Tampa, FL weather in December
In December, Tampa sees highs around 74°F and lows around 56°F: mild, with some rain. Expect about 6 wet days. It is one of the coolest months in Tampa. Good for outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 74°F
- Normal low
- 56°F
- Wet days
- 6
- 2.6 in total
- Muggy days
- 6
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 76°F | 72°F |
| Normal low | 58°F | 54°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 18% | 20% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 7:03 am / 5:33 pm | 7:20 am / 5:44 pm |
| Daylight | 10.5 h | 10.4 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 am58°Fdew point 54°F
- 9 am62°Fdew point 55°F
- Noon69°Fdew point 56°F
- 3 pm71°Fdew point 55°F
- 6 pm67°Fdew point 55°F
- 9 pm63°Fdew point 56°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Tampa Intl Airport (5 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 33% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 46%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F14 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph7 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more6 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow6 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in4 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 2.6 in; a dry December brings about 0.9 in and a wet one about 2.2 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 81°F
- Coolest December2010: average high 63°F
- Wettest December1997: 15.6 in
- Driest December2011: 0.2 in
- Highest reading86°F (December 25, 2016)
- Lowest reading30°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 | 79°F | 74°F | 71°F |
| Normal low | 61°F | 56°F | 53°F |
| Wet days | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Comfortable days | 12 | 14 | 16 |
| Daylight | 10.8 h | 10.4 h | 10.6 h |
Highs change by -5°F from November and -3°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Warmer: Key Largo, FL234 mi · high 80°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: Palm Coast, FL136 mi · high 69°F · 10 wet days
How Tampa ranks in December
- Normal high20th warmest of 378 cities; 12th of 23 in Florida
- Wet days82nd driest of 378
- Comfortable days36th most of 340
Heating and cooling
December has 105 heating degree days and 102 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Tampa in December?
The normal high is 74°F and the normal low is 56°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest December reading was 86°F (most recently on December 25, 2016).
Does it rain a lot in Tampa in December?
About 6 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 2.6 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 1997 (15.6 in); the driest was in 2011 (0.2 in).
Is December a good time to visit Tampa?
December ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Tampa (64 out of 100). It has about 14 comfortable days. The best months are January, February and March.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates, humidity and wind by hour and cloud cover: Tampa Intl Airport (USW00012842), 5.1 mi WNW of the city center, 19 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Tampa International Airport (722110-12842), 5.1 mi WNW of the city center, 6 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.