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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Nassau in December

Nassau in December: 35% of days see measurable rain, 78°F average high, 33% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Nassau in December is historically a poor month for sun: only 33% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 78°F). Historical average, not a forecast.

What you are reading: 8-year historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis, not a forecast. A month that is historically 90% clear can still be overcast on your specific trip. For this week’s actual forecast, see the live Nassau page. Both can be true at once: “historically strong in this month; this particular week is not.” We label which is which.

Early vs. Late December

Clear-sky percentage for Nassau in December, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early December
1st–15th
36% n=120 78°F
Late December
16th–end
30% n=128 78°F
Full month average 33% n=248 78°F

Sunshine & warmth in December

A second measure using actual sunshine hours (ERA5 sunshine_duration), not the daily weather code. A Lowcountry day with 12 hours of sun and a 25-minute afternoon storm is counted below as a warm, sunny day — because it was. How we define this.

Sunshine-based metrics for Nassau in December. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early December
1st–15th
89% n=120
Late December
16th–end
82% n=128
Full month average 85% n=248
10.0 h median sunshine per day 82% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 35% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 33%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 85%. The 52-point gap is from brief afternoon convective storms that stamp the whole day as “rain” in the WMO code but leave the bulk of the sunshine untouched.

Bottom line

Nassau is mostly overcast in December historically: only 33% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 78°F. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

Every month in Nassau

Compare across all months with data. Numbers are historical clear-sky %.

Historical clear-sky % for Nassau, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 32% n=248 All destinations →
February 34% n=226 All destinations →
March 40% n=248 All destinations →
April 30% n=240 All destinations →
May 20% n=248 All destinations →
June 6% n=240 All destinations →
July 6% n=248 All destinations →
August 8% n=248 All destinations →
September 6% n=240 All destinations →
October 14% n=248 All destinations →
November 28% n=240 All destinations →
December ← this page 33% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Nassau in December?

Sometimes. Nassau sees measurable rain on 35% of days in December historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Nassau good for sun in December?

It's mixed. Nassau in December is clear on 33% of days historically (avg high 78°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — the outcome varies year to year.

How Nassau compares in December

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Nassau this month — same passport tier, similar flight distance, both sides from the same 8-year ERA5 record.

All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.