Skip to content
seatemperatures.net

Warmest sea in North America in December

5,500 coastal locations in North America ranked by their typical December sea temperature. Region-wide average in December: 11.6°C. The top of the list is where to find the warmest swimming this month.

Warmest in December

Acapulco

29.4°C December mean in Mexico

Regional December average

11.6°C

across all 5,500 coastal locations in North America

Vs annual mean

-3.6°C

below the year-round regional average

What the North America sea feels like in December

Water at this temperature is cold and will feel very cold initially, but the body will get used to it and longer swims are possible. Experienced swimmers can manage several hours of swimming, however hypothermia is still a real risk.

North America monthly average 9.3°C to 21.6°C
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
  • Warmest month August 21.6°C
  • Coldest month February 9.3°C
  • Annual mean 15.2°C
  • Months above 20°C 3 of 12

Where December fits in the year

December sits inside the regional pattern shown on the left. Pick a different month to see how the ranking shifts.

All twelve North America month rankings:

North America sea temperature map (live)

The map shows today's latest reading at every North America location. The list below is based on the typical December mean, useful for trip planning weeks or months ahead.

Zoom in to see individual locations. Click a pin for water temperatures. View list →
°C -2 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 24 27 30 35

Top 50 warmest North America locations in December

Sorted by the typical December mean built from a decade of daily readings at each location. Click any place for its 30-day chart, monthly profile, and full 10-year history.

# Location December mean
1 Acapulco Guerrero 29.4°C
2 Puerto Chiapas Chiapas 29.4°C
3 Maldonado Guerrero 29.3°C
4 Tecoanapa Guerrero 29.3°C
5 Ixtapa Guerrero 29.3°C
6 Zihuatanejo Guerrero 29.3°C
7 Acapulco-C,Gro. Guerrero 29.2°C
8 Troncones Guerrero 29.2°C
9 Lazaro Cardenas Michoacan 29.1°C
10 Zihuatenajo,Gro. Guerrero 29.1°C
11 Puerto Arista Chiapas 29.0°C
12 Caleta de Campos Michoacan 29.0°C
13 Brisas de Zicatela Oaxaca 29.0°C
14 Puerto Escondido Oaxaca 29.0°C
15 Maruata Michoacan 28.9°C
16 Puerto Lazaro Cardenas Michoacán 28.9°C
17 Mascota Colima 28.7°C
18 Tecoman Colima 28.7°C
19 La Ticla Michoacan 28.7°C
20 Manzanillo Colima 28.5°C
21 Mazunte Oaxaca 28.5°C
22 San Agustinillo Oaxaca 28.5°C
23 Zipolite beach Oaxaca 28.5°C
24 Barra de Navidad Jalisco 28.5°C
25 San Patricio - Melaque Jalisco 28.5°C
Show 25 more ▸
26 San Patricio Jalisco 28.5°C
27 Chapala Jalisco 28.4°C
28 Guadalajara Jalisco 28.4°C
29 Villa Obregon Jalisco 28.4°C
30 Manzanillo-B Colima 28.4°C
31 Palmyra Island Northern Line Islands 28.4°C
32 Boca De Iguanas Jalisco 28.3°C
33 La Manzanilla Jalisco 28.3°C
34 Tenacatita Jalisco 28.3°C
35 Huatulco Oaxaca 28.2°C
36 Santa Maria Huatulco Oaxaca 28.2°C
37 Pochutla Oaxaca 28.2°C
38 Puerto Angel Oaxaca 28.2°C
39 Howland Island Minor Outlying Islands 28.1°C
40 Isla Cozumel Quintana Roo 28.0°C
41 Mayakoba at Playa del Carmen Quintana Roo 27.9°C
42 Paamul Quintana Roo 27.9°C
43 Playa del Carmen Quintana Roo 27.9°C
44 Playacar Quintana Roo 27.9°C
45 Puerto Aventuras Quintana Roo 27.9°C
46 Riviera Maya Quintana Roo 27.9°C
47 Cozumel Quintana Roo 27.9°C
48 Puerto Morelos Quintana Roo 27.9°C
49 Puerto Moreles,QR Quintana Roo 27.9°C
50 Costa Maya Quintana Roo 27.9°C

Coldest 10 in North America in December

Same data the other way. Helpful if you want to know which North America coasts to avoid for swimming in December.

# Location December mean
1 Dundas Harbour Nunavut -1.7°C
2 Grise Fiord Nunavut -1.7°C
3 Barrow Alaska -1.7°C
4 Iceberg Point Nunavut -1.7°C
5 Cameron Island Nunavut -1.7°C
6 Radstock Bay Nunavut -1.7°C
7 Wrangel Bay Nunavut -1.7°C
8 Airstrip Point Nunavut -1.7°C
9 Point Barrow, Alaska Alaska -1.7°C
10 Point Barrow Alaska -1.7°C

More on this region