Ocean Water Temperatures in Winter at Florida's Beaches

The tables below give the monthly averages for ocean temperatures at Florida beaches in degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius for December, January and February.

The list of beaches runs from south to north along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

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 ocean at Miami remains the country's hottest, outside of tropical islands, throughout December, January and February.

The Gulf waters cool a little earlier in winter compared with the Atlantic. But temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico also start rising sooner in late winter. So January is the coolest month of the year for Gulf coast water. But north of Miami, the Atlantic Ocean grows even colder in February.

In any winter month, as you travel north along the Atlantic or Gulf coasts, the ocean steadily becomes cooler. The coolest water of the year for Florida occurs at the state's northeast corner in January and February. Then the ocean at Fernandina Beach is usually around 55 °F (13 °C).

Actual ocean temperatures do of course vary from year to year depending upon the weather and the flow of ocean currents.

These coastal water temperatures are averages compiled by the US National Oceanographic Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Florida's average ocean temperature in °F
Dec Jan Feb
Atlantic Ocean
Miami Beach 73 71 73
Stuart Beach 70 67 66
Daytona Beach 65 61 59
St Augustine Beach 60 57 56
Fernandina Beach 58 55 55
Gulf of Mexico
Key West 72 69 70
Naples 68 66 66
St. Petersburg 64 62 64
Cedar Key 60 58 60
Pensacola 58 56 58
Average water temperature at Florida beaches in °C
Dec Jan Feb
Atlantic Ocean
Miami Beach 23 22 23
Stuart Beach 21 19 19
Daytona Beach 18 16 15
St Augustine Beach 16 14 13
Fernandina Beach 14 13 13
Gulf of Mexico
Key West 22 21 21
Naples 20 19 19
St. Petersburg 18 17 18
Cedar Key 16 14 16
Pensacola 14 13 14
Reference

National Oceanographic Data Center. NOAA. NODC Coastal Water Temperature Guide (CWTG).

Florida Ocean Temperatures
Atlantic Temperatures
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