Climate of US Virgin Islands

Climate of US Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands are part of the Virgin Islands and have been a Danish colony for many years, until Denmark sold these islands located in the Caribbean to the United States of America(in 1917). In the distant past, the islands were also Dutch property for a while. The United States Virgin Islands (US Virgin Islands) have an Aw climate or a tropical savanna climate within the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The average maximum temperatures in the Virgin Islands have little variation: on average during the hottest hours of the day it is about 29 to 33 degrees. Thanks to the trade wind, which is almost always present, and the seawater (which has an average temperature of 26 to 29 degrees), the temperatures remain moderate and will rarely exceed 34 to 35 degrees Celsius.

Regen

The US Virgin Islands have a drier season that starts at the end of December and lasts until the beginning of August. The month of May is usually slightly wetter within this season, while the months of February and March are the driest, with an average of less than forty millimeters per month. The wet season starts in mid-August, during which – due to the still relatively modest amounts for this region – there is actually no real rainy season. You do notice that the number of showers is increasing and especially that there are several showers in a day, while in the dry season the rain is often limited to one shower per day. The total annual precipitation amounts to an average of 960 millimetres, with the wettest places in the US Virgin Islands registering about 300-400 millimeters more annually and the driest places can write about eight hundred millimeters per year in the books. It is simply too hot for snow in the US Virgin Islands.

Temperatures

During the day, the mercury reaches values ​​between 30 and 33 degrees almost every day. Sometimes you have to deal with an outlier to 34-35 degrees, but in December, January and February that chance is very small. The minimum temperatures are between 22 and 26 degrees, with an occasional spike downwards. The lowest recorded temperature in the US Virgin Islands is 11.1 degrees Celsius, the highest official temperature recorded is 37.2 degrees.

Wind

The United States Virgin Islands are under the influence of the northeast trade for most of the time. Some years this trade wind turns slightly and comes mainly from the east or south east. The eastern parts of the US Virgin Islands are almost always in the wind, while the west is more in the lee. During the hurricane season (July to December) there is an increased chance of tropical depressions and tropical storms. Sometimes a tropical depression grows into a hurricane with devastating wind speeds. A hurricane in the vicinity can also cause tidal waves that can cause a lot of damage along the coasts of the US Virgin Islands. There is therefore always a chance that the cruise boats will have to adjust their schedule during the hurricane season due to tropical storms. Because the US Virgin Islands is a frequently used destination of various cruise lines, there is a chance that hurricanes will divert to the US Virgin Islands elsewhere, or that there will be an extra day in port. Anderson, it is also possible to avoid the Virgin Islands due to a local tropical storm.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month Water temperature
January 30℃ 22℃ 8 13 26℃
February 30℃ 22℃ 8 10 26℃
March 30℃ 22℃ 9 10 26℃
April 31℃ 23℃ 9 10 26℃
May 31℃ 24℃ 8 13 27℃
June 32℃ 25℃ 8 13 28℃
July 32℃ 26℃ 9 15 28℃
August 33℃ 26℃ 9 15 28℃
September 32℃ 25℃ 8 15 29℃
October 32℃ 24℃ 8 16 29℃
November 31℃ 24℃ 7 15 28℃
December 30℃ 23℃ 7 14 27℃

Best time to visit the US Virgin Islands

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to the US Virgin Islands? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The United States Virgin Islands is an archipelago located in the northern reaches of the Caribbean. This ensures that the islands have to deal with two seasons: a slightly cooler and drier season and a clammy warmer season, in which the chance of rain is significantly greater. The best time to travel to the US Virgin Islands is without a doubt December through April, with the caveat that some years December can be significantly wetter than others. The weather does not follow fixed rules. The period December to April are the driest months and the coolest months. With cool you have to think of average maximum temperatures that are between 26 and 30 degrees. In the evening it can feel a bit cooler due to a breeze from the sea.

Best months

The best months for a vacation in the US Virgin Islands are January, February and March. Unfortunately, the Americans in particular know this, which leads to higher hotel room prices and a greater chance that an accommodation is fully booked at some point.

The wetter season

The wetter season starts from May. Temperatures rise along with it, and so does the relative humidity. It becomes sultry and the sky shows more and more clouds. All in all, it is a less good travel season for the US Virgin Islands. We do not want to advise against this period. It’s less wet than you might think. The clouds are a good natural protection against the otherwise bright sun rays. The advantage of the period from May to November is that the prices for accommodations are often lower than during the high season.

Hurricanes

Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins in June. The tropical storms that arise here mainly move towards the Caribbean. As a result, the US Virgin Islands could potentially experience a hurricane. On average, once every few years a hurricane comes near the US Virgin Islands. This chance is greatest from August to October. A hurricane cannot be completely ruled out in January.

US Virgin Islands