Climate - United States Virgin Islands

Index

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• Introduction - Charlotte Amalie
• Sea temperature
• Hurricanes
• When to go
• What to pack

Introduction

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The climate of the U.S. Virgin Islands is tropical, hot all year round, with a relatively cooler period from December to March, with average highs around 29 °C (84 °F), and a hotter and sultry period from May to October, with highs around 31/32 °C (88/90 °F), during which, however, the heat is tempered by the breeze.
As regards to the rainfall, there is a relatively dry season from January to April and a rainy season from May to December, during which there's a relative decrease in precipitation in June and July. The least rainy months are February and March. Rainfall hovers around 1,000/1,200 millimeters (40/47 inches) per year and is generally slightly more abundant on the northern slopes of each island.
Starting from May, precipitation increases, though there is often a relative decrease in June and July, followed by a recovery from August to November. Generally, the wettest period runs from September to November.
The U.S. Virgin Islands are an archipelago located east of Puerto Rico, in the group of the Lesser Antilles. There are three main islands, Saint John and Saint Thomas, more to the north, and Saint Croix, to the south.

Charlotte Amalie

Here are the average temperatures of Charlotte Amalie, the capital, located on the island of Saint Thomas.

Charlotte Amalie - Average temperatures (1991-2020)

Month	Min (°C)	Max (°C)	Mean (°C)	Min (°F)	Max (°F)	Mean (°F)
January	23.1	28.9	26	74	84	78.8
February	23.1	29.1	26.1	74	84	79
March	23.2	29.2	26.2	74	85	79.2
April	24.2	29.8	27	76	86	80.6
May	25.3	30.7	28	78	87	82.4
June	26.3	31.6	29	79	89	84.1
July	26.3	32.1	29.2	79	90	84.6
August	26.4	32.1	29.2	80	90	84.6
September	26.4	31.8	29.1	80	89	84.4
October	25.7	31.3	28.5	78	88	83.3
November	24.8	30.3	27.6	77	87	81.6
December	23.8	29.6	26.7	75	85	80.1
Year	24.9	30.5	27.65	76.8	87	82

Considering that we are in the tropics, the rains in Charlotte Amalie are not very abundant, since they amount to 1,000 mm (40 in) per year. The only very rainy months are September, October and November. Here is the average precipitation.

Charlotte Amalie - Average precipitation

Month	Millimeters	Inches	Days
January	50	2	10
February	35	1.4	8
March	35	1.4	7
April	70	2.8	8
May	80	3.1	10
June	70	2.8	8
July	65	2.6	9
August	95	3.7	12
September	140	5.5	13
October	155	6.1	14
November	140	5.5	13
December	70	2.8	12
Year	1005	39.6	124

Apart from hurricanes, which can bring strong winds and torrential rains (see below), the weather is normally nice or variable, only interrupted by short showers and thunderstorms, which are more likely and more intense during the rainy season: so, the sun shines for many hours throughout the year, as you can see in the following table.

Charlotte Amalie - Sunshine hours

Month	Average	Total
January	8	250
February	8	225
March	9	280
April	9	270
May	8	250
June	8	240
July	9	280
August	9	280
September	8	240
October	8	250
November	7	210
December	7	215
Year	8.2	2985

Sea temperature

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The sea in the U.S. Virgin Islands is warm enough to swim in all year round: the water temperature is around 26 °C (79 °F) in February and March and around 29 °C (84 °F) in September and October, as can be seen in the following table.

Charlotte Amalie - Sea temperature

Month	Celsius (°C)	Fahrenheit (°F)
January	26.5	80
February	26	79
March	26	79
April	26.5	80
May	27.5	81
June	28	83
July	28.5	83
August	28.5	84
September	29	84
October	29	84
November	28	83
December	27.5	81
Year	27.6	81.7

Hurricanes

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From June to November, here as in the whole area of the West Indies, there is the danger of tropical storms and hurricanes, with greater probability from August to October. In September 2017, the island of Saint Croix was hit in full force by Hurricane Maria.

When to go

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The best time to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands is from December to April, since it is the least hot period of the year and outside of the hurricane period; in particular, January, February and March are the driest months. December can still be a rainy month, especially on the southern island of Saint Croix.
In April, there is a certain increase in temperature, and during some years, also in the intensity of thunderstorms, but overall, it's still an acceptable month, and in many cases, it is good.
In summer, June and July are generally not as rainy as August and September, and have also a lower risk of tropical storms and hurricanes, which, as mentioned, are most likely between August and October, that is, when the sea is warmer and has more energy to provide.

What to pack

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From December to April: pack light clothes, and possibly a scarf for the breeze and a sweatshirt for the evening.
From May to November: pack lightweight clothing, and possibly a light sweatshirt and a light raincoat for thunderstorms; a sweatshirt and a pashmina for airconditioned places.

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