Weather

The Temperature, Wind, and Rain Right Now on Utila:
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Weather Forecasting
You can get some good weekly and extended  weather forecasts by clicking on the link below. It normally gives weekly and extended forecasts for Roatan, the next island over, but when that station is down, it will read La Cieba, which is the nearest mainland city. (This information is provided by  www.weatherunderground.com)

Click on Image Below, Even if Says “Data Unavailable”

See also at the bottom of this page for more details on average temperatures along with tables of past temperatures and weather conditions on Utila.

Overview of the Normal Temperatures on Utila:
- Daytime temperatures really only vary by a few degrees throughoutthe year, and usually range in the low to mid 80sº Fahrenheit (F), which is about 27-29 degrees Celsius(C).  In other words, leave your winter jackets at home!

- Night-time temperatures are a few degrees cooler than daytime; in the winter they average in the low 70’sº F (22-23º C) and in the summer in the low 80’sº (27-28º C)

- Water temperatures are also warmer (low to mid 80ºs F) in the summer and early fall, and cooler (high 70ºs F) yet often calmer in the winter and spring.

- The hottest months of the year are generally summer months (May-ish to September-ish) when temperatures can reach low 90º F (33-34ºC)   A quick jump in the ocean will keep you cool!

Table A:  Average Temperatures by Month on Utila
(Click to Enlarge)

 To Convert from Celsius (C) to Fahrenheit(F),  try this easy little link:  

  

Storm Forecasting:
One of the most comprehensive sites for tracking tropical storms and hurricanes is the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) under National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).  Click on the banner below for the main site or go to http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.  Once you are on the website, there is a large map, and just below that it will note any pending storms for the region.  

 

  

Discussion On Hurricane Season and Storms:

Hurricane-Watch Season:
Hurricanes are very rare in the Bay Islands.  However, just for reference, the official hurricane season in the Atlantic is from June 1 to Nov 30, when over 96% of hurricane activity throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean occurs. Lucky for us, the Bay Islands are generally considered “below” the hurricane belt, and folks consider our hurricane-watch season to be much shorter, from the middle of September through the beginning of November, with the majority of storm activity in September and October.

The Rainy Season:
Generally, the rainy season runs from late September through January and often into the beginning of February as we saw this year 2009..  That said, that doesn’t mean its going to rain the whole time from September to February, but if you want to bet your odds on avoiding rain, we suggest coming at a different time.  Dive boats run year round, and rain doesn’t slow them down (unless accompanied by high winds).  As long as its calm out, the rain doesn’t significantly affect visibility unless its been raining very heavy, or for multiple days, when it can affect visibility.

Low Season:
Not surprisingly, the rainy season and hurricane-watch season together make up our “low season”, which is generally considered to be Sept 1-Dec 15. The island sees a dip in tourism during this time, primarily due to these weather patterns, but also due to  general patterns of many travelers (i.e, kids back to school, no holiday breaks for families, etc.). The upside of this is that there are often discounts offered during this time. Lots of folks actually like to travel during this low season as they can get better flights, better room rates, and avoid any crowds during travel (not that we have too many here on the island specifically!)