South Padre Island, TX weather in December
December in South Padre Island: mild, with some rain. Highs 72°F, lows 57°F, about 8 days with rain. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 72°F
- Normal low
- 57°F
- Wet days
- 8
- 1.2 in total
- Muggy days
- 8
- dew point 65°F+
How December changes from start to finish
| December 1 | December 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 75°F | 69°F |
| Normal low | 60°F | 55°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 23% | 25% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:58 am / 5:36 pm | 7:15 am / 5:47 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 (Central Time).
A typical December day
- 6 am58°Fdew point 54°F
- 9 am62°Fdew point 56°F
- Noon69°Fdew point 55°F
- 3 pm70°Fdew point 55°F
- 6 pm65°Fdew point 56°F
- 9 pm61°Fdew point 56°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Brownsville (20 mi away); average wind 10 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F13 of 31
- Beach dayshigh 80-95°F, under 0.05 in of rain, afternoon wind under 15 mph2 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more0 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more8 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow8 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 and snow in December
Normal precipitation is 1.2 in; a dry December brings about 0.5 in and a wet one about 1.5 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 1 day brings half an inch or more. Normal snowfall is 0.2 in.
How December varies from year to year
- Warmest December, 1991-20201998: average high 77°F
- Coolest December2009: average high 65°F
- Wettest December2009: 5.6 in
- Driest December2010: 0.01 in
- Highest reading88°F (December 14, 2016)
- Lowest reading36°F (December 28, 1998)
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 | 78°F | 72°F | 68°F |
| Normal low | 65°F | 57°F | 55°F |
| Wet days | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| Comfortable days | 7 | 13 | 13 |
| Daylight | 10.9 h | 10.5 h | 10.7 h |
Highs change by -6°F from November and -4°F into January.
Nearby alternatives in December
- Cooler: San Antonio, TX243 mi · high 65°F · 8 wet days
How South Padre Island ranks in December
- Normal high25th warmest of 378 cities; 3rd of 38 in Texas
- Wet days129th driest of 378
- Comfortable days49th most of 340
Heating and cooling
December has 107 heating degree days and 88 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 4% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is South Padre Island in December?
The normal high is 72°F and the normal low is 57°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest December reading was 88°F (most recently on December 14, 2016).
Does it rain a lot in South Padre Island in December?
About 8 days in December have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 1.2 in. The wettest December in 1991-2020 was in 2009 (5.6 in); the driest was in 2010 (0.01 in).
Does it snow in South Padre Island in December?
Yes. Normal snowfall in December is 0.2 in.
Is December a good time to visit South Padre Island?
December ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for South Padre Island (63 out of 100). It has about 13 comfortable days. The best months are January, February and December.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature: S Padre Is (USC00418487), 4.1 mi ESE of the city center, 5 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Rain and humidity and wind by hour: Brownsville (USW00012919), 20 mi SW of the city center, 23 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall and snow depth: Port Isabel (USC00417179), 9.0 mi W of the city center, 17 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Frost dates: Port Isabel Cameron Airport (USW00012957), 12 mi WNW of the city center, 19 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Brownsville/S Padre Island Intl Airport (722500-12919), 21 mi SW of the city center, 19 ft . Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).