Amelia Island in December
Key facts
December on Amelia Island averages 66.3°F by day and 49.4°F at night, with the ocean at 62°F — brisk. Expect 3.12″ of rain across about 4.8 wet days: very little rain at all.
- Average daily high to low
- Ocean temperature
- Rainfall, inches
What December actually feels like
December is cold by Florida standards and mild by everyone else’s: sixty-six degree afternoons, chilly nights, and downtown lit up for the season. The Victorian streets do Christmas unusually well, which is most of the reason to come.
Dickens on Centre and the New Year’s Eve Shrimp Drop bracket the month, and the historic district is the point rather than the beach.
The ocean in December
At 62°F the water is 10.6°F below the island’s annual average of 72.6°F. A short swim is fine if you keep moving; a spring suit helps. The air reaches 66.3°F, a gap of 4.3°F over the sea — small enough that the water gives you no relief from the heat at all. Ocean figures are means of hourly readings at the nearest NOAA sensor with a long record, 30 km south at Mayport — see ocean temperature by month.
Rain and storms
December averages 3.12″ across about 4.8 wet days, against 49.93″ for the year. That is very little rain at all. December sits outside the Atlantic hurricane season. Winter weather here is a passing cold front rather than a tropical system: a windy grey day, then clear.
What to pack
- a real jacket for the evening
- no illusions about swimming; the ocean is too cold for most people
If the weather does not co-operate
Swap the ocean for the fort, the museum, the bookshops and a long lunch. The tide matters more than the forecast for a beach day — a high tide on a narrow access leaves very little sand — so check today's tides before you commit to a stretch of beach.
Crowds and cost
Quiet mid-month, busy over the festival weekends and between Christmas and New Year. We do not publish rates: they move constantly and we will not quote a figure we have not verified.
December against the months either side
| November | December | January | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 72.4°F | 66.3°F | 64.3°F |
| Average low | 56.1°F | 49.4°F | 45.4°F |
| Ocean | 70.4°F | 62°F | 57.9°F |
| Rain | 1.87″ | 3.12″ | 3.20″ |
Usually on in December
Timing is typical, not confirmed. We publish a date only once the organiser has confirmed it for the year.
Next and previous months
Planning a December trip
Part of Amelia Island weather month by month.
Frequently asked questions
- How warm is Amelia Island in December?
- December averages a high of 66.3°F and a low of 49.4°F, for a daily mean of 57.8°F. Those are NOAA 1991–2020 normals for the station on the island itself, not the airport inland.
- Can you swim in the ocean at Amelia Island in December?
- The ocean averages 62°F in December — brisk. A short swim is fine if you keep moving; a spring suit helps.
- Does it rain much in December?
- December averages 3.12″ across about 4.8 days receiving 0.10″ or more, out of 49.93″ for the year. Expect very little rain at all.
- What is on in December?
- Dickens on Centre, New Year's Eve Shrimp Drop are typically held in December. We do not publish a date until the organiser has confirmed it for the year — check the event page for the current status.