Weather in the Caribbean - Tips on When to Go

Weather in the Caribbean can make a vacation a beautiful experience or a disaster that is best forgotten. It mainly depends on when you go.

The starting point for planning a vacation in the Caribbean is knowing what to expect for the annual hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30 each year.

The region sees about 12 to 15 major storms each year, and about four or five develop into hurricanes. However, the season starts slowly and doesn't peak until early September, which is why the fewest number of people vacation there in September.

Storms and hurricanes often form in the Atlantic and move west toward the Caribbean. They follow multiple paths and rise and fall in intensity over a matter of days. A storm can grow in intensity and become a hurricane, then drop back to a storm again before fading away.

What most people consider the Caribbean ranges from the Bahamas in the north to Aruba, Barbados and Trinidad in the south. The total distance is more than 1,000 miles.

Average daytime temperatures usually are in the mid to upper 80s Fahrenheit for most destinations throughout the year except for the Bahamas, which fall into the 70s during the winter.

A few locations such as Cozumel and Grand Cayman see average highs above 90 during the summer.

Low temperatures -- mainly at night -- drop into the mid to upper 70s.

People who plan a cruise will find it useful to consider the following weather tips:

• Late spring to mid-summer has the best Caribbean cruise weather, but it's also the most popular time to go.
• Winter is a good time for southern destinations such as Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
• Western Caribbean weather has higher levels of rain in the early fall, especially in Cozumel and the Central American nations that line the Caribbean coast.
• Eastern Caribbean weather can be cool during the winter for northern destinations such as the Bahamas.

The reality is that few destinations lie in the path of a storm or hurricane. Instead, many islands and other locations simply feel the effects of storms or hurricanes that pass through the region.

Weather in the Caribbean is a lower risk for cruises in part because the ships can steer away from bad weather, although they may not be able to avoid it entirely.

There is a greater risk of sailing through rough water. But cruise staffs are well-prepared for that possibility -- passengers can eat plenty of food to settle upset stomachs, and they also can use motion sickness patches.

Stopover visitors -- people who stay on an island for a week or so -- face the greater risk of a nearby storm covering the island with bad weather or an actual hurricane passing over the island.

One way to avoid that outcome is simply staying away from the Caribbean, and especially the islands most likely to be hit, during September and October in particular. Another way of preparing for the possibility is to buy travel insurance.