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The US weather service predicts high winds, gusts up to 50 mph, beginning on Saturday, January 8 and continuing for at least 2 weeks, which just happens to coincide with our winter vacation on STT. Are these the "Christmas Winds" I've heard about? If the winds are blowing predominately from the NE, what beaches are protected from the wind and choppy seas? Are we better off postponing our trip until March when the winds will likely be much calmer? Thank you.
We were there last week and the winds had north-facing waters rough and choppy. Whitecaps ebverywhere. Even Magens had waves. A bit too rough for my taste (but that's just me). We were staying on the north side of the island and sometimes the gusts would wake me up in the middle of the night. Am sure the surfers at Hull had a blast. The weather was great though, temps in the 80s during the day and low 70s at night was a blessing considering when we left home it was 10 degrees.
The south and west facing beaches should have calmer waters.
As for postponing your trip, it's all up to you and the people in your party. Weigh the pros and cons and take a vote. Best of luck!
Gee, kinda late for X-mas, aren't they? Haha!
We lie in the path of the trade winds, so we almost always have a breeze. Just because they are predicting gusts to 50, doesn't mean that it will be blowing 50 all day long. Maybe one gust to 50 all day. And I doubt that, but that's JMHO. So, it might be better if they predicted "breezy" weather, but I wouldn't change my vacation if I were you. Even if it's blowing at 20 knots all day, there are plenty of places to beach it that will be calm, regardless of wind direction.
If you wanted to somewhat sheltered from the 'Christmas Winds', you might choose a resort like Secret Harbor, which is nestled in a, well, in a secret harbor, facing west. The backside of the resort, the one facing the usual direction of the tradewinds, is a 'mountain'.
But as Marty noted, tradewinds are almost a constant here and are not something that blows one over and certainly doesn't howl and blow all day/night long. It is actually the trade winds that give us a beautiful climate. So please come and enjoy. I too would NOT change my plans because of almost any weather forecast that you read. A forecast for a whole week of rain for example, does NOT mean that it will rain all day everyday for a week!
Good morning,
What you experienced last week was not the Christmas Winds. There was a large northeast swell last week that caused the choppiness and the high seas. That appears, according to the weather service, to be over. The Christmas Winds are typically not going to cause you any problems other than trying to stay awake in the hammock while the breezes caress you and tell you it is time for a nap. Come, enjoy the islands.
Pamela.
Thanks for the advice. We are scheduled to arrive on ST thomas on Saturday and look forward to a wonderful time in paradise.
