TAMPA · DECEMBER · 27.9° N
Tampa in December starts the day after hurricane season ends. The Atlantic season runs June 1 to November 30, so a December booking carries none of the storm worry that shadows a September one. The afternoons stay mild too: NOAA’s official normals for Tampa International Airport give the month an average high of 73.9°F, the kind of warmth that sends a winter-weary visitor straight outdoors.
The trade happens at the water’s edge. The Gulf off Tampa slides from 74.2°F in November to 66.7°F in December, by Open-Meteo’s marine averages, and the sun is down by 5:38 p.m. on the 15th. Walking, paddling and state-park trails come out ahead in December. Long beach swims come out behind.
THE MONTH AT A GLANCE · TAMPA IN DECEMBER
Go to Tampa in December for mild afternoons, dry trails and a calendar clear of hurricane season, and pick November instead if a warm Gulf swim is the point of the trip.
OUTSIDE HURRICANE SEASON · GULF 66.7°F AT ITS DAILY PEAK · SUNSET 5:38 P.M. ON DEC 15
Go for: state-park trails and river paddling in cool mornings, the free streetcar to Ybor City, and a cruise departure from a homeport that sails eight ships.
Think twice before: planning a beach week around swimming, with the Gulf averaging 66.7°F at its warmest hour and 63.0°F in January.
Air: NOAA NCEI, Tampa Intl Airport station · Sea: Open-Meteo Marine API · full sources at the end
On this page
- Tampa weather in December73.9°F highs, 55.9°F lows, 3.6 rain days
- Can you swim in Tampa in December?The Gulf at 66.7°F, plus a spring swim area
- Hotel tax and crowds in DecemberA 6.0% county tax on top of 6% state sales tax
- Things to do in Tampa in DecemberHoneymoon Island, Little Manatee River and the free streetcar
- Two days in Tampa in DecemberDay plans built around a 5:38 p.m. sunset
- December, November or January in Tampa?How highs, rain and sea temperature compare
- Is December a good time to visit Tampa?Who should go, and who should book November
Where to sleep, how to fly in and how the city fits a wider trip stay the same whatever the month. Our Tampa city guide, where to stay in Florida and Florida flights guide cover them, and the best time to visit Florida sets December against the other eleven months statewide.
Tampa weather in December: average highs, lows and rain days
| Tampa, December | Normal or value |
|---|---|
| Average high | 73.9°F |
| Average low | 55.9°F |
| Precipitation | 2.56 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 3.6 |
| Days with 1 in or more | 0.7 |
| Daylight on Dec 15 | About 10 h 25 min |
| Sunrise / sunset, Dec 15 (Eastern) | 7:12 a.m. / 5:38 p.m. |
Every figure here comes from one thermometer: NOAA station USW00012842, listed as TAMPA INTL AP, whose 1991-2020 monthly normals are published by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. It is a station reading rather than a reanalysis grid cell, and the gauge sits at the airport, inland on the bay side instead of on a beach. Its December averages come to a 73.9°F high, a 55.9°F low and 2.56 inches of precipitation. A Gulf beach or a riverside trail an hour away can read differently, and we have no station figures for those spots.
Measurable rain, at least a tenth of an inch, falls on 3.6 days in an average December, roughly one day in nine. A fall of an inch or more averages 0.7 day, so fewer than one soaking day per December. For a week-long trip, expect about one wet day and keep a museum morning in reserve to absorb it.
Afternoon and night sit 18°F apart on average, from 73.9°F down to 55.9°F. A T-shirt walk along the river at 3 p.m. turns into a sweater evening in Ybor City by 7, so pack one warm layer and long pants for after dark, with a light rain shell for the wet day.
On December 15 the sun rises at 7:12 a.m. and sets at 5:38 p.m. Eastern time, about 10 hours 25 minutes of daylight. Trails and paddles should finish by 5 p.m., an 8 a.m. start buys the whole cool morning, and a 6 p.m. dinner table is already in the dark.
Can you swim in Tampa in December? Sea temperature and what it feels like
The sea surface off Tampa averages 66.7°F in December, according to the Open-Meteo Marine API over 2015 to 2024. That number is a mean of daily maxima, the warmest reading of each day, so it runs a shade warmer than a 24-hour average would, and the water at 8 a.m. sits below it. The source differs from the air figures as well: a marine model over ten recent years, not the airport station’s thirty-year normals.
At 66.7°F, getting in means a brisk, short swim for most adults and a squealing dip for children, and an average 73.9°F afternoon does little to warm you once you are out. Honeymoon Island State Park, on the Gulf northwest of Tampa, has one designated swimming area. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park has another, and its spring water holds its temperature all year, which makes it the steadier swim when the Gulf feels cold.
We found no wind or wave figures for December off Tampa, so we cannot say how often the Gulf turns choppy or how hard the breeze blows. Check a marine forecast on the morning you plan to swim and follow the flags lifeguards post on the beach.
How busy is Tampa in December? Crowds and prices
We found no hotel-rate or occupancy series for Tampa, so we rank no December week as cheap or expensive. Two calendar facts do hold. December falls inside Florida’s November-to-April dry season, as our Florida orientation sets out, and outside the Atlantic hurricane season, which ran June 1 to November 30 and peaked on September 10. For the statewide budget picture, see what a Florida trip costs.
We could not verify a typical booking lead time, so we give no count of weeks. Flights are the easier part: Tampa International boarded 12,075,591 passengers in 2024, enough for the FAA to class it a large hub. Cruisers have a second reason to plan early. Port Tampa Bay is a homeport for eight ships from five cruise lines, so you fly in and sail out, and the night before departure is a hotel night in Tampa.
Hillsborough County levies a 6.0% transient rental tax, filed and paid alongside the 6% state sales tax, according to the Florida Department of Revenue. Budget at least 12% above the quoted room rate. We did not verify any further local surtax, so the final line on your folio may run higher.
The spending choice that shapes a December stay is location. A room within walking distance of the free TECO Line Streetcar or the Riverwalk makes a car optional in town, with HART buses at $2.00 a ride and the day capped at $4.00. The state parks and springs are a different story: we did not verify transit to any of them, so rent a car for those days.
Things to do in Tampa in December
At a 73.9°F average high, five degrees below November’s afternoons, a long trail stays pleasant well past breakfast. Little Manatee River State Park counts 8.4 miles of hiking trail, and a morning spent on most of it ends before the day warms up. A river paddle in December means cool air on the water and daylight until 5:38 p.m.
Hillsborough River State Park has 350 parking spaces, three canoe, kayak and tube launches and 5 miles of hiking trail. Alafia River State Park is smaller, with 50 spaces, one launch and 1.2 miles of trail. On the Gulf, Honeymoon Island State Park counts 2,021 parking spaces and 1,671 feet of boardwalk. In the city, Ybor City Museum State Park has a 311-foot boardwalk. We could not read entrance fees or opening hours for any of them, so check with Florida State Parks before you drive.
The springs within reach of Tampa hold their water temperature all year, while the air above them drops to a 55.9°F average at dawn. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park has 255 parking spaces, Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park 197 and Crystal River Preserve State Park 77. Our guide to swimming with manatees covers the Crystal River side.
The TECO Line Streetcar is free, according to both HART and the City of Tampa. It runs 2.7 miles from downtown through the Channel District to Ybor City every 15 minutes. The Tampa Riverwalk, a public path, runs 2.6 miles along the Hillsborough River and links the Tampa Convention Center, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, the Tampa Museum of Art, the Glazer Children’s Museum, the Tampa Bay History Center, Amalie Arena and Water Works Park.
Tampa in December: a two-day itinerary
Day one: be at Hillsborough River State Park by 8 a.m., when the air sits nearest its 55.9°F low, launch a canoe or kayak from one of its three launches, then walk a stretch of its 5 miles of trail. Head downtown by 2 p.m. and walk the Riverwalk between Water Works Park and the Tampa Bay History Center, passing the Tampa Museum of Art. Around 5:15 p.m., board the free streetcar to Ybor City to arrive near the 5:38 p.m. sunset, warm layer in hand.
Day two, on a clear forecast: drive to Honeymoon Island State Park for early afternoon, the warmest part of the day, walk its 1,671 feet of boardwalk and try the designated swimming area before the light goes. If rain is forecast, stay in town. The Tampa Museum of Art, the Glazer Children’s Museum and the Tampa Bay History Center all sit on the Riverwalk, and two HART rides at $2.00 reach the $4.00 daily cap. We could not verify opening hours for any of them, so check each before setting out.
Tampa in December vs November and January
| Tampa normal | November | December | January |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 78.9°F | 73.9°F | 71.3°F |
| Average low | 60.7°F | 55.9°F | 52.8°F |
| Precipitation | 1.40 in | 2.56 in | 2.65 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 2.3 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
| Gulf surface, daily maxima (2015-2024) | 74.2°F | 66.7°F | 63.0°F |
From November to December the airport’s average high falls 5.0°F and the low 4.8°F, and precipitation nearly doubles, from 1.40 to 2.56 inches. January cools further but more gently: 2.6°F off the high, 3.1°F off the low, with 2.65 inches and 4.4 rain days. The Gulf drops 7.5°F into December, from 74.2°F to 66.7°F, then another 3.7°F to 63.0°F in January, by the Open-Meteo marine averages rather than the airport normals.
Moving four weeks earlier buys a Gulf 7.5°F warmer, afternoons near 79°F and 1.3 fewer rain days, at the cost of landing inside hurricane season, which runs through November 30. Moving four weeks later keeps you clear of the storm calendar but costs another 3.7°F of sea and adds 0.8 rain day. Our Tampa in November and Tampa in January guides take each month on its own terms.
Is December a good time to visit Tampa?
Yes, if the trip is built on trails, paddling, the Riverwalk and Ybor City evenings, or on a cruise out of Port Tampa Bay. A 73.9°F afternoon suits every one of those plans. No, if the family has come for long Gulf swims: at 66.7°F, the water is a brave dip for most visitors.
Swimmers should book November. Its Gulf averages 74.2°F, its afternoons 78.9°F, and its 1.40 inches of precipitation is the driest of the three months. Check the tropics before flying and choose a refundable rate, since November still sits inside hurricane season. Our Florida safety guide covers the storm side.
Of the three months compared, December alone combines a calendar outside hurricane season with a Gulf above 65°F.
The last word
Pack for the evening rather than the afternoon, and let the sea decide the month: under 67°F suits you, book December and spend the mornings on a river. Frost is barely a footnote, with the airport dropping to 32°F or below on 0.1 night in an average December, about once a decade. The streetcar every 15 minutes to Ybor City covers the rest.
Sources & data for this guide
- December, November and January air normals, precipitation, rain days and frost nights · NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00012842 (Tampa International Airport) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Station identity and location (TAMPA INTL AP, airport gauge on the bay side) · NOAA NCEI Search service · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Sea surface temperatures, mean of daily maxima 2015-2024 · Open-Meteo Marine API · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Daylight, sunrise and sunset on Dec 15 (converted from UTC to Eastern time) · sunrise-sunset.org · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Hurricane season dates and Sept 10 peak · NOAA National Hurricane Center · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Hillsborough County 6.0% transient rental tax and 6% state sales tax · Florida Department of Revenue, form DR-15TDT · checked Sep 24, 2026
- State park parking, launches, trails, boardwalks and swimming areas · Florida DEP Recreational Facilities Inventory 2024 · checked Sep 11 and Sep 22, 2026
- TPA passenger boardings and large-hub status · FAA, CY2024 boardings · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Cruise homeport, eight ships and five lines · Port Tampa Bay · checked Sep 24, 2026
- TECO Line Streetcar route, frequency and free fare · HART and City of Tampa · checked Sep 24, 2026 · HART fares and $4.00 daily cap · HART Flamingo Fares FAQ · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Riverwalk length and linked sites · City of Tampa · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Our note: we could not read state park entrance fees or opening hours, and we found no hotel-rate, occupancy, wind or wave series for Tampa in December. We give no figure where we lacked one. Museum hours change, so check operators before you go.