| Month | Air high / low | Ocean | Rain | Rainy days | Season | Big events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 74°F / 61°F | 75°F | 2.33 in | 4 | Peak | Art Deco Weekend, Capital One Orange Bowl (College Football Playoff) |
| February | 75°F / 63°F | 75°F | 2.27 in | 4 | Peak | Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show, South Beach Wine & Food Festival |
| March | 76°F / 65°F | 76°F | 2.47 in | 4 | Peak | Spring break in Miami Beach, Calle Ocho Music Festival, Miami Open (tennis), Miami Music Week, Ultra Music Festival |
| April | 80°F / 70°F | 78°F | 3.44 in | 5 | Shoulder | Miami Beach Pride, Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix |
| May | 83°F / 74°F | 80°F | 4.94 in | 6 | Shoulder | Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Paraiso Miami Swim Week |
| June | 86°F / 76°F | 83°F | 7.76 in | 10 | Low · hurricane | Paraiso Miami Swim Week |
| July | 88°F / 78°F | 85°F | 5.98 in | 9 | Low · hurricane | – |
| August | 88°F / 78°F | 86°F | 7.51 in | 10 | Low · hurricane | Miami Spice restaurant months |
| September | 87°F / 77°F | 85°F | 8.45 in | 11 | Low · hurricane | Miami Spice restaurant months |
| October | 84°F / 74°F | 82°F | 6.49 in | 9 | Shoulder · hurricane | Columbus Day Regatta |
| November | 79°F / 69°F | 79°F | 3.29 in | 5 | Shoulder · hurricane | – |
| December | 76°F / 65°F | 77°F | 2.25 in | 4 | Peak | Art Basel Miami Beach |
Air and rain: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals for the Miami Beach station (USW00092811) (rainy days = days with 0.1 in or more). Ocean: our averages from NOAA Lake Worth Pier records. "Season" is our reading of the crowd and price pattern, not an official figure.
The seasons in brief
Dry season, November to April. The six months from November through April bring 28% of the year's rain at Miami Beach. Beach highs run from the mid 70s to about 80°F, the sea cools to the mid 70s, and this is when hotels are full and prices high, peaking at Art Basel in early December, the holidays, Presidents' Day and March.
Wet season, May to October. The other 72% falls from May to October, mostly in short, heavy afternoon thunderstorms. Lightning is the bigger danger than the rain: get off the beach at the first thunder. The water is at its warmest, 85–86°F in the open Atlantic in August.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. NOAA's National Hurricane Center puts the climatological peak on September 10, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October. Most weeks have no storm at all; if you travel then, watch the NHC outlook and book flexibly.
Sargassum season is March through October by Miami-Dade County's definition, usually heaviest in late spring and summer, and it varies a lot from year to year. The county rakes or removes it daily on its beaches; the worst piles tend to arrive with high tide. Rotting mats give off hydrogen sulfide (the rotten-egg smell), which the Florida Department of Health says can irritate eyes, nose and throat; people with asthma should limit their time near it. For the current outlook, see the University of South Florida's Sargassum Watch.
Sea-turtle nesting season is May to October (Miami-Dade County). Leave marked nests alone, and keep lights off the beach at night.