in the north and the Jezreel valley in the east. The climate is Mediterranean.

Annual precipitation is generally about 630mm but can reach 800mm or more on the peaks. Most of the rain falls from October to December. Because of the mountains' proximity to the sea and the high elevation, clouds can develop quickly into thunderstorms. This is one of the areas of Israel with the greatest number of thunderstorms. Flash floods occur once every few years on the mountain slopes. A cloudburst over Atlit and the Western Carmel on April 8, 1951 brought 120mm of rain in just a few hours causing flooding.

Winter temperatures are 16-18°C. during the day and 5-6°C. at night. Snow falls once every 5-6 years and then usually only on the highest peaks. In the winter of 1991-92, the Carmel Mountains were covered by 20cm of snow (8 inches). Snow fell at Haifa University, Usfiya, and Hadar among the better known spots. Snow last fell on January 31, 2008. Temperatures spike at times in the spring and fall as desert low pressure systems traverse Israel. Heat waves associated with these systems are not unusual even in the Carmel Mountains. The heat is exacerbated on the west, or sea side of the mountains. When the hot wind comes from the east-southeast, the hot air climbs the mountain on the eastern side and descends on the western side. This gives the western slopes much higher temperatures than other coastal areas on such days. On May 15-16, 1988 temperatures reached 40°C.

East-southeast winds are characteristic in the morning hours and especially in the spring and fall. Near Atlit, Zichron Yaacov, and south Haifa the winds are very strong at times. On December 2, 2010 conditions were set for a major disaster. There were desert-like conditions, quite unusual for December; the humidity was extremely low; and strong southeasterly winds prevailed. Fire broke out to the west of Usfiya and quickly raced to the northwest. The fire lasted until December 5. It consumed Park HaCarmel and Hai Bar. The fire reached the neighborhood of Denia in Haifa. It crossed road 4 and caused extensive damage in Megaddim, Tirat Carmel, Beit Oren and the mountain spa Ya'arot HaCarmel. Forty-four people were killed directly by the ''Carmel Tragedy'', scores of villages were damaged, and more than 25,000 dunams (6250 acres) of forest burned. This was one of the greatest weather-related tragedies in Israel's history. The immediate cause of the fire was the hot, dry conditions on December 2 with strong southeasterly winds but several years of drought and an especially hot summer that year made the forests especially dry and flammable.

The higher elevations in Haifa are about 2°C cooler than the Haifa port in the summer. Summers are generally mild albeit humid. Overnight and near morning, fog develops on the ridge. Summer heat stress is generally moderate.

The Carmel Range is made up of three separate ranges. To the north are the highest peaks: Rom Carmel, 546 meters; Mount Alon, 516 meters; and Keren HaCarmel (Mukhraka), 482 meters above sea level. In the center is Mount Shokef, 497 meters above sea level. The elevation in the south is much lower, ranging from 250-350 meters above sea level.

The Carmel Mountains boast the largest nature preserves in Israel. There are scores of marked hiking paths that traverse the length and breadth of the mountains. The best time to hike in the mountains is from the beginning of April to October.

Every day an updated one-week forecast for the Carmel Mountains is available at www.israelweather.co.il. The forecast includes expected daytime and nighttime temperatures. The forecast for the Carmel Mountains is comparable to the forecast for the following areas: Mount Carmel, French Carmel, Ahuza, Denia, Haifa University, Usfiya, and Daliyat el Carmel.