Seasonal· Grand Cayman· Other Caribbean
Northers & Northwesters (Jamaica and Cayman)
19° 24.0′ N · 81° 20.0′ W
From December to March (sometimes April) cold fronts reach the north-west Caribbean as northers and northwesters, turning Grand Cayman's George Town and North Sound entrances, Bloody Bay and every open north-coast Jamaican bay into lee shores.
Practical
Reference point is Virgintino's position 1 mile north of the North Sound channels (19 24.0N, 081 20.03W), the most dangerous place to be in a front. Cayman (Virgintino): fronts usually arrive early in the trade-wind season, December-March and sometimes April, heralded by the wind shifting south then south-west; the colder it is in South Florida, the more violent the northwester. Once it starts, do not try to enter North Sound - go to Spotts; if already inside, go to Governor's Harbour. North Sound channels are unusable in northerlies or above about 20 knots (2018 report). Sister Islands: shelter in South Hole Sound, Little Cayman; Cayman Brac's north side becomes untenable (2023). Jamaica (Virgintino): Dec-end March the north shore is exposed; some northers bring only light N-NE wind, others last 3+ days with near-gale. North-coast refuges: Port Antonio and Bogue Lagoon (excellent), St. Ann's Bay behind the reef and the east side of Discovery Bay (good), Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Oracabessa (fair). South coast: Manatee/Coquar Bays and Wreck Bay are protected from northerlies. Montego Bay Yacht Club's April Pineapple Cup and the April-June trade-wind season are the reward: westbound coast-hopping is excellent then.
Best for
Planning around winter fronts
Season
Dec-Mar (occasionally Apr)
Nearby
- Tarpon Alley (North Wall)0.9 NM away
- Eagle Ray Pass (North Wall)1.1 NM away
- Stingray City (dive site)1.1 NM away
- Stingray City Sandbar (North Sound)2.2 NM away
- Morgan's Harbour (West Bay)2.8 NM away
- Ghost Mountain (North Wall)2.9 NM away
- Dog's Head Reef (Rum Point Channel)3 NM away
- Morgan's Harbour Fuel Dock (West Bay)3 NM away