How To Pack for an Orlando Winter Holiday

You’ve done the smart thing and booked an Orlando winter holiday. Good thinking. But then it comes to packing for the trip, and you stop to think:

“What DO I take for Florida in the winter months? How much do I take?”

And those are two essential questions at this time of year, because it’s not quite what it seems.

From a quick glance at our Orlando Weather guide, you might get the impression that the months from November to March are a literal breeze, a procession of warm, sunny days with nary a cloud in the sky.

And you would probably be right. Except that you could also be quite seriously wrong. Yes, this is called the Sunshine State for a good reason, but it also has its more challenging moments.

When IS Winter in Florida?

It is a fairly important question just to start with, because the winter months don’t quite coincide with the same period in the UK. As we well know, September in Britain can be pretty chilly, while it isn’t unheard of to get snow in April.

In Central Florida, both September and April can see temperatures well in excess of our highs in the summer. In fact, it doesn’t even start to cool down until the latter half of October, while the average temperature in late March can already be 25C.

That means winter doesn’t often even start until December, and it can be over by half-past March. So, not a lot to worry about then, hey?

Not so fast!

While those are the average state of affairs, weather wise, through the depths of the typical Florida winter, Orlando’s climate can occasionally throw us for a serious loop.

Just take this winter for example.

Early December was ushered in with the mercury consistently hitting 26-27C, and peaking at a scorching 28.5C on December 8. Not so much winter as swelter.

Florida Likes to Poke Fun at Folks in the Icy Northern States

Weather spells like this typically have Floridians coming up with all kinds of meteorological jokes at the expense of those unfortunate enough to get real winters in places like Chicago, Cleveland and New York.

That was certainly the case in late November when a winter storm of historic proportions dropped a record 203 centimetres of snow (that’s more than six and a half FEET in old money) on the Hamburg area of New York state from November 17-20, which beat the previous record by almost two feet.

Inevitably, Florida was quick to cash in, with weather jokes like, “Hey, I woke up to four FEET of sunshine today!” And “There’s a name for people who like winter – Floridians!”

But late December also brought us a sharp reminder that the jokes are all well and good, but old Jack Frost can still tweak a LOT of noses at this time of year, with a truly gigantic winter storm that stretched across practically the whole country just before Christmas.

The southern tip of the storm reached as far south as Miami, while Central Florida was hit with freezing conditions for three nights in a row, and the HIGH temperature on Christmas Day was a measly 8C.

What Happens When it Gets That Cold in Orlando?

Well, first of all, every true Floridian goes into a state of shock. When you practically live in T-shirts and shorts, having to dig out thermal underwear, gloves and scarves comes as a truly traumatising moment.

When the freeze warnings are posted on the local weather forecasts, it means you have to cover up outdoor potted plants, switch the A/C unit to ‘Heat’ (and hope that it works), and peer fearfully from behind the curtains at this strange phenomenon called ‘frost’ on the front lawn.

No, Floridians don’t handle genuine winter weather well. At all.

Down in south Florida they also have to issue lizard warnings, as in, Beware of Falling Iguanas. Seriously, when the temperature dips into single digits, the locals have to watch out for these chunky reptiles getting cold shock and dropping out of the trees where they live. It’s why they carry an umbrella when it isn’t raining.

Having survived this shock cold spell, the weather-forecasting sense of humour kicked in again, with a hearty:

“We did it, Florida! We participated in winter!"

So, What Should we Pack for December, January and February in Orlando?

Hopefully the basic message here is loud and clear. The weather can be extremely changeable – more so than any other time of year – and, while you can definitely expect some of that blissfully warm winter sunshine, it isn’t a constant at this time of year.

In fact, given a typical two or three-week period, you are likely to get at least one significant cold snap that will make your theme park mornings and evenings distinctly chilly.

It pays to be tuned in to the local weather forecast (every 10 minutes on Spectrum 13) and to be aware of the daytime lows as well as the highs. It isn’t unusual for there to be a 10 or 15C drop in the space of 24 hours sometimes.

All of that means you will need to pack for several eventualities, and check the temperature before you leave your villa each day. It may look nice and warm from your pool deck – clear blue skies, wall-to-wall sunshine – but looks can certainly be deceptive with Florida weather in winter.

If you are heading out to the theme parks early doors, it’s quite possible you will need gloves. scarves and hats while standing in the queues outdoors. If that sounds OTT for Florida, you really don’t want to be THAT tourist having to buy sweatshirts and gloves at the parks!

The temperature also drops quickly once the sun goes down (around 5.30pm for much of December and January), and you may well need a coat or jacket if you are staying in the Magic Kingdom or Epcot until closing time.

And finally…

Typical Orlando winter weather is all about dressing in layers. A T-shirt and jeans may be fine for the afternoon (and you may well need shorts on the warmest days), but you’ll probably need a sweatshirt, jumper or coat to start with.

Unless you’re happy carrying clothing items in a backpack for part of the day, you can take advantage of the handy lockers at all the parks, which allow you to leave unwanted layers out of the way once you warm up.

The other good news is that rain is at a minimum at this time of year. You may get the odd grey, drizzly day, or even one with a thunderstorm or two, but it’s rare to get heavy rain for two days in a row.

And don’t forget your swimsuit! While the water parks do, occasionally, close when the day-time temperatures drop into the 50s Fahrenheit (around 12-14C), they remain open for most of the time, and have heated pools in most cases.

It is also possible to get sunburned in winter, so don’t forget the suncream, especially the waterproof version for the water parks. It’s great to come home with a winter tan, but not the red variety!

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