Fort Lauderdale, FL weather in December
In December, Fort Lauderdale sees highs around 77°F and lows around 61°F: mild and often humid, with some rain. There are about 10 days with rain.
- Normal high
- 77°F
- Normal low
- 61°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 2.7 in total
- Muggy days
- 13
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 79°F | 76°F |
| Normal low | 63°F | 59°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 33% | 31% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:50 am / 5:28 pm | 7:07 am / 5:39 pm |
| Daylight | 10.6 h | 10.5 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Eastern Time).
A typical December day
- 6 am67°Fdew point 61°F
- 9 am71°Fdew point 62°F
- Noon76°Fdew point 62°F
- 3 pm76°Fdew point 61°F
- 6 pm73°Fdew point 62°F
- 9 pm70°Fdew point 62°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Miami Intl Airport (25 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 50% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 33%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F9 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph10 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more13 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow10 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in5 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
Average days per December, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in December
Normal precipitation is 2.7 in; a dry December brings about 1.4 in and a wet one about 3.2 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more.
How December varies from year to year
- Warmest December, 1991-20202015: average high 82°F
- Coolest December2010: average high 70°F
- Wettest December2019: 9.0 in
- Driest December1991: 0.6 in
- Highest reading90°F (December 4, 2018)
- Lowest reading31°F (December 31, 2000)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
December compared with November and January
| November | December | January | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 81°F | 77°F | 76°F |
| Normal low | 66°F | 61°F | 58°F |
| Wet days | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| Comfortable days | 5 | 9 | 12 |
| Daylight | 10.9 h | 10.5 h | 10.7 h |
Highs change by -4°F from November and -1°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Drier: Key Largo, FL74 mi · high 80°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: Deltona, FL204 mi · high 72°F · 7 wet days
How Fort Lauderdale ranks in December
- Normal high12th warmest of 378 cities; 5th of 23 in Florida
- Wet days193rd driest of 378
- Comfortable days96th most of 340
What to pack for Fort Lauderdale in December
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 10 days
Heating and cooling
December has 41 heating degree days and 172 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Fort Lauderdale in December?
The normal high is 77°F and the normal low is 61°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest December reading was 90°F (December 4, 2018).
Does it rain a lot in Fort Lauderdale in December?
About 10 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.7 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2019 (9.0 in); the driest was in 1991 (0.6 in).
Is December a good time to visit Fort Lauderdale?
December ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Fort Lauderdale (57 out of 100). It has about 9 comfortable days. The best months are January, February and March.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall and snow depth: Ft Lauderdale (USC00083163), 3.9 mi WSW of the city center, 16 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Frost dates: Ft Lauderdale Hollywood Airport (USW00012849), 3.5 mi S of the city center, 11 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour: Miami Intl Airport (USW00012839), 25 mi SSW of the city center, 29 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Miami Kendall Tamiami Exec Airport (USW00012888), 37 mi SSW of the city center, 10 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Miami International Airport (722020-12839), 26 mi SSW of the city center, 5 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.