Summer at St. John

[bushz]

Hi

I was thinking of traveling to St John this summer, perhaps in August. Will I be taking a huge risk with weather if I do? I am concerned about hurricane season. Should I re-consider and travel in the fall?

Thanks Gary

[Bandit]

August and September is prime time for hurricanes. You might be in the middle of one or you might not. It is also the same for the coastal areas of the United States.

[Teresa_Rae]

We've been to STJ 10 times and about half of those times were in August and we've never had a problem with a hurricane.

The nice thing about August is that it's getting toward the super low season (so beaches aren't crowded) but restaurants are still open...September is comparable to August but it's even less busy and many restaurants are closed. If you have never been to STJ before, the restaurant closings probably won't bother you. But some of my favorite meals in the world are served in STJ restaurants, and I have some significant dietary restrictions that make eating out pretty hard, so that's why we don't go to STJ in September.

I'm sure there are statistics on this but it seems like October and November are the worst weather months for STJ...we've been once in November and it was by far the worst weather we've ever experienced (vs. June/July/August).

[equineannie]

You should be fine, maybe short showers. When I lived there, the worst storms were always October and the end of September.

[MN_Bhoy]

Our first STJ trip was this past summer (first week of August) and it was fantastic. Warm water, low crowds, restaurants open, only scattered showers. We will look to do the same this year if possible.

[bushz]

Sounds like it won't be too risky. Thanks to you who replied. If anyone else has anything too add that would be great

[Coconuts]

The ocean at that time of year might strike some as "unrefreshing", but we love it, and can bob for hours as the sun goes down. I've actually measured the water temperature at 87 degrees! You can also catch the sunset from north shore beaches at that time of year. As for hurricanes, there is some risk, but unlike the mainland, where a storm has a high probability of hitting somewhere along that long and very developed coastline, both St. John and the dangerous wind zone of a hurricane are actually pretty small, so the odds of the two coinciding are quite low. If you want some more peace of mind, consider the right trip insurance. Then relax, and plan your visit!

All the best,

Kevin

[ColumbiaSCTraveler]

Ditto to the August fans. Because of my job, August is the only month we're able to visit. We've NEVER had weather issues, but we ALWAYS buy trip insurance.

[Coconuts]

Just out of curiosity, having been there only at the very beginning of one August, how was the weather in general during your stay, and to what degree do you feel that the Sahara dust impaired the visibility?

All the best,

Kevin

[ColumbiaSCTraveler]

We always go in the first two weeks of August. Sahara dust has never been a big deal for us. Honestly, we've never had any real issues with the weather / visibility / etc. Some days you'll get a downpour, but it's over in a couple of minutes. No biggie. Sometimes this causes the water to be a little cloudy for snorkeling. Again, no biggie. Some days it may be overcast for the entire day because of a passing tropical storm. On these days, hike, or shop, or drink! Again, no biggie. I guess maybe a "downside" would be that it's quite hot and humid, but hey - that's what the water and pool and beer / frozen drinks are for! Again, no biggie. No matter the weather, humidity, visibility, whatever....I'd ALWAYS take STJ over anywhere else, no matter the season.

[Capn Dan and Ruby]

Ditto to the August fans. Because of my job, August is the only month we're able to visit. We've NEVER had weather issues, but we ALWAYS buy trip insurance.

Ditto on Trip insurance. We go mostly in June due to my job. Love it!

[dreamshark]

I think the biggest weather issue in August/September is that there is usually a period of 3-4 weeks where the trade winds die away. The air temperature is essentially the same from June-October (and only varies by a few degrees year-round), but without the constant breeze it feels much hotter. Island residents - is that time frame about right?

We weren't aware of this when we booked a trip for last September, but I read about it as my trip approached. We lucked out - the trade winds had just come back when we arrived on Sept 20. There was a 10-12 mph breeze pretty much all the time, and we were quite comfortable in our low-altitude villa. Except for ONE day when there was almost no wind. That evening it suddenly felt very hot and sticky on the deck where we'd been so comfortable every other night.

As one other poster mentioned, the water temp is noticeably warmer by the end of the summer. The little pool at our 1-night stay in STT was like bathwater, and even the ocean was just a little too warm for my taste. This could be considered a plus if you rent a mountain villa with a pool. People complain that the pools at many villas are literally too cold to use in the winter months.

Anyway, our vacation worked out great, but if I went back again in the August/Sept time frame I would definitely head for a mountaintop villa.

[awardb]

Like SC Traveler, we ALWAYS go in late July or the month of August. And in over 8 years of doing this, we've only been burned once, in 2010, with Hurricane Earl. We had to leave our villa, and spend a bunch of extra $$ to get a room at Gallows Point to ride out the 'cane. Trip Insurance wouldn't pay for the extra outlay, due to the fine print.

We've since tried to visit STJ in the first half of August to slightly reduce the chances we'll have to deal with another hurricane. If you look at historical data, Sept. is by far the worst month that you *might* experience a hurricane. In our experience, the worst months overall are August, Sept. October, with the hurricane danger peaking in Sept..

SC Traveler's comments are spot-on. It's a little hot and humid, and there are passing showers sometimes, and you might end up with one gray day......but hey!....you're on STJ! We love the fact that it's less busy, beaches are uncrowded and things are just generally even more sleepy and slowed down.

If you have a pool at your villa, the temperatures are JUST RIGHT during the summer! Winter, they could be somewhat chilly, methinks.

Sept. is cool (as in neat), but an awful lot of our favorite restaurants are closed, and the 'cane risk is much higher. We've only been to STJ once in Sept., every other trip has been in August.

We think it's a great time to visit STJ!

And in closing, here's a shout-out to SC Traveler, who we met last year at the Beach Bar Sunday Forum get-together, along with her wonderful husband!

[ColumbiaSCTraveler]

A shout out!! Woot!! YAY!!! Looking forward to seeing y'all again this August!!! We will be there August 3 - 16! Booking our villa any day now!!!!! Hope y'all are doing FANTASTIC!

[awardb]

SC Traveler - Silverheels and her friend will be there at the same time as the rest of us, so I guess we'll have to do the Beach Bar bash for at least the 6 of us again while we are all there!

Woo-Hoo! Can't wait!