FLORIDA · FORT LAUDERDALE · NOVEMBER
November is when Fort Lauderdale changes seasons under your feet. The wet months let go, the afternoons ease down from October’s heat into the low 80s, and the Atlantic holds on to its warmth, so the water off the beach often feels kinder than the air above it. It opens the dry season that Florida runs until April, and it is also the last month inside the hurricane calendar.
You have already picked the city. The question left is the date: whether November suits your vacation, or whether October or December would suit it better. Everything that stays the same all year, from neighborhoods to the drive down to the Keys, lives in our Florida where-to-stay guide and our road-trip planner.
THE MONTH AT A GLANCE · FORT LAUDERDALE · NOVEMBER
Book November for warm water and half of October’s rain, and take a refundable rate, because the hurricane season runs to November 30.
SEA 82.1°F · HIGHS 80.8°F · HURRICANE SEASON ENDS NOV 30
Go for: swimming in water warmer than the afternoon air, trail walks under 80.8°F highs, and about half of October’s rain.
Think twice before: a non-refundable booking, since November sits inside the Atlantic hurricane season until its last day.
Air: NOAA NCEI station USW00012849 · Sea: Open-Meteo Marine API · full sources at the end
On this page
- Fort Lauderdale weather in November80.8°F highs, 68.3°F lows and 4.8 rain days
- Can you swim in November?A sea at 82.1°F, and what that figure measures
- Crowds and hotel prices in NovemberCruise days, the 6% county tax and refundable rates
- Things to do in NovemberThree state parks with their beaches, trails and launches
- A two-day plan for NovemberTwo days built around a 5:32 pm sunset
- November vs October or DecemberHow the three months compare on heat, rain and sea
- Is November a good time to go?Who should book November and who should wait for December
Most November trips start at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL), a large hub by the FAA’s count, with 17,096,131 passengers boarded in 2024. The same airport keeps the weather station behind the normals below. Routes, fares and the choice between FLL and Miami sit in our Florida flights guide, and the state-wide calendar in the best time to visit Florida.
Fort Lauderdale weather in November: average highs, lows and rain days
| November normal | Value |
|---|---|
| Average high | 80.8°F (27.1°C) |
| Average low | 68.3°F (20.2°C) |
| Precipitation | 3.69 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 4.8 |
| Days with 1 in or more | 0.9 |
| Daylight on Nov 15 | 10 h 54 min |
| Sunrise / sunset on Nov 15 | 6:38 am / 5:32 pm |
Every air and rain figure here is a 1991-2020 official normal from NOAA NCEI, read at one thermometer: station USW00012849, listed as “FT LAUDERDALE HOLLYWOOD AP”. It is a real gauge, not a reanalysis grid cell, and it stands at the airport about three miles inland from the sand. For November it gives an average high of 80.8°F, an average low of 68.3°F and 3.69 inches of precipitation. Treat them as the airport’s month, since a beachfront reading can differ from an inland gauge.
Measurable rain, at least 0.10 inch, falls on 4.8 days of an average November, roughly one day in six. A downpour of an inch or more averages 0.9 day, close to one per month. Over a seven-night stay the average works out to about one day with measurable rain, so keep a single indoor plan in reserve and give the rest of the week to the beach.
Between the 80.8°F afternoon and the 68.3°F night lies a drop of 12.5°F. Pack for both ends: swimsuits, shorts and sunscreen for the day, plus a long-sleeved shirt or a light sweater for dinner outdoors and a breezy walk along the water after dark. A heavy coat can stay home, because the average low still sits above 68°F.
On November 15 the day lasts about 10 hours 54 minutes. After the clocks fall back, the sun rises at 6:38 am and sets at 5:32 pm Eastern time, so the beach light starts to fade soon after five. Swim in late morning and early afternoon, and book dinner for 6 pm or later to keep the sunset for the sand.
Fort Lauderdale sea temperature in November: can you swim?
The sea off Fort Lauderdale averages 82.1°F (27.8°C) in November, according to the Open-Meteo Marine API over 2015 to 2024. That figure is a mean of daily maxima, the warmest reading of each day, so it runs a shade warmer than a 24-hour average, and tables built on daily means will print a lower number for the same water. Its source and its years also differ from the NOAA air normals, so read the two side by side with that caveat in mind.
For a swimmer, 82.1°F is warm water, and in November it sits 1.3°F above the average afternoon high. Most people need no wetsuit at that temperature. Early mornings, when the air hangs closer to the 68.3°F low, are when the sea feels warmest by contrast, a good argument for a first swim before breakfast.
Our sources carry no wind, wave or surf data for November, so we give no swell outlook. Read the lifeguard flags on the day, and keep an eye on the National Hurricane Center until November 30, when the season officially closes. Our Florida safety guide covers beach flags and storm alerts.
How busy is Fort Lauderdale in November? Crowds and prices
On Florida’s calendar, November opens the dry season that runs through April, the stretch that built the state’s winter trade, as our month-by-month Florida guide sets out. That part is a calendar fact. We found no occupancy series and no monthly hotel-rate data for Fort Lauderdale, so we crown no month cheap or expensive, and the price advice below is about timing.
Port Everglades handled over 4.7 million cruise passengers in fiscal 2025. It is a homeport, where ships start and end their voyages, and the airport and the beach hotels fill on the same two days of the week as a result. Check the port’s sailing schedule before fixing dates and land a day either side of the ship days. For the rest of the week, we would book four to six weeks ahead (est.), earlier for a beachfront room.
Broward County levies a 6.0% transient rental tax on short stays, filed and paid together with the 6% state sales tax, according to the Florida Department of Revenue. Those two lines alone add 12% to the nightly rate. We could not verify whether any further local surtax applies, so we give no all-in percentage, and resort fees come on top wherever a hotel charges them.
Pay extra for one thing in November: a refundable rate. NOAA’s National Hurricane Center runs the Atlantic season from June 1 to November 30, with its peak on September 10 and most activity between mid-August and mid-October. November sits late in that window but still inside it. Flexible terms on the room and the flight cost more up front and let you move the trip if the tropics turn, and our Florida trip-cost guide prices the rest of the budget.
Things to do in Fort Lauderdale in November
November suits the outdoor half of Fort Lauderdale. Highs of 80.8°F sit 4.6°F under October’s, so a trail walk at noon becomes a pleasure again, and the sea at 82.1°F is still full swimming water. In December the air cools to highs of 77.7°F and the water to 79.3°F. Of the three months, November is the easiest one to fit a long walk and a long swim into the same day.
Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park is the largest of the three by the state’s own count: 2.2 miles of beach, 2.6 miles of hiking trail, 4,531 feet of boardwalk, one designated swimming area and 1,410 parking spaces. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is compact, with 0.1 mile of beach, 0.3 mile of trail, a canoe, kayak and tube launch, a swimming area and 275 spaces. Oleta River State Park, on the bay side within the metro area, adds 14 cabins, two paddle launches and 925 spaces.
Across these weeks the sea drops 2.4°F, from 84.5°F in October to 82.1°F in November, while the afternoon air falls 4.6°F, from 85.4°F to 80.8°F. That flips the balance. In October the average high still beats the water by 0.9°F, and in November the water runs 1.3°F above it. At Hugh Taylor Birch’s launch or Dr. Von D. Mizell’s swimming area, you step out of the sea into air that is, on average, slightly cooler than the water you left.
We could not read an entrance fee or an opening hour for any of the three state parks, so we call none of them free and give no times. Check the Florida State Parks listing before you drive. Broward County also runs more than 50 regional parks, nature centers, neighborhood parks, natural areas and specialty parks, and our Florida things-to-do guide covers the wider list.
Fort Lauderdale in November: a two-day itinerary
Day one. Aim for Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park near the 6:38 am sunrise, after checking the gate hours we could not read, and walk the 2.6 miles of trail and boardwalk before late morning. Swim from about 11 am to 1 pm, as the air climbs toward its 80.8°F high and the water sits near 82.1°F. Take lunch in the shade, swim again around 3 pm, and pack up by 5 pm with the light gone at 5:32 pm. The sweater comes out for dinner, as the evening slides toward 68.3°F.
Day two. Put a kayak or canoe in at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park’s launch in the morning (bring or arrange your own craft, since we could not verify rentals), then take the 0.3-mile trail before lunch. With 4.8 days of measurable rain in an average November, one day of a long weekend may turn wet. If it does, a Broward County Transit All Day Pass costs $5.00, bought on the bus, against $2.00 for a single ride, and it lets the car stay parked. If the National Hurricane Center posts a watch, skip the paddle and follow county instructions.
Fort Lauderdale in November vs October and December
| Normal | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 85.4°F | 80.8°F | 77.7°F |
| Average low | 74.4°F | 68.3°F | 64.7°F |
| Precipitation | 7.37 in | 3.69 in | 2.78 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 7.9 | 4.8 | 4.2 |
| Sea surface (daily maxima, 2015-2024) | 84.5°F | 82.1°F | 79.3°F |
| Hurricane season | Inside, near its most active stretch | Inside, until Nov 30 | Closed |
Against October, November halves the rain: 3.69 inches instead of 7.37, over 4.8 measurable days instead of 7.9. Highs drop 4.6°F to 80.8°F and lows 6.1°F to 68.3°F. December goes further, to 2.78 inches over 4.2 days, with highs of 77.7°F and lows of 64.7°F. The sea follows the same curve at 84.5°F, 82.1°F and 79.3°F on the Open-Meteo daily maxima, while all three months of air and rain come from the same NOAA station and the same 1991-2020 period.
Shift four weeks earlier and you gain 2.4°F of sea and warmer nights, but you take on 3.1 more rain days and a date at the tail of the hurricane season’s busiest stretch, mid-August to mid-October. Shift four weeks later and the season has closed, rain days fall to 4.2 and the sea loses 2.8°F to 79.3°F, with 64.7°F nights that call for a real jacket. Our October guide and December guide make each case in full.
Is November a good time to visit Fort Lauderdale?
Yes, for swimmers, walkers and families who want warm water with far less rain than October, and who can book flexible terms. No, for travelers who need a date entirely outside the hurricane season, or who picture every evening in shorts on the beach, since lows average 68.3°F.
If the answer is no, pick December. The hurricane season closes on November 30, rain falls to 2.78 inches over 4.2 days, and the sea still averages 79.3°F on the daily maxima, cooler but still a swim. Plan on a jacket for evenings in the mid-60s.
Of October, November and December, only November keeps the sea above 80°F and the rain under four inches.
The last word
Book the refundable room, set your dates around the two weekly ship days at Port Everglades, and pack one sweater. Once you land, the rental car can often wait: a Broward County Transit seven-day pass costs $20.00, and riders 65 and over or under 18 pay $1.00 a ride. Spend the mornings on the state’s 2.2 miles of beach at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson, and meet the 5:32 pm sunset with sand still on your feet.
Sources & data for this guide
- October, November and December air normals, precipitation and rain days · NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00012849 (FT LAUDERDALE HOLLYWOOD AP), about three miles inland · checked Sep 24, 2026 · station identity checked Sep 24, 2026
- Sea surface temperature, mean of daily maxima 2015-2024 · Open-Meteo Marine API · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Daylight, sunrise and sunset on November 15 · sunrise-sunset.org, converted from UTC to Eastern time · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Hurricane season dates and September 10 peak · NOAA National Hurricane Center · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Broward transient rental tax and state sales tax · Florida Department of Revenue, form DR-15TDT · checked Sep 24, 2026
- State park beaches, trails, boardwalk, launches, cabins and parking · Florida DEP Recreational Facilities Inventory, 2024 report · checked Sep 24, 2026
- FLL passenger boardings, CY2024 · Federal Aviation Administration · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Port Everglades cruise passengers, FY2025 · Broward County, porteverglades.net · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Broward County Transit fares · broward.org/bct/fares · checked Sep 24, 2026 (an earlier read on Sep 11 failed because the page renders only in a browser)
- Broward County parks count · broward.org/Parks · checked Sep 24, 2026
- What we could not verify: state park entrance fees and opening hours, kayak rentals, wind and wave data, any local surtax beyond the two 6% lines, and any hotel-rate or occupancy series. The booking lead time is our own estimate.
To plan your stay
- Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale: Three State Parks, 14 Cabins and $2.00 Bus Fares
- Best Time to Visit Fort Lauderdale: Weather, Sea Temperature and the Quiet Months
- Fort Lauderdale in October: Weather, Sea Temperature, Crowds and Hurricane Risk
- Fort Lauderdale in December: Weather, Sea Temperature and Crowds