Seasonal· Belize City· Other Caribbean

Northers & Hurricane Season (Belize)

17° 32.1′ N · 88° 18.8′ W

Belize sails in easterly trades of 10 to 20 knots for most of the year, but winter cold fronts ('northers') and the June to November hurricane season both shape when and where you can anchor. Position is the National Meteorological Service of Belize at the international airport (OpenStreetMap).

Belize Barrier Reef

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Northers: from November to March winds can back to the northwest at 20-25 knots (Moorings eGuide); in January and February fronts can arrive about every ten days with cloud, wind and drizzle, and the cayes' anchorages are exposed to them (Noonsite). Choose anchorages with northern protection (mangrove ranges such as Blue Ground Range, the Placencia Lagoon, the north side of Placencia cut) when a front is forecast. Summer 'Bayamas' are short, violent squalls from the south, heralded by a black southern horizon and lightning, gusting up to 60 knots (Moorings eGuide). Hurricane season is June to November; Belize City was almost destroyed by Hurricane Hattie on 31 October 1961 and Hurricane Iris damaged about 95 percent of Placencia's buildings on 8 October 2001 (Wikipedia). Many cruisers spend hurricane season up Guatemala's Rio Dulce; noonsite estimates around 1,000 yachts based there cruise Placencia and the southern cayes. Tidal range is only about 18 inches. Weather: hydromet.gov.bz, windy.com; The Moorings broadcasts a forecast on VHF 74 daily at 9:00 am. Night sailing inside the reef is unwise: Noonsite warns many lights and marks are missing.

Northers & Hurricane Season (Belize)

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