Caribbean Weather can Make or Break Vacation

The Caribbean is known for sun, warmth and beautiful beaches, but nothing will ruin a vacation faster than going there in the wrong month.

One of the most important parts of planning a Caribbean vacation is the fact that the region has an annual hurricane season that officially runs from June 1 to November 30. Historically, the hurricane season starts quietly and builds until it reaches the most active months in September and October. Months such as June, July and November are relatively safe by comparison.

Hurricane season activity is based on tropical cyclones, which are defined as either hurricanes or tropical storms. Most hurricanes start as tropical storms, build up to hurricane status and die down again to tropical storms before they dissipate.

Vacationers who are in the Caribbean when a hurricane or tropical storm arrives may not even see the impact or may see minimal impact if they are in the southern Caribbean when a storm passes over the northern part of the region. In addition, the odds of being in the path of a storm or hurricane at the exact week it passes through also are low.

Historically, only one tropical storm forms in June, according to the National Hurricane Center at the National Weather Service. July typically has three tropical storms, one of which becomes a hurricane.

August will have three tropical storms with one becoming a hurricane. September and October will have about four tropical storms apiece with possibly two becoming hurricanes each month. November has fewer than one tropical storm every other year.

Visitor statistics from the Caribbean Tourism Organization show that tourism in the Caribbean follows similar patterns at almost every destination.

Because of the tropical cyclones, the fall months of September through November are the least popular months to vacation in the Caribbean. December through February do better, although the ocean water tends to be cooler especially for more northern destinations such as Cancun and especially the Bahamas.

The spring months of March and April are two of the most popular months of the year because of spring break, moderate temperatures and low rainfall. Tourism dips in May for a number of locations because of a brief rainy season, then picks up again in June and July as children and college students are out of school for the summer. August is a tossup because of increasing bad weather activity and hot temperatures for certain destinations such as Cozumel.

One exception to the hurricane problem is with the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, which lie just off the coast of Venezuela and outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt. They don't see a dropoff in visitors as severe as the rest of the Caribbean, especially in October. Although it is true that rainfall there is not as heavy as other destinations, the ABC islands still do see the impact from storms and hurricanes that pass to the north, such as hurricanes Dean and Felix in 2007.

Vacationers wanting the lowest risk of bad weather will find that March, April, June and July are the best times to go. But vacationers with an appetite for risk will go to the Caribbean during bad weather months to take advantage of lower prices for hotels, flights and cruises.

Anyone planning to vacation in the Caribbean during the hurricane season in order to take advantage of lower prices or because of scheduling limits, especially in September or October, might consider buying trip cancellation insurance.

For more information:

Click Caribbean weather for 7-day forecasts, current conditions and historical averages for each destination, plus travel tips, attractions and more.