How hot, cold or rainy will it get on Christmas in Miami? What the forecast says
Santa can wear shorts in South Florida.
South Florida will feel the warmth of the holidays and a 30% chance of rain Christmas Day, according to CBS News Miami meteorologist KC Sherman.
If you come across a stray shower on Christmas Day on Wednesday, it probably will be in the early evening, Sherman said. “Not a washout by any means.”
The mainly dry, mostly warm weather, with highs in the upper-70s and lows in the low- to mid-70s, is expected to last for the rest of the week, with Sunday offering the highest chance of rain at 40%.
Sunset for the first night of Hanukkah is at 5:37 p.m. Wednesday, and it should be 74 with spotty showers in the forecast, Sherman says.
“If you’re traveling statewide, locally you shouldn’t have too many issues,” Sherman said in her forecast.
What do the records say?
The hottest Christmas Day in Miami was first notched in 2016 when highs hit 86. In Fort Lauderdale, you have to go back to 1931 when it broiled at 89, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.
The coldest Christmas in Miami was a low of 30 in 1989. The coldest Christmas in Fort Lauderdale was one degree chillier that same 1989, at a shivery 29 degrees.
Holiday hot spots around Florida
Traveling around the state for Christmas or Hanukkah on Wednesday? Here’s what to expect.
▪ Key West: The Florida Keys will be running in the 70s all week — highs near 80, lows near 70, according to the weather service. So you can dress like a Jimmy Buffett Christmas album — red Santa suit but with shorts and short-sleeve shirts. Maybe an umbrella for the surfboard-sleigh. There’s a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms from the holiday through the weekend.
▪ Orlando: Theme park holiday? Highs will be in the low- to mid-70s and overnight lows dip to 55 on Nochebuena. A warming trend kicks in on Christmas Day through the weekend, with minimal rain chance. But rough surf is expected Central Florida Atlantic beaches, with life-threatening rip currents likely, according to the weather service in Melbourne. Also, expect patchy fog Wednesday morning in East Central Florida.
▪ Bradenton-Tampa Bay: Christmas Eve runs a low of 57 to a high of 77, and a warming trend welcomes the holidays into the weekend for family visits and outdoor strolls. Minimal rain, with Friday’s 20% the highest chance.
What about New York?
Blizzards and extreme weather can be a travel headache along the East Coast when storms affect the region. The weather service in New York issued a statement concerning a fast-moving snow system dusting snow across New York City.
A coating to less than an inch of snow is forecast, making for slippery roads in the Big Apple.
“The accumulating snow will quickly come to an end late morning through midday with temperatures rising into the middle- and upper-30s in the afternoon,” meteorologists said.
Christmas Day temperatures at Rockefeller Center should be a high of 34 and a low of 27.
Beach conditions
There is a high risk for rip currents at Broward and Palm Beach County beaches Wednesday through Monday at Atlantic coast beaches, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.
“Hazardous marine conditions may develop across the Atlantic waters in the middle to late week period,” forecasters said in an alert.
This story was originally published December 24, 2024 at 9:57 AM.
