Summers are often hot, but the high temperatures are tempered by frequent afternoon or early evening thunderstorms. In any winter month, as you travel north along the Atlantic or Gulf coasts, the ocean steadily becomes cooler. At the upper end of the range, the hottest places are in southern Florida, while at the bottom end of the range, the coolest places are on the Florida panhandle and along the northeast coast. How Hot Is Florida In January? Ocean Temperatures off California Beaches. Updated 7:18 PM ET, Tue October 20, 2020 . Florida boasts some of the best water temperatures in the continental United States, year-round. In turn it takes months before the water temperatures in the Pacific have the chance to rise back above the average to be in an el Niño event which broadly stated is the exact opposite of la Niña. That’s according to a recent outlook report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who in part attributed the long range temperature and precipitation outlook for the next several months to the influences of the ongoing la Niña event in the Pacific Ocean. The tables below give the monthly averages for ocean temperatures at Florida beaches in degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius for December, January and February. Regions in green and blue are running below average, areas in orange and red are running above average. The setup of cooler than average water like this is a tell-tale signature of a la Niña event in the Pacific basin. Home | Privacy & Cookies | Contact | About. In the report, NOAA highlights all of Florida in the 50% to 60% probability region for temperatures to be above the average for the upcoming winter season. The Gulf waters cool a little earlier in winter compared with the Atlantic. The warmest nights, or highest average minimum temperatures typically occur at Key West. For a look at the variation in climate across Florida, the next table lists by month the range of average maximum and minimum temperatures recorded throughout the state. Copyright © 2020 Waterman Broadcasting of Florida, LLC, Two girls, one teen arrested for vandalizing Cape Coral church, Fort Myers man charged with DUI manslaughter in crash that killed two, seriously injured two, Estero country singer wins over Blake Shelton in ten seconds on The Voice, Exceptions included in new Collier County mask mandate, Man killed in Cape Coral dump truck crash, 2020: A costly year of American weather that’s not done yet, The competing definitions of dry season’s start, Drier and warmer than average winter likely in Florida because of la Niña, Naples man changes Gov. This limits the intrusions of cold air into the southern US like South Florida keeping us on average warmer and less rainy in the wintertime. January may be Florida's coolest mid-winter month but by UK standards it's delightfully warm. The coolest water of the year for Florida occurs at the state's northeast corner in January and February. Because of the sheer size of the Pacific Ocean, it takes months for the basin to cool to be declared in a la Niña event. The upcoming winter season has a high probability of being drier and warmer than average in Florida and most of the southern tier of the United States. During winter, the warmest ocean water along the continental United States is usually at Miami Beach in the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean at Miami remains the country's hottest, outside of tropical islands, throughout December, January and February. Nighttime temperatures often get the coldest at De Funiak Springs, at Niceville near Fort Walton Beach, and at Fountain, a community inland from Panama City. During winter, the warmest ocean water along the continental United States is usually at Miami Beach in the Atlantic Ocean. The water temperature off Miami averages 72 °F (22 °C) over winter. The darker the shade of red, the higher the probability of temperatures during winter being above average. But north of Miami, the Atlantic Ocean grows even colder in February. These coastal water temperatures are averages compiled by the US National Oceanographic Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By Katie Hunt, CNN. The water temperature off Miami averages 72 °F (22 °C) over winter. DeSantis’ address in voter database, Two Charlotte County men refuse to wear masks while voting, Lee County man wanted by FBI caught in Ft. Lauderdale. The temperatures are monthly means based on data collected by weather stations throughout the state from 1971 to 2000 and made available by the NOAA National Climatic Data Center of the United States. Typically when Southwest Florida sees dry and warm winters that are common during la Niña events, wildfire conditions are heightened because of the extended period of time of warm weather and low rain amounts.