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.

The end of the 2009 hurricane season is drawing near (officially hurricane season ends November 30th) and the Atlantic has seen very little storm activity. Cancun and the Riviera Maya have been unaffected by serious storms in 2009 and have had a relatively dry season. Of course, one can never count one’s chickens before they hatch, while many in the region had breathed a sigh of relief over the quiet year, we’re in storm watch now as Tropical Depression Ida makes her way across Nicaragua and Honduras, heading north towards the Yucatan Peninsula.

photo courtesy the National Hurricane Center

On Thursday November 5th, Ida became a category 1 hurricane as it hit Nicaragua with heavy rains and winds of 75 mph/125 kph, inflicting serious damage on the communities in its path.  The storm weakened over land, dropping in status to a tropical storm, then later to a tropical depression.  Today Ida is expected to cross Honduras and enter the Caribbean Sea, on a north-northwest path that will likely bring her over the Yucatan Peninsula over the weekend and into Monday.  Forecasts give Ida a 49% chance of increasing intensity over the sea before reaching Cancun and the Riviera Maya.

Officials in Quintana Roo have issued low-level alerts to the population, advising people to prepare for heavy rain and winds, but have not issued any serious bulletins for hurricane watches.  The Civil Protection agency closely monitors ongoing storms and will raise the alerts if the state is at greater risk from a strengthening Ida.  The authorities, businesses and people of Quintana Roo are well prepared to deal with any weather emergency and while it is unlikely, if Ida presents a danger to tourists in the area, necessary steps will be taken to ensure maximum safety.

It does not appear that Ida offers any great threat to the region, though we will certainly see some inclement weather over the weekend.  It has been raining in the region for the last few days and that is expected to continue at least through Monday.  Of course, storms are predictable only in their unpredictability, many factors can affect the path and intensity of a storm over only a few short hours. There is always the chance that the storm could dissipate or conversely, increase in strength over the Caribbean Sea.

To monitor Ida’s movements, please visit the National Hurricane Center or Stormpulse for the latest news.