The BVI is sailable twelve months a year, but it is not the same place in January, May and September. Here is what the wind, sea, rain and crowds actually do each month, and when the good weeks fall. For conditions right now and the week ahead, see the BVI weather forecast, updated every Friday.
On a crewed yacht? The short version is all you need. Your captain reads the rest every morning.
The best time to charter, in one minute
December to March
Peak season
Driest, breeziest and busiest. Reliable trade winds, the odd blustery week around Christmas, cooler nights, highest prices and full mooring fields.
April to June
The sweet spot
Steadier, gentler wind, warm water, thinner crowds and better rates. The month most repeat charterers quietly pick.
July and early August
Summer
Hot, hazy and quiet. Light-wind days are more common and hurricane season has started, so book with storm cover.
Mid August to October
Storm season
The heart of hurricane season. Many bars, resorts and some charter bases close. Lowest prices, highest risk.
November
Early season
The wettest month on paper, but showers pass fast. Everything reopens, prices are still soft and the water is at its warmest.
The year at a glance
One row per thing that matters, one column per month. Darker means more. Rain and sea temperature are long-term averages; wind is the typical range we saw on the water (the number is the middle of it); crowds, price, north swell and hurricane risk are our own rating from low to high.
| Measure | N | D | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Early | Peak | Sweet spot | Summer | Storm season | |||||||
| Windknots, typical on the water | 15 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Raininches in the month | 6.1 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 5.9 | 5.3 |
| Seadegrees F | 83 | 81 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 84 |
| Crowdsmooring fields and bars | Moderate | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Low | Low |
| Pricecharter rates | Moderate | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Low | Low |
| North swellcloses north-facing bays | Raised | Peak | Peak | Raised | Peak | Low | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Hurricane risk1 June to 30 November | Low | None | None | None | None | None | None | Low | Low | Raised | Peak | Raised |
lessmoreTap or hover a square for the detail.
Month by month
Averages, not promises. Tap “Skipper detail” above for wind, swell and anchorage notes under each month.
The numbers
Thirty-year normals where they exist. Wind is the exception: it is the range we saw on the water over our seasons running charter yachts here, not a weather-model average, because the models read several knots low between the islands. December to February is 16 to 20 knots most days, with 20 to 28 knot spells as cold fronts pass to the north.
What drives BVI weather
The trade winds
A big area of high pressure sits over the Atlantic and pushes air east to west across the islands almost every day of the year. That is why the wind here nearly always has “east” in it, and why the sailing is so dependable.
In winter the high slides south and the pressure gradient tightens. The result is the Christmas winds: early December to mid January, strongest in the second half of December, 20 to 28 knots from the east-northeast in surges that last several days and occasionally more than a week. Some years they barely show up. Reef early, plan shorter legs and expect the channel between Tortola and the southern islands to be lumpy.
North swells
Between November and April, winter storms far to the north send long, slow swells down to the islands. The sky can be blue and the wind light while surf pounds every north-facing beach. It is the main reason a winter itinerary changes.
Expect about three real events a winter, most often in December and March, typically 7 to 8 feet at 10 to 11 seconds in open water and lasting three or four days. Period matters more than height: anything over about 10 seconds gets into north-facing bays even at 3 feet. Exposed: Cane Garden Bay, Brewers Bay, White Bay on Jost Van Dyke, Sandy Cay and The Baths, where the National Parks Trust flies a red flag and closes the mooring field. Usual refuges: The Bight at Norman, Great Harbour and Little Harbour on Jost, North Sound, Trellis Bay, Marina Cay and the south side of Peter Island.
Rain and squalls
Rain here usually means a ten-minute shower and a rainbow, not a lost day. The wetter stretch runs from August to November, with a smaller bump in May. February and March are the driest.
Squalls arrive from the east with a dark base and a wind shift, often gusting 25 to 35 knots for a few minutes. In summer they ride tropical waves that cross every few days. Watch upwind, close the hatches, and shorten sail before it arrives, not during.
Hurricane season
Officially 1 June to 30 November, but the risk is not spread evenly. About four fifths of all storm activity falls between August and October, and the peak is 10 September. June, July and November charters are rarely affected.
Recent history for the BVI: Irma made landfall on Virgin Gorda on 6 September 2017 as a category 5 with 155 knot winds, followed by Maria two weeks later. Earl (2010), Omar (2008), Lenny (November 1999), Georges (1998), Bertha (July 1996), Marilyn (1995) and Hugo (1989) all affected the territory. More recently Ernesto (August 2024) passed as a tropical storm and Erin (August 2025) passed about 80 miles north-east of Anegada as a category 5, bringing flooding. Most charter contracts treat a named storm as force majeure: you get a credit or a rebooking, not cash. Buy travel insurance when you book, because once a storm has a name, new policies will not cover it.
North swell map: where to go and where not to be
From November to April, a few times each winter, long swells from North Atlantic storms roll in from the north for three or four days. Red bays are open to it, green bays are where we would go instead, white depends on the size and angle. Check the swell forecast every morning in season.
Not for navigational purposes. Our own ratings, not a forecast. Your charter base has the final word.
- Exposed (8)
- Good in a north swell (18)
- Depends (14)
- ↓Swell direction
BVI weather questions, answered straight
What is the best month to sail in the BVI?
For most people it is April, May or early June: steady 10 to 15 knot trade winds, warm water, lighter crowds and lower prices than winter. December to March has the strongest, most reliable wind and the driest weather, but also the highest prices, the fullest mooring fields and the winter north swells.
When is hurricane season in the BVI?
Officially 1 June to 30 November. The real risk is concentrated between mid August and mid October, with the statistical peak on 10 September. About 78 percent of Atlantic tropical storm days and 96 percent of major hurricane days fall between August and October.
What are the Christmas winds?
A period of reinforced trade winds between early December and mid January, strongest in the second half of December. Expect 20 to 28 knots from the east-north-east in surges lasting several days, with rough water in the open channels. Some years they are mild or barely appear.
How warm is the water in the BVI?
Between about 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 Celsius) in February and March and 85 degrees (29 Celsius) in September. You can swim comfortably all year without a wetsuit.
Does it rain a lot in the BVI?
No. Even the wettest months bring only five to six inches, mostly as short showers that pass in minutes. February and March are the driest months with under two inches. August to November is the wetter stretch, and November is the wettest single month on the 30-year record.
Is July a good time to charter in the BVI?
It can be. July is hot, quiet and good value, with 83 degree water and long days. Wind is more changeable than in spring, Saharan dust makes the sky hazy, and hurricane season has started, although July storms in the BVI are uncommon. Book with travel insurance that covers named storms.
Sources. Air temperature and rainfall: NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Cyril E. King Airport, St Thomas, 25 miles west of Road Town. Sea temperature: seatemperature.org, Road Town. Modelled wind and daylight: WeatherSpark, Road Town. North swell climatology: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 10(2):183 and CARICOOS. Christmas winds: Ocean Navigator. Hurricane climatology and storm history: US National Hurricane Center and NOAA AOML. Charter company policies: the companies’ published terms, September 2026. Anchorage notes are our own experience plus published cruising guides.
Picked your month?
Tell us your dates and who is coming. We will say what that week usually does on the water, which base suits it, and whether the boat you have in mind is the right one. It costs you nothing and you pay the same price as booking direct.