Strong Nortes for Riviera Maya

There have been several strong nortes (cold fronts) go through the Riviera Maya in the last month.  So, if you are visiting and are not prepared you may be a little chilly.  Never hurts to bring a sweater or light jacket when out and about in the Riviera Maya during the winter (norte season).

Here charts of temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, and rain to illustrate the cool air that the nortes bring.  These observations are taken at the Mexican Navy (Secretaria de Marina or SEMAR) base in Puerto Aventuras that is just a few hundred feet inland from the Caribbean Sea.

Temperate at Puerto Aventuras, Mexico from February 5-11, 2016

The norte came through the Riviera Maya on February 4-5.  You can see that the high temperature has been below 25C (77F) for 6 days in a row.  The night-time low temperatures (which occur right before sunrise) have been below 15C (59F) for 5 days in a row. That is quite unusually cool for the Riviera Maya (even in winter).

Relative humidity at Puerto Aventuras, Mexico from February 5-11, 2016

Another feature of a norte is dryer air (which can make it feel even cooler when you are used to the normally humid conditions of the Riviera Maya).  The above relative humidity (RH) chart shows how relative humidity changes through the day and night (higher at night and lower during the day).  The relative humidity has been getting down to around 45% each of the last 4 days (that is very dry for the Riviera Maya).

Wind direction at Puerto Aventuras, Mexico from February 5-11, 2016

The above chart shows that the wind has been blowing from the north to northwest throughout this period.  That is the wind that is bringing in the cool, dry air.

Rain at Puerto Aventuras, Mexico from February 5-11, 2016

This norte brought a little rain (7-8 millimeters or about 0.25 inch) when it first came through on February 5 and just more than a trace on February 7.

You can track the most recent data by clicking on the links on the right column (under the Current and Recent Weather section) of this blog.  You can track locations other than Puerto Aventuras on the More Current and Recent Weather page.

You can also use Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (SMN) to see advisories regarding nortes.