Are North Floridan beaches nice in the winter?

23 comments

1. The water will be too cold to comfortably swim in. Air temps should be nice although bringing a sweatshirt is recommended and you might be chilly at night without one.

   Also, Destin and 30A are usually a better time than PCB.

2. Here I am wondering why this question is coming in the Spring and I see you’re asking about November. Winter is late December to early March. Although I guess tbh, 70s might be cold to Floridians.

3. It will be hit or miss on water and air temperature, but it will probably still be a good place to spend some time. You just may not want to do a ton of swimming.

   I would expect 60s-70s most days with cooler evenings.

4. Panama City Beach is the single saddest place I have ever visited. No one there is having a good time.

5. Yes it should still be fairly warm in November. The water may be less warm from January-March, but it’s still decent. Florida isn’t particularly well known for cold winters.

6. > I wanted to visit Panama City beach in November

   [Ah, the Redneck Riviera](https://gfycat.com/latesofthoneyeater)

   Go farther south for better water. November can still be hurricane-y too.

7. Probably too cold to go in but I suppose it depends where you come from. I’m from the north and moved to central Florida. What used to be perfect weather for winter I now find cold lol

8. I usually go right near the Florida Alabama border for Thanksgivings. I’ve needed a jacket for some days, and not others. Water temperature is usually warmer than the air temperature. But you’ll want to consider the wind as well.

9. A quick Googling tells me you can expect the air to have highs around 75F/24C and the water to be around 67F/19C at that time of year. That’s beach weather to me, but might not be beach weather to you, IDK.

10. Water temps in winter are fine if you’re used to that cold-ass Pacific water at Cali beaches. The real problem is the weather. Florida winters are wet and no one wants to be at the beach when it’s 38F and pouring rain.

11. Florida is a horrible place and it is not recommended that anyone go there at any time for any reason.

12. That’s a great time to visit the beach, as long as you’re not swiming. However, I’d recommend the stretch west of Panama City, from Rosemary Beach all the way over the Orange Beach, Alabama. Panama City is a little too touristy. And is still recovering from the Category 5 hurricane that hit a few years ago.

    For my money? I’d go to either Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach/Seaside (If you’ve ever seen The Truman Show, it was filmed there), Destin, or Orange Beach.

    My personal favorite on that stretch of the beach is the fantastic hotel at Alabama’s Gulf State Park. It sits by itself on a long, undeveloped portion of the beach.

13. [This link](https://seatemperature.info/panama-city-beach-water-temperature.html)will tell you water temps. It’s 70ish on average that time of year. The water will still be beautiful whether that’s too cold for you or not. Definitely will be a better experience in that there are far less crowds that time of year.
    Air temp is cool but generally nice through November. So it all depends on your interpretation of nice weather.

14. Panama City Beach average November sea temperature · Max: 25.1°C / 74.6°F · Avg: 21.9°C / 71.4°F · Min: 18.8°C / 68.3°F ·

15. There are so many better beach destinations in northern Florida, I don’t understand why you would choose PCB. Destin is literally an hour down the road, so much nicer and less trashy.

16. In my opinion, October is the absolute best month for panhandle beaches. It’s too hot in the summer (and the water is so warm that it’s not much relief), too cold in the winter, and too many people in the spring. Early November is also normally very nice. Late November is a toss-up. It could be 70s and beautiful all week, or it could be 50s and rainy.

    October-November is also the tail end of hurricane season, so keep an eye on that.

17. Just drive 4 more hours south to West Palm Beach and go to the beach there. It’s warmer in the winter and it’s way clearer.

18. Water is too cold to swim but it’s beautiful and far more relaxing because there’s less people.

19. I’ve been in the water in November trying to surf, but I wouldn’t want to go swimming then, but it would be a great time to go fishing and exploring the bayous on a boat.

    The water tends to get cloudy by the end of summer (lots of algae). I can’t remember if it clears up by November, but it’s usually really clear by January.

20. Weather can be manic that time of year. Have indoor or alternate plans if it’s not a beach day. It’s off season, so condos and beach houses should be cheaper as compared to peak summer.

    Water clarity should be great, it’s the emerald coast. Occasionally seaweed becomes an issue but it clears almost as quickly as it appears.

21. I’m partial to the Atlantic coast but I understand Panama City has some of the best STD’s this time of year.

22. Put it this way: anyone actively swimming at beaches north of Tampa in November is almost guaranteed to be a tourist or at least a newly-arrived transplant who hasn’t adjusted to the weather yet.

    Even before I moved here, you would not catch me in the water after October. Water is way too cold to me, and I say that as someone who spent the first 40yrs of my life in Minnesota. Maybe feet in the water’s edge, walking along the beach for some fresh salty air, but that’s it.

23. That’s very much the off-season and water is too cold by local standards, but it will not be particularly cold and there’s still plenty to do.

    Do not listen to the people pushing 30A and Destin. Panama City has better beaches and much more to do. 30A is full of upper-middle class Stepford Wives and is incredibly boring while Destin is sterile, more expensive, and has inferior beaches. Plus you can easily drive there in an hour from PCB if you want.