Panama City Beach, FL weather in December
Panama City Beach is mild in December, with some rain: highs average 67°F and nights drop to about 45°F. Rain falls on about 8 days. It is one of the coolest months in Panama City Beach.
- Normal high
- 67°F
- Normal low
- 45°F
- Wet days
- 8
- 4.3 in total
- Muggy days
- 3
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 69°F | 65°F |
| Normal low | 47°F | 43°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 24% | 26% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:21 am / 4:42 pm | 6:39 am / 4:53 pm |
| Daylight | 10.3 h | 10.2 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Central Time).
A typical December day
- 6 am51°Fdew point 46°F
- 9 am56°Fdew point 48°F
- Noon62°Fdew point 49°F
- 3 pm63°Fdew point 49°F
- 6 pm56°Fdew point 50°F
- 9 pm54°Fdew point 48°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Tyndall AFB (15 mi away); average wind 8 mph; clear or few clouds in 38% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 52%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F11 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph0 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more3 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow8 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in6 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below4 of 31
Average days per December, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in December
Normal precipitation is 4.3 in; a dry December brings about 3.0 in and a wet one about 5.7 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 days bring 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 73°F
- Coolest December2010: average high 57°F
- Wettest December2018: 11.0 in
- Driest December2001: 1.0 in
- Highest reading84°F (December 27, 2015)
- Lowest reading19°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 | 73°F | 67°F | 64°F |
| Normal low | 50°F | 45°F | 43°F |
| Wet days | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Comfortable days | 15 | 11 | 10 |
| Daylight | 10.6 h | 10.2 h | 10.4 h |
Highs change by -6°F from November and -3°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Warmer: Spring Hill, FL230 mi · high 73°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: Columbus, GA165 mi · high 61°F · 10 wet days
How Panama City Beach ranks in December
- Normal high56th warmest of 378 cities; 21st of 23 in Florida
- Wet days142nd driest of 378
- Comfortable days55th most of 340
Frost in December
The first fall frost typically comes around Dec 24; in 1 year in 10 it comes before Nov 23. All frost dates for Panama City Beach.
Heating and cooling
December has 306 heating degree days and 21 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 8% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How cold is Panama City Beach in December?
The normal high is 67°F and the normal low is 45°F. From 1991 to 2020 the coldest December reading was 19°F (December 31, 2000).
Does it rain a lot in Panama City Beach in December?
About 8 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 4.3 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2018 (11.0 in); the driest was in 2001 (1.0 in).
Is December a good time to visit Panama City Beach?
December ranks 5th of 12 months on our comfort score for Panama City Beach (58 out of 100). It has about 11 comfortable days. The best months are March, April and November.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall and snow depth: Panama City 5N (USC00086842), 10 mi ENE of the city center, 5 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Frost dates: Panama City Bay Co Airport (USW00003882), 7.7 mi ENE of the city center, 21 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Humidity and wind by hour: Tyndall AFB (USW00013846), 15 mi ESE of the city center, 23 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Valparaiso Eglin AFB (USW00013858), 47 mi WNW of the city center, 59 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Tyndall AFB Airport (747750-13846), 15 mi ESE of the city center, 17 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.