Plan your trip
Panama weather in December
December is when the dry season arrives on the Pacific side. Panama City’s weather station sees rain fall from 252 mm (9.9 in) in November to 105 mm (4.1 in), and its rain days drop from about 16 to 8 days. Cloud cover falls to 48% (NASA POWER). The Caribbean stays wet, with 200 mm (7.9 in) at San Blas.
December at a glance
Panama City The city, on the Pacific
Some rain
- High
- 92°F 33°C
- Low
- 67°F 19°C
- Rain
- 105 mm 4.1 in
- Rain days
- 8
- Sea
- 82°F 28°C
City weather station, 1971–2000. For comparison with the other places, NASA POWER’s area average: highs 85°F, lows 78°F, 110 mm, humidity 83%. Sea: Panama Bay (Pacific), NOAA OISST.
| Place | High | Low | Rain | Humidity | Cloud | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama City weather station, 1971–2000 | 92°F | 67°F | 105 mm (some rain) | – | – | 82°F |
| Panama City NASA POWER, 2016–2025 | 85°F | 78°F | 110 mm (some rain) | 83% | 48% | 82°F |
Packing for December? Your list, for these places, with Shabbat and Yom Tov items for your dates.
What to packDay trips in December
- Panama City
- Some rain: 105 mm, drier than November (252 mm); rain on about 8 days at the station. Sea about 82°F. From Paitilla or Punta Pacífica, the Cinta Costera waterfront is a walk, with no transport needed, so it works on Shabbat too.
- Boquete
- Some rain: 144 mm, drier than November (366 mm). It’s coffee harvest season (December to March; Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá). Too far for a day: fly to David or drive about six hours, and stay over with Chabad Boquete’s kosher food.
- Pacific beaches
- Some rain: 120 mm, drier than November (329 mm). Sea about 82°F. No kosher food on the way: pack a cooler.
- Gamboa
- Some rain: 92 mm, drier than November (307 mm). About 25 km from the city; go at dawn for wildlife, and bring all your food.
- San Blas (Guna Yala)
- Some rain: 200 mm, drier than November (336 mm). Sea about 83°F. A very long day by 4x4 and boat from Cartí: bring every passport, all your food and drinking water.
- Bocas del Toro
- Some rain: 200 mm, drier than November (474 mm). Sea about 83°F.
The Jewish calendar in December 2026
- Chanukah: Sat, Dec 5 – Sat, Dec 12, 2026 (first candle the evening before)
- Asara B’Tevet: Sun, Dec 20, 2026
4 Shabbatot without Yom Tov. Times for each one.
The year at a glance
- Panama City is dry from January to March and rainy from May to June and from August to November. In April, July and December there is some rain.
Panama City through the yearCity weather station, 1971–2000
Show the numbers
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 92°F | 65°F | 29 mm | 3 |
| February | 94°F | 65°F | 10 mm | 1 |
| March | 95°F | 65°F | 13 mm | 1 |
| April | 96°F | 67°F | 65 mm | 5 |
| May | 94°F | 70°F | 225 mm | 15 |
| June | 93°F | 70°F | 235 mm | 16 |
| July | 93°F | 70°F | 169 mm | 14 |
| August | 93°F | 70°F | 220 mm | 15 |
| September | 91°F | 70°F | 254 mm | 17 |
| October | 91°F | 69°F | 331 mm | 20 |
| November | 91°F | 69°F | 252 mm | 16 |
| December | 92°F | 67°F | 105 mm | 8 |
Questions people ask
- Does it rain in Panama in December?
- Some: Panama City’s weather station averages 105 mm (4.1 in) of rain in December, with rain on about 8 days in a typical December (WMO, 1971–2000). NASA POWER’s 2016–2025 average for the area is 110 mm (4.3 in).
- How hot is Panama City in December?
- Panama City’s weather station averages 92°F by day and 67°F at night in December (WMO, 1971–2000). NASA POWER’s ten-year average for the area, which covers land and sea together, is milder: 85°F by day and 78°F at night. For Boquete, NASA POWER’s figures cover an area averaging 688 m up (78°F by day and 69°F at night); the town is at about 1,100 m, so it is cooler than that, especially at night.
- Is December a good month for the Caribbean islands?
- San Blas averages 200 mm (7.9 in) of rain in December and Bocas del Toro 200 mm (7.9 in): “some rain” at both by our bands (dry under 60 mm, rainy over 200 mm). The islands are warm all year: highs around 83°F at San Blas.
Another month
Where the numbers come from
- Monthly averages: NASA POWER daily data for 2016–2025 (fetched Tue, Nov 10, 2026), averaged by us: the average day’s high and low, the month’s total rain, humidity and cloud. Each figure covers a grid square of roughly 55 by 70 km of land and sea, so Panama City’s afternoons come out about 4.2°C cooler than at the city’s own weather station.
- Panama City’s figures lead with its weather station normals (1971–2000): World Meteorological Organization, from Panama’s weather service (IMHPA). A rain day there is a day with at least 0.1 mm.
- Left out on purpose: NASA POWER’s rain-day counts, because its model drizzles on most days and counts about 27 “rain days” in a wet-season month where Panama City’s station records 14 to 20; and its UV index, which is a 24-hour average far below the midday peak you feel. Rain days on these pages are the station’s, for Panama City only.
- Our rain bands: “dry” is under 60 mm in the month, “rainy” over 200 mm, and “some rain” in between.
- Forecasts: Weather data: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), refreshed at most every half hour.
- Sea temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1 (NOAA NCEI’s daily 0.25° sea-surface temperature analysis, Version v02r01), 2016–2025, averaged by us for one grid cell per sea: Panama Bay (Pacific) (8.625°N, 79.375°W, the open bay south of Panama City); Guna Yala coast (Caribbean) (9.625°N, 78.875°W, off the San Blas islands); Off Bocas del Toro (Caribbean) (9.625°N, 82.125°W, just north of the Bocas del Toro islands). Fetched Tue, Nov 10, 2026. US government data, free to use.
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