West Palm Beach, FL weather in December
December in West Palm Beach: mild and often humid, with some rain. Highs 77°F, lows 62°F, about 9 wet days. It is one of the coolest months in West Palm Beach.
- Normal high
- 77°F
- Normal low
- 62°F
- Wet days
- 9
- 3.5 in total
- Muggy days
- 12
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 78°F | 75°F |
| Normal low | 64°F | 59°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 30% | 29% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:51 am / 5:26 pm | 7:08 am / 5:37 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 am64°Fdew point 59°F
- 9 am69°Fdew point 61°F
- Noon75°Fdew point 61°F
- 3 pm75°Fdew point 60°F
- 6 pm71°Fdew point 60°F
- 9 pm68°Fdew point 61°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from West Palm Beach Intl Airport (4 mi away); average wind 9 mph.
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 mph8 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more12 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow9 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 3.5 in; a dry December brings about 1.5 in and a wet one about 4.3 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 2 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 81°F
- Coolest December2010: average high 70°F
- Wettest December1994: 11.7 in
- Driest December2017: 0.8 in
- Highest reading90°F (December 9, 2009)
- Lowest reading32°F (December 14, 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 | 80°F | 77°F | 75°F |
| Normal low | 66°F | 62°F | 58°F |
| Wet days | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Comfortable days | 8 | 11 | 14 |
| Daylight | 10.8 h | 10.5 h | 10.7 h |
Highs change by -3°F from November and -2°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Drier: Cape Coral, FL118 mi · high 77°F · 6 wet days
- Cooler: Daytona Beach, FL182 mi · high 72°F · 8 wet days
How West Palm Beach ranks in December
- Normal high15th warmest of 378 cities; 8th of 23 in Florida
- Wet days179th driest of 378
- Comfortable days62nd most of 340
What to pack for West Palm Beach in December
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 9 days
Heating and cooling
December has 49 heating degree days and 173 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 5% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is West Palm Beach in December?
The normal high is 77°F and the normal low is 62°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest December reading was 90°F (December 9, 2009).
Does it rain a lot in West Palm Beach in December?
About 9 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.5 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 1994 (11.7 in); the driest was in 2017 (0.8 in).
Is December a good time to visit West Palm Beach?
December ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for West Palm Beach (59 out of 100). It has about 11 comfortable days. The best months are January, February and March.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain and humidity and wind by hour: West Palm Beach Intl Airport (USW00012844), 3.5 mi SW of the city center, 19 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Frost dates: Palm Beach Gardens (USC00086764), 9.7 mi NW of the city center, 20 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Palm Beach International Airport (722030-12844), 3.5 mi SW of the city center, 11 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: snowfall, snow depth and cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).