Best time to visit Fort Walton Beach
The best time to visit Fort Walton Beach is March–April and October–November, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Fort Walton Beach, Florida, United States
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.7 °C / 60 °F | 7.5 °C / 46 °F | 107 mm / 4.2 in | good month |
| February | 17.8 °C / 64 °F | 9.8 °C / 50 °F | 104 mm / 4.1 in | good month |
| March | 20.8 °C / 69 °F | 13.2 °C / 56 °F | 97 mm / 3.8 in | best month |
| April | 23.8 °C / 75 °F | 16.7 °C / 62 °F | 101 mm / 4 in | best month |
| May | 27.4 °C / 81 °F | 20.9 °C / 70 °F | 81 mm / 3.2 in | good month |
| June | 30.4 °C / 87 °F | 24.5 °C / 76 °F | 123 mm / 4.8 in | neither best nor good |
| July | 30.8 °C / 87 °F | 25.4 °C / 78 °F | 149 mm / 5.9 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 30.9 °C / 88 °F | 25.3 °C / 78 °F | 162 mm / 6.4 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 29.5 °C / 85 °F | 23 °C / 73 °F | 119 mm / 4.7 in | neither best nor good |
| October | 25.7 °C / 78 °F | 17.6 °C / 64 °F | 72 mm / 2.8 in | best month |
| November | 20.5 °C / 69 °F | 11.8 °C / 53 °F | 74 mm / 2.9 in | best month |
| December | 17.6 °C / 64 °F | 9.8 °C / 50 °F | 133 mm / 5.2 in | good month |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: good
- FFebruary: good
- MMarch: best
- AApril: best
- MMay: good
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: good
- Best
- March–April, October–November
- Good
- May, December–February
Why these months
January · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 74%, feels like (high) 13.7 °C / 57 °F, average daily high 15.7 °C / 60 °F, precipitation 107 mm / 4.2 in, wet days 8.6 days, days with heavy rain 4 days, average daily low 7.5 °C / 46 °F, relative humidity 73%.
February · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.6 °C / 62 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 72%, average daily high 17.8 °C / 64 °F, precipitation 104 mm / 4.1 in, wet days 7.8 days, days with heavy rain 3.2 days, average daily low 9.8 °C / 50 °F, relative humidity 75%.
March · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 20.5 °C / 69 °F, average daily high 20.8 °C / 69 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 81%, precipitation 97 mm / 3.8 in, wet days 8.2 days, days with heavy rain 3.1 days, average daily low 13.2 °C / 56 °F, relative humidity 73%.
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.9 °C / 77 °F, average daily high 23.8 °C / 75 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 81%, precipitation 101 mm / 4 in, wet days 7.9 days, days with heavy rain 3.2 days, average daily low 16.7 °C / 62 °F, relative humidity 75%.
May · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 84%, precipitation 81 mm / 3.2 in, average daily high 27.4 °C / 81 °F, feels like (high) 30.3 °C / 87 °F, days with heavy rain 2.7 days, wet days 9.3 days, average daily low 20.9 °C / 70 °F, relative humidity 76%.
October · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 27.1 °C / 81 °F, average daily high 25.7 °C / 78 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, precipitation 72 mm / 2.8 in, wet days 6.2 days, days with heavy rain 2.3 days, average daily low 17.6 °C / 64 °F, relative humidity 74%.
November · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 20 °C / 68 °F, average daily high 20.5 °C / 69 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 82%, precipitation 74 mm / 2.9 in, wet days 6.7 days, days with heavy rain 2 days, average daily low 11.8 °C / 53 °F, relative humidity 75%.
December · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.5 °C / 62 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 70%, average daily high 17.6 °C / 64 °F, wet days 9.4 days, average daily low 9.8 °C / 50 °F, days with heavy rain 4 days.
Against: precipitation 133 mm / 5.2 in, relative humidity 78%.
Beach and swimming
Hot, dry and sunny. Penalises the monsoon hard.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: good
- MMay: best
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- May, October
- Good
- April, September
Why these months
April · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 81%, average daily high 23.8 °C / 75 °F, feels like (high) 24.9 °C / 77 °F, wet days 7.9 days, days with heavy rain 3.2 days, wind (daily max) 20 km/h / 12 mph, average daily low 16.7 °C / 62 °F.
Against: precipitation 101 mm / 4 in.
May · best
In its favour: average daily high 27.4 °C / 81 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 84%, feels like (high) 30.3 °C / 87 °F, precipitation 81 mm / 3.2 in, days with heavy rain 2.7 days, average daily low 20.9 °C / 70 °F, wind (daily max) 18 km/h / 11 mph.
Against: wet days 9.3 days.
September · good
In its favour: average daily high 29.5 °C / 85 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 82%, feels like (high) 33.6 °C / 92 °F, days with heavy rain 3.1 days, average daily low 23 °C / 73 °F, wind (daily max) 15 km/h / 9 mph.
Against: precipitation 119 mm / 4.7 in, wet days 12.1 days.
October · best
In its favour: average daily high 25.7 °C / 78 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, precipitation 72 mm / 2.8 in, feels like (high) 27.1 °C / 81 °F, wet days 6.2 days, days with heavy rain 2.3 days, wind (daily max) 17 km/h / 11 mph, average daily low 17.6 °C / 64 °F.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Sugar Mountain Resort, 774 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 13.7 °C | 16.6 °C | 20.5 °C | 24.9 °C | 30.3 °C | 35.4 °C | 36.6 °C | 36.7 °C | 33.6 °C | 27.1 °C | 20 °C | 16.5 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 4 days | 3.2 days | 3.1 days | 3.2 days | 2.7 days | 3.5 days | 4.5 days | 5.1 days | 3.1 days | 2.3 days | 2 days | 4 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 5 am | 11 am | 3 pm | 9 am | 4 pm | 3 pm | 3 pm | 3 pm | 4 pm | 1 pm | 8 am | 10 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 7.8 h | 8.1 h | 9.8 h | 10.5 h | 11.5 h | 11.8 h | 11.5 h | 10.6 h | 10.1 h | 9.7 h | 8.7 h | 7.2 h |
| Relative humidity | 73% | 75% | 73% | 75% | 76% | 78% | 80% | 80% | 78% | 74% | 75% | 78% |
Sea temperature
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature 2022–2025 | 16.8 °C | 17.1 °C | 19.2 °C | 21.5 °C | 25.5 °C | 28.1 °C | 29.6 °C | 30.3 °C | 29.4 °C | 26.1 °C | 22.3 °C | 18.9 °C |
| Sea temperature (daily max) 2022–2025 | 16.9 °C | 17.3 °C | 19.5 °C | 21.8 °C | 25.8 °C | 28.4 °C | 30 °C | 30.6 °C | 29.6 °C | 26.2 °C | 22.4 °C | 19 °C |
- Very cold 10 °C or less
- Cold 10 to 15 °C
- Cool 15 to 20 °C
- Comfortable 20 to 25 °C
- Warm 25 to 28 °C
- Very warm over 28 °C
The words describe how the water feels to swim in. They are ours, not an official standard.
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 7.1 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | 10.6 µg/m³ | 11.4 µg/m³ | 11.7 µg/m³ | 10.6 µg/m³ | 11.5 µg/m³ | 8.1 µg/m³ | 7.3 µg/m³ | 6.8 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 12.1 µg/m³ | 14.2 µg/m³ | 14.7 µg/m³ | 13.7 µg/m³ | 15.3 µg/m³ | 17 µg/m³ | 16.7 µg/m³ | 15.4 µg/m³ | 21.3 µg/m³ | 13.8 µg/m³ | 11.6 µg/m³ | 11.6 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.