Fort Lauderdale, FL Climate & Monthly Averages

The climate of Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is genuinely wet: 69.2 inches (1758 mm) falls in an average year, across 202 days that carry about 8.7 mm each when they come. Temperatures are the calmer variable, running 75°F (24°C) to 87°F (31°C) between January and July.

Climate quick facts

• Hottest month: July - highs near 87°F (31°C)
• Coldest month: January - highs near 75°F (24°C)
• Decade extremes (2015-2024): 97°F (36°C) high · 39°F (4°C) low
• Wettest month: September (24 rainy days) · Sunniest: April (11.7 h sun/day)
• Climate type: tropical rainforest
• Annual swing: 8°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 6°C
• Months averaging 30°C or hotter: 3
• Average humidity: 77%

Temperatures through the year

Days and nights are about 6°C apart on average - narrower than all but 10% of the 3496 cities in our dataset. January sits at the other end of the year: 75°F (24°C) by day, 62°F (17°C) at night. Warmth peaks in July: highs of 87°F (31°C), lows of 77°F (25°C). The wettest month is September (9.9 inches (253 mm) across 24 days) and the driest February.

Rain, sun and snow

Between the average July and the average January lie 8°C, a narrower spread than about 80% of the cities we track. Four of the twelve months pair mild highs with fewer than twelve wet days; the longest unbroken run is December through March. Sunshine averages 10.2 hours a day over the year, peaking in April at 11.7 hours. The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 97°F (36°C) and bottoms at 39°F (4°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records.

How Fort Lauderdale compares

• Rain or snow reaches the ground on 202 days a year - more wet days than 91% of the 3496 cities we track.
• Annual precipitation is 69.2 inches (1758 mm) - wetter than 88% of the 3496 cities we track.

Ranked against every city in our dataset, each measured on the same ten-year window.

Best time to visit Fort Lauderdale

Aim for December to March if you get the choice: warm days, manageable rainfall and plenty of daylight line up, and highs average 77°F (25°C) against roughly 11 wet days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in December.

Pack for Fort Lauderdale with light clothing for the warm months, proper waterproofs rather than an umbrella - wet days are the norm here and moisture-wicking fabrics for the humidity. Even in July, lows of 77°F (25°C) make an extra layer worth the space.