Santa's Gift to Miami Is a Shit Ton of Rain

This weekend is full of rain and weather hazards. Bah humbug.

December 20, 2019

Miami Beach will look like this, only with a helluva lot more rain. Photo by Dan Cederholm / Flickr

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On the weekend before Christmas/the forecast gave to Miami/a totally crappy weather spree!

That's right — hope you enjoyed yesterday's cooler temperatures, because this weekend is full of rain and weather hazards. If your office holiday party is coming up or you have last-minute shopping to do, you'll definitely need to take an umbrella with you.

Today will be mostly gray, drizzly, and windy across Miami-Dade, and that's just the beginning. A cold front will move through South Florida late Sunday into Monday, bringing rain and storms. Tomorrow's chance of rain is about 40 percent during the day, and temperatures will reach the high 70s. Late Saturday will bring strong storms and heavy rain. Sunday evening, the beginning of Hanukkah, has a 70 percent chance of rain.

"Some of these storms will be pretty nasty," says Robert Garcia, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Miami.

Garcia says it's not the best weekend for boating or swimming. There's a risk of rip currents, high surf, and gusty winds throughout the weekend. If you're anywhere near the South Florida coast tonight, wind gusts could reach 35 mph. Saturday's and Sunday's storms bring the possibility of strong winds and tornadoes. Bah, humbug.

"We just tell folks to stay weather-aware," Garcia says.

There's some chance of rain Monday, but it looks like the weather will clear by Nochebuena on Tuesday. Your pig roast in the caja china is safe for now.

Miami-Dade's holiday temperatures won't stray far from recent historical norms. Garcia says during this part of December, highs are usually in the mid-to upper 70s and lows are in the lower 60s. South Florida's coldest Christmas on record, Garcia says, was in 1989, when it was only 30 degrees. The hottest Christmas on record was in 2016, at 85 degrees.

If you're dreaming of a chilly Christmas, maybe put it on your list for next year.

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