Florida weather in December

There's a real gradient across Florida in December: 78° afternoons in Miami, 65° in Pensacola.

Based on 14 weather stations. Fourteen stations, Key West to Pensacola — enough to see the state’s real gradient, which on winter nights puts the Panhandle some twenty degrees below the Keys.

Atlantic Coast

Highs 69–78°, nights 51–65°, and 2.3–3.0 in of rain in a typical December.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Miami	78° / 64°	4	Beach in the afternoon, jacket by the time dinner ends.
Fort Lauderdale	78° / 65°	4	Boat parade weather — warm afternoons, cool enough evenings.
Daytona Beach	72° / 52°	4	A jacket at breakfast, forgotten by noon.
St. Augustine	69° / 51°	4	Cold by Florida standards, and glowing every evening.

The Keys

Highs near 78°, nights around 68°, and 2.2 in of rain in a typical December.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Key West	78° / 68°	3	The one December where the sunset crowd still wears shorts.

Gulf Coast

Highs 73–77°, nights 55–59°, and 1.3–2.9 in of rain in a typical December.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Tampa	74° / 56°	4	Short sleeves at noon, second thoughts after sunset.
Clearwater	73° / 56°	4	Cool wind off the Gulf; pack a real jacket.
Sarasota	75° / 55°	3	Beach by day, heat lamps by dinner.
Fort Myers	77° / 57°	3	Cool mornings, warm afternoons, cold water for the brave.
Naples	77° / 59°	2	Barely a cloud, and evenings that call for sleeves.

Central Florida

Highs near 74°, nights around 53°, and 2.5 in of rain in a typical December.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Orlando	74° / 53°	4	Mild and festive — pack one real jacket for the odd cold snap.

The Panhandle

Highs 65–67°, nights 45–48°, and 4.3–5.4 in of rain in a typical December.

Place	Highs / lows	Wet days	The short version
Destin	66° / 48°	7	Grey days, cold nights, and a beach you'll share with nobody.
Panama City Beach	67° / 45°	6	Off-season at its most literal — pack layers.
Pensacola	65° / 46°	7	Grey, wet, and cold enough to want a fire.

Each place above has its own page for the full story — what the month feels like, what to pack, and whether the timing is right.

Where to go in December, across the whole country ›