Dear cruise182:

We cannot predict the weather. All we do is state what we believe it will do based upon what it has done.

With that in mind, a 30% chance of showers equals a 70% chance of sunshine. The tradewinds keep weather scudding along.

The showers come and go. We almost always have a 20-30% chance of showers, unless we get a tropical wave or depression passing through (or an actual storm system). One of our radio personalities likes to refer to this as a "typical Virgin Islands day".

Sorry, but you are asking a question that is impossible to answer with any surety.

By the way, I live here.

Thanks. I know you cant predict the weather. I was just curious on how acurate the predictions are. Thanks..

By the way I wish I lived there!!

cruise182 inhaled and heaved forth:

"By the way I wish I lived there!!"

... that can be arranged!!! *chuckle*

I too live here - my view after 2 years of watching the weather reports and actual weather? Due to the fact mentioned above, with respect to the trade winds and other swirling climate patterns these days, the best way to answer your question is this:

don't worry about the weather, don't worry about the weather. i reapeat it beacuse you will have something gorgeous while you're here. One day showers in the afternoon........heh, I've been in the ocean when it POURED, then the bright sun came out, as it normally does, and everybody just got on with their great afternoon.

come - enjoy - not to worry!

See...don't take it personal..we all save up soo long to go to "paradise" on the islands...that we don't want to waste it dodging rain the whole time!!

You are right...it only rains a bit...& most of the time it is a welcome & refreshing shower!

I did that too...keep checking the weather report....but not this time, I'm coming NO matter what!! Well....maybe not in a hurricane!

Thanks. I am sure we will have a great time no matter what!!

Ignore the weather reports. I remember watching the weather channel while we were down there.....sitting in the sunny living room looking out at the blue skies and the weather channel was broadcating reports of rain. LOL

And, of course, it DOES rain. Pretty much rains everyday. I would stand on the balcony and see the line of rain coming (sunny skies over me). As fast as I could close the sliding doors to the house, the line of rain would come and go.....5 minutes......and then I would watch the line of rain head west to Puerto Rico....and the sun would shine.

Rain in the USVI is like the mailman....you KNOW he's coming...but he never stays.

So, that's the rain they're talking about. Ignore it.

Unless there is a system approaching the weather report this far out is useless.

Another thing...I can be sitting on the East End of St Thomas in a downpour and talking to someone in town who is enjoying sunshine. The weather is very localized.

You know what they say- everyone talks about the weather but no one ever does anything about it! 😉

We were in St John June 21 - 28. Shortly before we left, I read a report from someone who 'complained' that it had rained every day there, and I was pretty alarmed that our vacation could be ruined.

Then when we arrived! It was tropical heat and muggy and we waited at the dock at St Thomas for a ferry and it started to rain. Most people hustled for cover but we were tired and that rain was so refreshing that we didn't press very hard to get out of it. Before the ferry came, it had rained again, and this time we just stayed with the luggage.

I think that it did rain sometime in the day every day of our vacation. We would be snorkeling, and notice that it was raining. Sometimes we would drive into and out of the rain. Most of the time the rain did not inconvenience us in any way... we were 2 adults and 2 children 11 and 13. When it did rain, it broke the heat and was refreshing. Once we had gone from Coral bay back to Cruz bay, and the rain caught us while we were walking. This seemed to trap many of the toursits in the shops..they couldn't leave. But we had been beach bound for several days and no longer wore dress up clothes. We dried out quickly and had lots of fun. At no time did we have rain that was gloomy or persisted more than a half-hour, or was threateningly full of lightening.

So, in retrospect, I'm not sure if
1. the people who said that it rained every day was pulling our leg by making us worry about the weather, or
2. if we were just fortunate to have mild rain that could be accepted as a nice thing, or
3. if we (as a family) have reached a state of relaxation that let us not get uptight with our clothes and hair getting wet.

My advice to you is to expect at least some rain, but to shake off your fear about it and just let it be.

Dear 1of13:

'Nuff said!!!

I think all of your reasons are correct - a combo of the right attitude and the pleasure of a wonderful vacation!

This does not mean that we don't sometimes have "real, all-day-rainy-days"... but the right outlook can make all the difference.

If you watch the island forcast daily, it is going to be:

"Paartly suuunny withhh a 30%%% chance of sshowers and 86 degrees"

I really don't believe it has changed, except for that tropical depression. You just watch when your there. Anyways, hairspray, makeup and perfume on the islands? No, Wear a bathing suit under your clothes and if it rains... Put your clothes in your bag, trunk, under a tree... whatever and enjoy God's sprinkler.

You have weather reports where you live and they use the same technology. Same degree of accuracy or inaccuracy. 100% chance of something vs. 30% chance of something. Passing showers won't spoil a day. A hurricane would.

Thanks

Now I am keeping my eye on the disturbance off the coast of Africa. I am praying that it falls apart which I think it will!!

cruise,
Don't get all wrapped around the axle about weather. We have weather everyday, just like you do. It is extremely rare for a day to get rained out. As far as the tropical systems go, if we have one while you are here, it hasn't even left Africa yet. Relax. Remember you are coming here to unwind. Now's a pretty good time to start.

Ric

Ric,

I thought your post was excellent advice.

I come from Seattle, where we have rain that will ruin your vaction. It's amazing, but typical Seattle weather is crippling. In Seattle, it can be 55 degrees, drizling, with 20 mph winds. As soon as you go out in the rain you get soaked; and then wind chill factor immediately chills you too the bone. Our weather spoils a lot of things here.

People ask the "weather" question because they don't understand Caribbean Weather. Most of the rain in the Caribbean comes quick, rains hard, and disappears immmediately. My recommendation to people that are worried about the weather, ride it out in a shelter.

For me, I'm used to being rained on, so I head to the water when it rains. Last time I was on St. John, I snorkled at Jumbie while there was a thunderstorm over Tortola/Jost Van Dyke. Maybe not the smartest thing to do, but the thrunderstorm was a long way away.

Well, 19 days, and I'll be on the island.

John