Caribbean Weather Best And Worst Months For Vacation

Caribbean weather attracts vacationers because of year-round sunny weather, mild temperatures and cooling breezes. But the rain determines the best time to go.

The average high temperature for most Caribbean destinations ranges from the low 80s Fahrenheit during the winter months to the mid- to upper-80s Fahrenheit during the summer, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

While temperatures are consistent, rainfall varies greatly from one destination to another. The island of Aruba has an arid landscape with a peak rainfall in November of about 3 inches compared to a peak of nearly 15 inches for Dominica.

Rainfall increases in frequency and duration in the months of June through November because of hurricane season. The high point for rain during that season is September and October, which are the months with the fewest visitors to most Caribbean destinations.

The Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic face an average of 11 tropical cyclones (storms or storms that develop into hurricanes) each year, according to the National Hurricane Center at the National Weather Service. But individual destinations often avoid the worst of them because they lie outside the direct paths of most storms.

On average:

• June has one tropical storm develop every other year.
• July has two tropical storms; one becomes a hurricane every other year.
• August has three tropical storms and two become hurricanes.
• In September, four tropical storms develop and two become hurricanes.
• October sees two tropical storms, one of which becomes a hurricane.
• November has less than one storm every other year.

Despite the hurricane history, vacationers who spend a week or more at a Caribbean destination face a low risk of a storm or hurricane crossing over their location. But island rainfall increases during the fall months for most destinations because of the regional impact of storms and hurricanes. Cruise visitors face lower risk of storm impact because ships sometimes can steer away from bad weather.

Vacationers find that the Caribbean weather months with the most sunshine, lowest rainfall and fewest chances of a tropical storm are spring to early summer. The riskiest months to go are September and October, with November being a close third.