By Scott S. Bateman © Caribeez.com
Cool and Popular
January, February and March are dry times in the Caribbean with most destinations averaging about two to three inches of rain. Daytime temperatures are warm, but nighttime temperatures are much cooler than normal.
Ocean currents from the north will bring cooler waters south and sometimes make water uncomfortable for swimming. Southern destinations such as Aruba have the warmest water.
Because of this dry season, western Caribbean cruises in particular jump up. March often sees a spike in vacations because of families and college students going on spring break.
Nearly Ideal Weather
April through June are good times to go because of warmer weather, but May has a brief rainy season for several destinations such as Jamaica and June is the official start of the Caribbean hurricane season.
However, storm activity in June is fairly mild.
Ugly September
School is out, so vacations in the Caribbean skyrocket among families wanting to get a break from routine life. July and August are the hottest times of the year for most destinations.
Meanwhile, storm and hurricane activity start to climb and reach a high point in September.
Caribbean tourism plunges in September because of higher risk for storms as well as children returning to school.
Hurricanes End, Winter Begins
October weather is almost as bad as September, but the average number of storms and hurricanes will begin to go down again.
November is the final month of the hurricane season even though storms are few and hurricanes are rare.
The number of visitors to the Caribbean jumps in December as people up north look for a break from the beginning of wintery weather.