Negril weather in December
December in Negril: hot, dry, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#4 of 12 months in Negril · #22 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 93/100 (tier S)
- Days
- 29°C
- Nights
- 25°C
- Wet days
- 4
- Sun
- 9.9 h
- Humidity
- 76%
- Daylight
- 11 h

Traveller notes on Negril in December
Negril-forum threads on December weather call it close to ideal: warm days with a nice trade wind, sunny with the odd cloud crossing the sun for relief, and a bay that runs calm most of the time. Water sits in the low 80s Fahrenheit, days in the low-to-mid 80s, nights cool enough that a light sweater feels good in the evening. Mid-December marks the start of the region's traditionally settled season, humidity and precipitation both tapering off from the months before, though posters note there have still been unusually soggy Christmases in the past. The one real risk flagged: a strong winter storm pushing down into Florida or Cuba can turn the bay choppy or worse, four-to-five-foot waves and a couple of days of heavy weather, though it is uncommon. The record: 28.7C days feeling like a sticky 32C, 24.8C nights, just 17mm across 4.2 days, a 28.8C sea, 76 percent humidity and 9.9 hours of sun - book before the holiday crowd for the best combination of weather and price.
Other months in Negril
April sits at the end of the drier half of the Jamaican year, November to April, and regulars call it one of the best weeks to be here - humidity not yet oppressive, showers brief and mostly in the afternoon. Our row agrees in an unusual way: 44.8mm across 12.9 days is three and a half millimetres a time, rain you walk through. On the question this board answers most often, they are reassuring but not absolute - sargassum rides the trade winds onto north-facing shores and tends to miss this west-facing coast, though nobody guarantees it. Heat is 29.5C reading as 35C, with a 28.4C sea. The record: humidity 74 percent, 11.6 hours of sun and AQI 39.
Negril-forum threads on September weather are candid about two overlapping realities: it sits deep in hurricane season, right at its statistical peak stretching from late August into early September, and it's also simply hot and muggy nearly every day regardless of storm activity. Despite the ominous framing, regulars who return every fall report years of trips without a serious weather incident - one long-time visitor recalls only a single direct hurricane hit and one near-miss across many years, each costing just a single lost day. Daily showers are common, typically brief rather than day-long, and posters consistently recommend travel insurance as the practical hedge rather than avoiding the month outright. Rates and crowds both drop meaningfully this time of year. The record: 30.4C days feeling like a punishing 37C, 26.7C nights, 82mm across 18.5 days, 79 percent humidity, a 31.2C sea and 10.8 hours of sun.
Negril-forum threads on May weather call it the start of the warmer half of the year - hot, sunny days punctuated by a brief shower most afternoons, typically arriving around the early-to-mid-afternoon window and clearing again within about ten minutes, sun back out shortly after. May and June together run wetter by the numbers than April, and posters put the odds of rain on any given day at roughly a third, a noticeable few inches accumulating across a two-week stay. The humidity is what regulars flag as the real difference from the cooler months, since the temperature swings only modestly through the year - it's the mugginess that makes May feel meaningfully warmer than a winter visit despite a similar thermometer reading. The record: 29.9C days feeling like a sticky 35C, 25.7C nights, 88mm across 17.2 days, 76 percent humidity, an 11.4-hour sun day and a 29.4C sea.
March is historically Negril's driest month, and our row's 28.5mm across 9.1 days is the shape of that - frequent but tiny. The sea is still near its winter floor, around 82 or 83F, which our row gives as 27.3C, while the resort pools are warmer than in December because the sun has strengthened. What regulars warn about instead is wind: one mid-March week was windy enough that sand blew into people's faces on the beach and the watersports operators stayed shut all week. On spring break, the local consensus is not to worry - Negril sees some, they stay at the resorts that court them, and the quieter and higher-priced places barely notice. The record: 28.9C days that feel like 33C, 24C nights, humidity 74 percent and 11.1 hours of sun.
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Negril climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Negril in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsReggae Marathon, Dry season and winter peak, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Negril's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherNegril's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.
What's on in Negril in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Reggae Marathon
6 DecSporting eventCrowdedBook earlyA marathon, half and 10K along Long Bay at first light on the first Sunday of December, sound systems at every mile and a beach party at the finish. The hotels on the route fill for the weekend. Source ↗
- Season
Dry season and winter peak
1 Dec – 15 Apr · usuallyCrowdedThe driest and fullest stretch of the year. Seven Mile Beach is booked out, the cliff hotels on the West End go to minimum stays, and the sunset at Rick's is standing room by six.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
18 Dec – 2 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe dearest fortnight on the coast, with Jamaicans home from abroad and every flight into Montego Bay full. New Year's Eve on the beach is the loudest night of the year here. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Negril — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Negril?
Negril in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Negril?
- December in Negril: hot, dry, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #4 of 12 months for Negril on SeasonMap's comfort score (93/100).
- What is the weather like in Negril in December?
- In December, Negril averages a daily high of 28.7°C and a low of 24.8°C, with about 16.7 mm of rain over roughly 4.2 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Negril in December?
- Negril has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 35 in December.
Within 300 km: Montego Bay's Winter and cruise season around 15 Nov – 15 Apr, and Ocho Rios' Cruise season around 1 Nov – 30 Apr.