Key West, FL weather in December
Expect mild, often humid weather with some rain in Key West in December, with highs near 78°F and lows near 68°F. Rain falls on about 6 days.
- Normal high
- 78°F
- Normal low
- 68°F
- Wet days
- 6
- 2.2 in total
- Muggy days
- 18
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 79°F | 76°F |
| Normal low | 70°F | 66°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 21% | 22% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:54 am / 5:37 pm | 7:10 am / 5:49 pm |
| Daylight | 10.7 h | 10.6 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 am70°Fdew point 65°F
- 9 am72°Fdew point 65°F
- Noon75°Fdew point 65°F
- 3 pm75°Fdew point 65°F
- 6 pm72°Fdew point 65°F
- 9 pm71°Fdew point 65°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Key West Intl Airport (2 mi away); average wind 10 mph; clear or few clouds in 62% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 27%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F7 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 more18 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow6 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in3 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 2.2 in; a dry December brings about 0.8 in and a wet one about 3.4 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, 1991-20202016: average high 82°F
- Coolest December2010: average high 68°F
- Wettest December2019: 7.7 in
- Driest December2005: 0.05 in
- Highest reading86°F (December 4, 2018)
- Lowest reading46°F (December 15, 2010)
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 | 78°F | 76°F |
| Normal low | 72°F | 68°F | 66°F |
| Wet days | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Comfortable days | 3 | 7 | 9 |
| Daylight | 11.0 h | 10.6 h | 10.8 h |
Highs change by -3°F from November and -2°F into January.
How Key West ranks in December
- Normal high10th warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 23 in Florida
- Wet days91st driest of 378
- Comfortable days112th most of 340
Heating and cooling
December has 10 heating degree days and 258 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Key West in December?
The normal high is 78°F and the normal low is 68°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest December reading was 86°F (most recently on December 4, 2018).
Does it rain a lot in Key West in December?
About 6 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.2 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2019 (7.7 in); the driest was in 2005 (0.05 in).
Is December a good time to visit Key West?
December ranks 5th of 12 months on our comfort score for Key West (55 out of 100). It has about 7 comfortable days. The best months are January, February and March.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Key West Intl Airport (USW00012836), 1.9 mi E of the city center, 4 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Key West International Airport (722010-12836), 1.7 mi E of the city center, 1 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: snowfall and snow depth (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).