Key West Weather

The island of Key West is part of the Florida Keys - a chain of coral cay islands located south, southeast of the North American mainland. Sitting next to fascinating coral reefs, it offers many scenic sandy beaches and is a wonderful destination to travel to. Due to the tropical climate of Key West, the weather shows only marginal differences in the temperatures throughout the year. The average temperature is 78.9°F (26.1°C). During the dry season from November to April, days are usually very sunny and pleasant. However, from May through October, the weather increases in humidity and towards the end of summer, hurricanes are possible.

Best Time to Visit Key West

As the area of Key West is characterized by traits of tropical climates, air and water temperatures remain typically warm throughout the whole year. However, the amount of rainfall shows significant monthly variations: From May through October, rainy days are very common with an average temperature of 84°F (29°C). This is the wet season. In the dry season however, days only have minimal rain but a lot of sunny and dry weather. The average temperature is slightly less than in the wet season at  74°F (23°C). Yet the range of monthly temperature averages only amounts to 15°F (8°C), implying that there are hardly any variations in temperature throughout the year. Taking the hurricane season into account as well, which occurs from June to November, the best time to pay a visit to Key West is from December to April. Accordingly, Key West has its highest visitor count in the months of December and January. During fall however, the numbers of visitors are at a minimum.

Days in Key West during the wet season (May through October) are characterized by rain and humidity. Heavy showers, especially during morning time, shortly followed by strong sunlight are typical. Precipitation reaches a peak in August through October being additionally affected by hurricanes and tropical thunderstorms at times. Visiting Key West during these months, rapidly changing weather conditions have to be expected.

Dry season (November through April) brings a lot of sunny days with low precipitation levels to Key West. Due to the dry climate, the average precipitation amounts to only 40 mm per year, causing Key West to be the driest place within Florida. While low rainfall is favorable for visits, the temperature at this time of the year can be somewhat cooler than in summer.

Due to changeable weather situations, it is highly recommended to keep an eye on local weather reports during your journey in Key West particularly to avoid major storms during hurricane season.

Things to know about Key West

• Key West is known for its great nature, lovely culture and unique city. Together with the neighboring islands Sunset Key, Fleming Key, Dredgers Key, and the northern area of Stock Island, Key West island forms the City of Key West, being the southernmost city of the continental U.S. 

• The island of Key West is a tropical island paradise. Besides the pleasant climate with nice weather conditions all year long, it has beautiful beaches lying next to the crystal-blue ocean. With a length of two miles, Smathers Beach is the largest and most popular beach in Key West. Due to calm and shallow waters, South Beach is the most family-friendly beach. The most pristine beach is Fort Zachary Taylor Beach, which is excellent for snorkeling as it is composed of ground coral instead of sand.

  
  

  
  

• The island of Key West is primed for a variety of outdoor adventures. For your vacation in Key West, you can find numerous guided tours offering activities like sailing, fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, kayaking, dolphin and shark watching, helicopter tours, and so on. 

  
  
  
  

• There are also several historic and cultural attractions, like the Dry Tortugas National Park, the Key West Museum of Art & History, the Harry S. Truman Little White House, or the Hemingway Home & Museum which is, as a home for over 60 cats, also a must for cat lovers.

• To find more about the island, plan a detour to the Key West Lighthouse and enjoy a panoramic view of Key West and its harbor. The viewing platform can be accessed via a spiral iron staircase, consisting of 88 steps. The lighthouse dates back to 1847 and sits directly across from the popular Hemingway house.

  
  
  
  

• Seize the opportunity of your stay in Key West and also explore the southernmost point of the U.S. continental area, which is located on the southern coast of Key West. Highlighted with a simple monument in colors red, black, and yellow, it’s a popular spot where tourists can enjoy the work of street artists and take home souvenirs from street traders. It’s the perfect location to capture your memories of Key West in a photo!

• If you want to reconnoiter the city of Key West, take a stroll through Duval Street. As a main tourist attraction in Key West, this street embraces a variety of shops, restaurants, historic locations and other places to visit. At specific times in the year, you can experience fascinating festivals and other events here.

  
  
  
  

• At the north end of Duval Street is the Mallory Square, a popular plaza where events like the daily Sunset Celebration take place. 

• Located in a side alley of Duval Street, you can find Key West Key Lime Pie Co, a lovely shop selling cute and tasty desserts. With its traditional or variously flavored key lime pies and chocolate dipped bars, the shop has gained great popularity in Key West. Make sure to stop by during your visit!

• If you were to catch some rainy days during your vacation in Key West, make sure to have some plans for indoor activities. For example, you can take the opportunity to visit the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. Strolling through the glass conservatory, visitors can find out more about the fascinating world of butterflies. Besides fifty different butterfly species, exotic birds can be observed as well. For educational purposes, you might find it fascinating to learn more about the life of butterflies in films offered by the Learning Center. Additionally, visitors can experience the transformational process of these tiny animals by taking part in the live caterpillar viewing.

• Another exciting indoor location is the Key West Aquarium. Exhibiting wildlife from the Atlantic Ocean, visitors can encounter various animals like angelfish, puffer fish, snappers, and many more. Starfish and conch are often a highlight for kids, as they are allowed to be touched. Moreover, different kinds of sharks can be studied, which is especially interesting during feeding times.

  
  
  
  

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