Climate and Weather
Climate and Weather
St. Croix’s subtropical climate and weather provide mostly warm, sunny days with a slight chance of rain. While this is the typically daily weather forecast on St. Croix, the temperature does change – some days are rainier, and some days are hotter than others. Our beautiful climate also allows us beautiful nighttime skies, filled with constellations you might be missing with the glow of your city lights. Our sunsets will make you want to linger forever, just like the sun hanging in the horizon. But, rest assured, you will awake to a sunrise just as beautiful and invigorating to help jump-start your day.
Average Daily Temperatures
St. Croix exists in a perpetual state of Summer, due to it’s proximity to the equator and being surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. Over the course of the average year the temperature typically varies from 73°F to 88°F, and is rarely below 69°F or above 91°F (although it can feel much hotter when the humidity is high). While it does tend to feel like Summer year round, there is still a definite temperature shift that can be felt between locals would consider the “warm season” and the “cool season.”
The warm season spans the Summer and early Fall, generally lasting from the beginning of June to mid-October. During this time the average daily high temperature is above 87°F. The hottest month of the year tends to be September, with September 4th usually being the hottest day of the year.
The cooler season tends to come in with the Christmas Winds and spans late Winter to early Spring, typically lasting from mid-December to mid-March. During this time the average daily high temperature is below 84°F. The coolest month of the year tends to be January, with January 26th usually being the coolest day of the year.
Average Rainfall
St. Croix has a tropical savanna climate, which means we do experience quite a bit of rainfall during certain months of the year. Rainfall is most likely around November, typically occurring on almost half of the days that month, and is least likely around mid-April 6. Throughout the year, the most common forms of precipitation are light rain, moderate rain, and heavy rain. During hurricane season however, officially June 1 through November 30 each year, the likelihood of heavy rain and thunderstorms increases drastically. The good news is, most of the year rain showers only last 10 or 15 minutes and leave behind blue skies and colorful rainbows.
During the warm season, which lasts from early June to mid-October, there is a 39% average chance that it will rain at some point during the day. When rainfall does occur it is most often in the form of light rain, with 48% of days with precipitation have at worst light rain. Since the warm season also spans most of the hurricane season, there are also chances of heavy rain (23%), moderate rain (22%), and occasionally thunderstorms (8%).
During the cool season, which lasts from mid-December to mid-March, there is a 38% average chance that it will rain at some point during the day. When rainfall does occur it is most often in the form of light rain, with 59% of days with precipitation have at worst light rain. Throughout the cool season there are also days with moderate rain (27%) and heavy rain (14%).
Average Humidity
St. Croix is surrounded by the beautiful Caribbean Sea, which accounts for our consistent year round temperatures. However, with the ocean air comes a lot of humidity, which can make the temperature feel much hotter at times. The relative humidity typically ranges from 58% to 90% over the course of the year, rarely dropping below 49% and reaching as high as 97%. For those of you who may not be familiar with the feel of humidity, under 50% humidity is generally considered comfortable and over 85% is considered very humid. In addition to affecting the feel of temperature, humidity is an indicator of the likelihood of precipitation – the higher the humidity the more likely there will be rainfall.
If you are planning a trip and trying to determine the most comfortable time of the year to be on St. Croix, the air is driest around mid-February, at which time the relative humidity drops below 62% an average of three days out of four. It is most humid around mid-November, exceeding 86% and average of three days out of four.
