Caribbean Weather in February: Hottest Islands
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| The sun sets over a beach in Trinidad, the warmest places in the Caribbean in February. © Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Development Company Ltd. |
Caribbean weather in February doesn’t always make a cruise or beach vacation a sure thing with warmth. Imagine this:
The water in Cancun was freezing. The air was cool. The trade winds made it even worse. It was the “warm” Caribbean, and no one was going into the water except me.
The same thing happened in Aruba during our February visit, but it was not nearly as bad. Some people were going into the water—briefly—but most others were clearly staying out of it.
Welcome to the Caribbean in February. Temperatures are warm and sometimes even hot in many destinations, and people walk around in shorts for the most part. But swimming isn’t always a sure thing.
Cooler waters from the north sometimes bring down the temperatures even in southern waters. Nighttimes are cooler, and trade winds can make a big difference. Luck with weather also can make a difference.
There are times and places when Caribbean weather is not as warm as people might think. So anyone planning a Caribbean vacation in February should choose their destinations carefully.
Warmest Temperatures in February
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| Average Caribbean temperatures in February for each destination. © 2018 Scott S. Bateman |
Travelers will find that Caribbean temperatures in February are almost always good for land activities.
Among major destinations, Aruba has the warmest temperatures during the month followed by the nearby Curacao as well as Grand Cayman. St. Thomas comes in fourth place.
Other major destinations don’t do so well with temperatures in February. The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos are among the northernmost islands with the coolest weather. Their temperatures hover in the upper 70s Fahrenheit or mid 20s Celsius.
Even though daytime temperatures are in the low to mid 80s Fahrenheit throughout most of the Caribbean, it’s the nighttime temperatures, wind chill and northern currents that make water uncomfortable at some destinations.
Anyone with flexible travel schedules should consider March or April instead for warmer weather along with low risk of rain.
Western Caribbean Weather in February
| Caribbean Weather in February | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destination | Avg Min | Avg Max | Rainfall | Rain Days |
| Antigua | 72 | 83 | 2 | 10 |
| Aruba | 76 | 87 | 1 | |
| Bahamas | 63 | 78 | 2 | 6 |
| Barbados | 73 | 84 | 2 | |
| Belize | 68 | 83 | 3 | 7 |
| Bermuda | 60 | 68 | 15 | |
| Bonaire | 76 | 85 | 1 | |
| Cancun | 69 | 84 | 2 | 2 |
| Cayman Islands | 65 | 86 | 2 | 10 |
| Costa Rica | 60 | 75 | 0 | |
| Cozumel | 67 | 84 | 2 | 7 |
| Curacao | 80 | 86 | 1 | |
| Dominica | 71 | 82 | 4 | 4 |
| Dominican Rep | 71 | 82 | 2 | 7 |
| Havana | 66 | 79 | 3 | 5 |
| Guadeloupe | 68 | 84 | 3 | |
| Jamaica | 69 | 83 | 3 | 8 |
| Martinique | 70 | 83 | 4 | 14 |
| San Juan | 71 | 84 | 2 | 9 |
| St. Lucia | 74 | 84 | 2 | 15 |
| St. Maarten | 74 | 84 | 2 | |
| Trinidad | 68 | 89 | 2 | 10 |
| St. Thomas | 72 | 85 | 2 | |
Vacationers will find that western Caribbean weather in February is right near the end of the coolest temperatures and also right in the middle of a dry season.
The most popular destinations such as Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize and Cozumel will have average high temperatures in the low to mid 80s Fahrenheit or high 20s Celsius.
Rainfall is lower than normal because late winter to early spring is a dry season for the western part of the region. The average is about two to three inches total during the month, which is low for any part of the Caribbean.
Eastern Caribbean Weather in February
Eastern Caribbean cruises have a much wider range from north to south than western cruises because the Bahamas are often part of the itinerary, even though they technically are not part of the Caribbean.
Good choices for warm weather include St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Rainfall is low during the month.
Some eastern cruises include San Juan and the Virgin Islands, which are somewhat warmer and offer more chances for swimming and times on beaches.
Southern Caribbean in February
The southernmost destinations have the best chance at warm weather. Vacationers are almost guaranteed of having warm air temperatures during the day, although sea water temperatures may at times be uncomfortable, especially in the mornings.
Swimmers will also find that currents play a role in water temperatures. Some days will bring cooler waters from the north and others will bring warmer waters from the south.
Sea water during this time also has the unusual habit of having patches of water that alternate between warm and cool.
The islands with the warmest water include the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao as well as other southern locations such as Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and Trinidad.
Average Rainfall
February is definitely part of the dry season for almost every destination in the Caribbean. Rainfall drops to about two inches on average and in some places less than one inch.
Most destinations have a low risk of rainfall. The two with the most rain—Dominica and Martinique—are rainy islands with lush vegetation anyway and are known for eco-tourism more than beaches.
Another way of planning for rain is by looking at the average number of days that it rains each month. Again, most destinations see a drop and in some cases reach the lowest point of the year.
So anyone planning a February vacation in the Caribbean to get away from cold northern winters should look at the southernmost destinations to get the warmest days and most comfortable water for swimming.