Everglades Weather: Wet Season, Dry Season and the Best Time to Visit

Everglades weather comes in two flavors, not four. The National Park Service puts it plainly: the four seasons of the continental United States give way in south Florida to only two, wet and dry. The dry season, roughly December to April, is mild, sunny and low in humidity, with average highs in the upper 70s °F. The wet season, roughly May to November, is hot and sticky, with highs around 90°F, a heat index that passes 100°F, an afternoon thunderstorm most days, and clouds of mosquitoes.

For most visitors the answer to “when should I go?” follows from that. Winter and early spring are the comfortable months, and also the months when the animals are easiest to find, because shrinking water pulls fish, birds and alligators together. Summer is cheaper on patience (fewer people, no parking lines) but harder on the body, and the wildlife spreads out across a flooded landscape. Below: the park’s own month-by-month numbers, what each season feels like on the ground, hurricanes, bugs, crowds, and how to pick your month.

The short answer

Best overall: December to April. Dry, mild, low humidity, the most wading birds, the fullest program of ranger walks and boat tours. Also the busiest.
Shoulder months: November and May. The seasons hand over; you may get dry-season comfort or the first summer storms.
Hardest: June to September. Highs in the 90s, the heaviest rain, the most mosquitoes, and the peak of hurricane season. Tours still run, and the open water of Florida Bay stays breezier and less buggy than the inland trails.

The park’s own pages draw the season lines slightly differently, which is worth knowing before you over-plan. The weather page has the dry season running from about December to mid-May and the wet season from about mid-May to November. The dry-season page calls November through April the dry season. The basic-information page says the dry season is typically December through April and the wet season May to November, and adds that it varies from year to year. Treat the edges as soft: what matters is whether the rains have started, not the date on the calendar.

Two seasons, not four

South Florida’s subtropical climate, in the park’s words, means warm, humid, rainy summers and mild, dry, pleasant winters with periodic incursions of cool air. The engine behind it is simple. In summer, continental cold fronts cannot push that far south, so heat and moisture build until they break as thunderstorms. In winter, cold fronts sweep down the peninsula every so often, clear out the humid air, and leave cool, dry, stable weather behind them.

The difference in rain is stark. The majority of the year’s average rainfall, nearly 60 inches (152 cm), falls in the wet season. South Florida receives only about one quarter of its yearly rain during the winter dry season, and much of that comes in quick squall lines along passing fronts.

Month by month at Royal Palm

The park publishes monthly averages for the Royal Palm area, near the main entrance and the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, from the Southeast Regional Climate Center. Highs and lows are average daily maximum and minimum temperatures; rain is the monthly total.

January: high 78°F (25°C), low 54°F (12°C), 1.65 in (42 mm) of rain.
February: high 80°F (27°C), low 56°F (13°C), 1.85 in (47 mm).
March: high 82°F (28°C), low 58°F (15°C), 1.92 in (49 mm).
April: high 85°F (29°C), low 61°F (16°C), 2.77 in (70 mm).
May: high 88°F (31°C), low 66°F (19°C), 5.86 in (149 mm).
June: high 90°F (32°C), low 71°F (22°C), 9.07 in (230 mm), the wettest month.
July: high 91°F (33°C), low 73°F (23°C), 7.07 in (180 mm).
August: high 92°F (33°C), low 73°F (23°C), 8.30 in (211 mm), the hottest month.
September: high 91°F (32°C), low 73°F (23°C), 8.71 in (221 mm).
October: high 87°F (31°C), low 70°F (21°C), 5.54 in (141 mm).
November: high 83°F (28°C), low 63°F (17°C), 2.28 in (58 mm).
December: high 79°F (26°C), low 57°F (14°C), 1.37 in (35 mm), the driest month.
Year: high 85°F (30°C), low 65°F (18°C), 56.4 in (1,432 mm).

Two things jump out. The temperature range across the year is narrow: even the coolest month has highs in the upper 70s. What really changes is the rain, which jumps more than fivefold from the driest month to the wettest, and the humidity that comes with it. May and October are the transition months, each with several inches of rain but not yet (or no longer) the full summer pattern.

The dry season: December to April

The park’s dry-season page describes these months as mild and pleasant, with low humidity and clear skies, and gives average highs of 77°F and lows of 53°F. It calls the dry season one of the most popular times to visit, for three reasons: lower temperatures, fewer mosquitoes, and abundant wildlife.

Expect sunny days, cool mornings, and the occasional cold front. Those fronts bring breezy, cooler days, and occasionally near-freezing temperatures reach south Florida, though the park stresses such events are rare in this subtropical climate. Wind matters more than you might think: the weather page warns that breezy winter conditions can make it feel considerably cooler than the thermometer reads, which is worth remembering on an open boat or an airboat at speed.

Bugs do not disappear. The park notes that mosquitoes and biting flies may still occur in some areas and at dusk and dawn, and recommends repellent, head nets or bug jackets even in this season.

This is also the season when the park is fully staffed for visitors. Ranger-led bicycle programs, including full-moon rides, run in the winter season, which the park says typically runs from December through April, and the Florida Bay boat tour from Flamingo only operates from November 1 to April 30.

The wet season: May to November

The wet-season page is blunt: the Everglades are typically hot and humid from May through November, with average highs of 90°F, humidity over 90%, and a heat index over 100°F. Afternoon thunderstorms can be expected daily, with heavy rain that usually passes quickly.

The storms follow a pattern. Mornings tend to be the calmer part of the day. Heat builds, sea breezes push cooler air inland from the Atlantic and the Gulf, and storms erupt along those sea-breeze fronts. The park says a storm can last from a few minutes to several hours, that at times they come almost daily, and that slow-moving ones can drop several inches of rain. The very largest totals come with tropical storms and hurricanes.

On the ground, the wet season changes the landscape itself. As water levels rise, the park notes, animals disperse and wildlife viewing becomes more challenging. Insects can be profuse in some areas, and outdoor activity is uncomfortable without repellent or mosquito netting. Ranger programs and tours are more limited, and some facilities may close or not be fully operational.

It is not all downside: the crowds are gone and the parking lines at Shark Valley vanish. If you go in summer, plan around the clock: be out early, be under cover by early afternoon, and keep the hottest hours for a visitor center or a boat.

Heat and the heat index

The number on the thermometer understates summer here. The park urges visitors to watch the heat index, which combines temperature and humidity into how hot it actually feels. Its example: at 90°F (32°C) under very high humidity, the heat index is about 105°F (41°C). Sweat cools you by evaporating, and saturated air slows that down, so you overheat faster than you expect.

The park’s safety advice applies all year but bites hardest from May to October:

Bring water, especially in summer, plus sunscreen and a hat.
Wear cool, loose-fitting clothing and sunglasses.
Think about the fitness of everyone in your group before a long walk, bike ride or paddle. Visitors not used to the subtropics should expect it to be very hot and humid.
Know how long your trail is before you start, and tell someone your plans.

Shade is scarce on the busiest route. On the Shark Valley tram road the park notes very limited shade and a water fountain at the observation tower, 7 miles south of the parking lot. In summer, a tram tour or an early-morning ride beats a midday bike loop.

Hurricane season

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The park sits, as its weather page puts it, within one of the most active hurricane areas of the United States, and warns that all or part of the park may be closed before, during, and after severe weather.

The damage is not theoretical. The original Gulf Coast Visitor Center at Everglades City was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in September 2017, and its temporary replacement by Hurricane Ian in 2022; the new Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center opened in 2026. At Flamingo, the viewing platform at Eco Pond was heavily damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2005 and has been removed. The coast’s best natural protection is the mangrove belt, which the park calls the first line of defense against hurricane winds and storm surge.

If your dates fall between June and November, book refundable where you can, watch the forecasts in the week before you travel, and check the park’s alerts on the morning you drive out.

Mosquitoes and biting flies

Mosquitoes are the single biggest weather-related complaint about the Everglades, and they track the rain. The park’s safety page says they are plentiful at certain times of year, and gives three practical rules:

They are worse on overcast days and at dusk and dawn, especially in summer.
For fewer of them, avoid shade and walking through grassy areas.
Protect yourself with long sleeves and pants and/or repellent.

In the dry season they ease off but do not vanish, mostly showing up in sheltered spots and around sunrise and sunset. One reliable escape at any time of year is the water: the park says the open waters of Florida Bay are relatively mosquito-free, even in summer. Boat tours from Flamingo and the Gulf Coast, and the airboats on the Tamiami Trail, keep you moving in the breeze, which helps too.

Where the wildlife is, season by season

The dry season is wildlife season, and the reason is water. As the marshes shrink through winter and spring, fish and other aquatic animals crowd into the remaining deeper water, and the predators follow. The park’s geology page notes that solution holes, pits dissolved into the limestone, give aquatic animals refuge in the winter dry season. The park’s basic-information page credits the warm winters with attracting the largest variety of wading birds and their predators, and its mangrove page notes that wading birds gather in the mangroves to feed and nest during the dry months.

A few seasonal highlights from the park’s own pages:

Anhinga Trail, winter: alligators, turtles, anhingas, herons, egrets and many other birds, especially during the winter. It is the park’s best-known boardwalk for a reason.
Roseate spoonbills, November to March: more than two hundred breeding pairs nest on Sandy Key, Tern Key, Joe Key and other islands in Florida Bay. Sandy Key, 10 miles southwest of Flamingo, is a hub of spoonbill activity in winter.
Mrazek Pond, a few winter days: for a few days in some winters, dropping water concentrates fish and large numbers of wading birds, including spoonbills and wood storks, move in to feed.
Paurotis Pond, early spring: a wood stork rookery fills the mangroves of this small pond on the road to Flamingo.
River otters, spring: commonly seen at the Anhinga Trail and Shark Valley.

In the wet season, animals disperse across the flooded marsh. You will still see alligators and birds, especially from a boat, but the concentrations that make winter famous are gone. Spring has one more twist: the park notes that most natural fires burn in spring, at the end of the dry season when water levels are lowest.

Crowds, parking and hours by season

Good weather draws people, and the Everglades has only a few roads in. Shark Valley, on the Tamiami Trail west of Miami, is the pinch point. The park says peak season there typically runs from December into April, when parking usually fills by 10 a.m. and the lot can switch to one car in, one car out. Entrance waits can top an hour on the busiest winter weekends and holidays. The park’s advice: come on a weekday, arrive before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m., and arrive 1.5 to 2 hours early for a scheduled tram tour.

Hours shift with the seasons too:

Main entrance (Homestead): open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from mid-December through March, and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April to mid-December.
Guy Bradley Visitor Center, Flamingo: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from November 16 to April 30; from May 1 to November 15 it opens 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closes on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Shark Valley gate: 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.

For fees, passes and the extra charge for non-US residents, see our guide to Everglades tickets, entrance fees and hours.

Tours through the year

Most paid ways of seeing the Everglades run in both seasons, but the menu is longer in winter.

Shark Valley tram: the operator runs roughly two-hour narrated tours year-round, with more departures in winter. Its posted summer schedule (May 1, 2026 through December 18, 2026) has departures at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., plus 4:00 p.m. on weekends and holiday weeks.
Flamingo boat tours: the backcountry tour up the Buttonwood Canal into Whitewater Bay leaves daily at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., year-round. The Florida Bay tour only runs from November 1 to April 30. Both last 90 minutes with a naturalist or park ranger.
Airboats: the park lists three airboat operators on the Tamiami Trail inside the park (Coopertown, Gator Park and Everglades Safari Park), 15-20 minutes east of Shark Valley. In summer an airboat ride fits neatly into a morning from Miami: you are moving in the breeze, and you can be back on the road before the afternoon storms build. Our Everglades airboat guide explains which rides run inside the park, and the tours page lists options.
Ranger programs: more limited in the wet season; check the park calendar for your dates.

Cold snaps, storms and what to pack

Pack for the season, not the postcard.

December to April:

A light fleece or jacket for early mornings, cold fronts and boat rides.
Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen; winter sun is still strong.
Repellent for dawn and dusk.
Binoculars: this is bird season.

May to November:

Light, loose, long-sleeved clothing, which helps with both sun and mosquitoes.
A rain jacket or poncho, and a dry bag for your phone.
More water than you think, and snacks: the park recommends bringing your own food, as only snacks are sold at most sites.
Head net or bug jacket for any trail walk.

All year, remember that the park is remote. At Flamingo cell reception is unreliable, with generally only AT&T giving signal west of Nine Mile Pond, so check forecasts before you leave the mainland.

Picking your month

December to February: the classic window. Coolest, driest, best for birds and alligators on the boardwalks; also the busiest at Shark Valley and around the holidays. Bring a layer for cold fronts.
March and April: still dry and still excellent for wildlife as water keeps dropping, with warmer afternoons. April’s average high is 85°F. Wood storks at Paurotis Pond in early spring.
May: the handover. Highs near 90°F by the end of the month and the first big rains; fewer people. Mornings can still be good.
June to September: hot, wet and buggy, with the hurricane season under way. Go early, favor boats and short boardwalks, and keep plans flexible.
October and November: rain tapering off, temperatures easing, crowds still light. Hurricane season runs to November 30. By late November the dry-season schedules start to return.

If the goal is the Everglades most people picture, with alligators along the Anhinga Trail and wading birds everywhere, aim for January through March. A free summer morning in Miami is still worth the drive: start early, take a boat or a tram, and be back in the car before the storms.

For the drive itself, see getting to the Everglades from Miami and Naples. For what to do once you are there, area by area, read our guide to things to do in the Everglades. If you are still deciding whether to make the trip at all, is the Everglades worth visiting? weighs it up honestly.