You are sitting in your office, staring outside at the grey skies and thinking about layering on two pairs of socks, thermal underwear and scarves and hats and making the trek home through the snow and slush. In an effort to make yourself feel better, you search “cancun weather forecast” to escape for a moment to some tropical weather on your desktop screen. Most of the time you’ll find the Cancun weather to be “hot and sunny, hot and sunny, hot and sunny” and you can live vicariously through the lucky souls who have made their winter escape. Other times you’ll see “rain, rain, and more rain”, but truth be told, those forecasts are rarely accurate! While forecasts may call for rain in Cancun, what we really see is a short afternoon shower (which is actually quite refreshing on a hot day) then back to “hot and sunny”.
The winter months of Cancun are generally fantastic weather months, not too hot, not too cold, with temperatures averaging 27 C/80 F, with very little precipitation and low humidity. The days are perfect for laying on the beach, exploring Chichen Itzá, going for a snorkel or visiting Xelha or Xcaret. It’s wise to pack a light jacket and pants as the evenings may get cool, but during the day you’ll be able to show off that gorgeous bikini or your cool new board shorts and catch a great tan.
Cancun weather (like weather everywhere) unfortunately is not always predictable. While the winter “norm” is lovely and warm, the area can be affected by cold fronts called “nortes”. “Nortes” bring cold weather, wind and occasional rain showers. This past week has been unseasonably chilly in Cancun, with temperatures going as low as 15 C/59 F at night. While this may not seem cold to those of you covered in snow, it is definitely not what Cancun is accustomed to. The current cold front is affecting almost the entire country of Mexico and the southern United States, bringing warnings from the Mexican government to bundle up, keep children warm and to show extreme caution in heating homes. Houses in Mexico are built to stay cool, central heating is non-existent and it is a challenge for many to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Tourists who have come to the area seeking tropical temperatures are feeling disappointment in the turn of the weather, though they are making the best of it and bikinis and board shorts are still on parade at hotel pools and beaches. Fortunately, “nortes” usually pass in a short period of time and we should be back to sunburns and sweat in no time! Looking at this week’s Cancun weather forecast, it appears that things should be turning around by the end of the week. Thursday’s predicted high is 28 C/82 F, a big improvement over the last few days. While it is currently chilly, the skies are blue, the sun is shining and tourists are out and about enjoying their vacations.
A cool day in Cancun has got to be better than a bitterly cold day at home! We at Cancun Travel send you warm wishes from south of the border, if you are thinking of making a great winter escape, we´re here at your service to help with all your vacation plans.
