Good morning Bay Islands. Did I say I love seeing people in the weather photos? You gotta love the cute little girl in Rob Vagnier’s photo from West Bay. Remember the five photos with the most likes compete on Feb. 29 for $50 in food at La Sirena in Camp Bay. A norther is closing in this morning.

In the satellite you can clearly see the clouds on their way. Looks bad, right?

But when you look at the radar you can see that the heaviest rain is staying well to our north. The southern end of this cold front only has scattered showers.

This is the GFS forecast for rainfall for the next 24 hours. You can see that it is predicting about an inch for La Ceiba and less the farther north you go. If this forecast holds true, then Utila should get the most rain, a little under an inch. Usually the real totals aren’t this neat, so some folks will likely get close to an inch and others may get very little rain. But we will have clouds today. There will be a chance of rain tomorrow morning and after that decreasing clouds in the afternoon. Tuesday morning there will be a small chance of rain, but after that we will be dry, mostly sunny and cool for the rest of the week.

We start the day with winds from the west at 20 mph and seas 2-3 feet. As we get toward midday those seas should get a little wavier, especially on the north side, toward 4 feet and winds will come from the northwest 20-25 mph. Overnight seas will be up to 5-6 feet. Tomorrow winds will start to calm, turning to the north 10-15 mph and seas will start the day at 5 feet and calm to 4 feet on the north side. Tuesday and Wednesday light winds will still be from the north and seas 3 feet on the north side.

The end of next week into the weekend looks like beautiful weather, with mild winds and sunny skies.

The main courses on the new menu at Ikigai by Robby Molina look awesome. I’m a sucker for fried rice, or as many on the island call it, China rice. My wife will probably go for the vegan curry. No, she’s not vegan, but she loves curry and cauliflower. What do you want to try?

Low tides are noon and midnight under a half moon. Have a great Sunday!

Good morning Bay Islands. Our photo of the day is from Debbie Shortlegs in West Bay and shows a full rainbow. We will have a chance of seeing one of these tomorrow, but not today, as we will have mostly sunny skies and winds from the east around 10 mph and seas 2-3 feet on the southside and 1-2 feet on the northside.

Wind and wave forecast: In the satellite we can see the cold front in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Around midnight tonight we will see our winds turn to the west. Around 9 a.m. we will start seeing 20 mph winds from the west and around noon those winds will turn to the northwest. That will turn our waves from the northwest around 3 feet, maybe 4 feet by evening. Monday morning should be the windiest and waviest period, with 25 mph northwest winds and seas 4-5 feet. Seas calm Monday evening to 3-4 feet. Tuesday through Thursday look like gorgeous days, with mild north winds, seas around 3 feet on the north side and mostly sunny, but cooler than normal conditions.

Rain forecast: As you can see in the rainfall forecast here, rainfall on the islands is not expected to be extreme. Sunday morning there is a small chance of rain. Sunday afternoon and evening the rain chance is better. There wiil be scattered showers Monday, especially in the morning. Total rainfall should be around an inch, probably a little more Utila and west Roatan, a little less east Roatan and Guanaja.
Like I said in the wind forecast. Tuesday through Thursday look like gorgeous days. There’s a small chance of a morning shower Tuesday, but after that we should be dry, mostly sunny, and cooler than normal with a little lower humidity than we’re used to.

Extended forecast: This may really be the end of our northers. Next weekend there is a small disturbance that could hardly be called a norther. The week following that we see a return of strong easterly trade winds and dry conditions that are typical of the dry month of March.

If you haven’t been to Ikigai by Robby Molina in the last couple of weeks, you haven’t seen the new menu. I’m very excited by some of the new dishes and can’t wait to taste them. I’m going to feature a different page of the menu over the next week or so. Let’s start with the appetizers. Robby’s spring rolls have always been crisp and delicious and I love goat cheese, so I will definitely be sampling the spring rolls, but I’m also curious about ceviche with watermelon. Yum!

We will have a very low tide at 11:15 p.m. Be careful out there and have a great weekend!

Our photo of the day comes from Bo Shomaker in West End. Not a lot of our photos of the day have a person in them and I like the fact that this one has a youngster in it. Many of us got a nice rain early this morning. But we should clear out. We’re looking for another weak norther followed by some cool, dry weather.

Here are our rainfall totals before 7 a.m.

Here are the clouds that brought the rain. You can see they are moving from east to west and there’s not much behind them, so after a chance of showers before 9 a.m. or so, we should be dry and mostly sunny.

Rainfall forecast: After this mornings clouds clear out we will be dry through this afternoon. The chance of rain tonight and tomorrow morning will be less than it was this morning, maybe 10 percent. Saturday will be dry. Sunday is the day our weak norther arrives. Some computers give us cloud and scattered showers all day Sunday and some say they will arrive in the afternoon, but we will have decent chances of off-and-on rain Sunday and Monday, but totals shouldn’t be much more than an inch. After a chance of rain Tuesday morning, we look really dry for the following week.

Wind and wave forecast: We start the day with east winds 10 mph and seas 2-3 feet. Those will continue today, but as we get toward evening our east winds will increase to 20 mph and seas to 3-4 feet. Tomorrow winds will be light and mostly from the southeast, with seas starting the day 2-3 feet and ending the day 1-2 feet. Sunday winds turn to the west, then northwest at 20 mph and seas 2-3 feet from the west/northwest. Monday morning will be the windiest and waviest of the norther, with north winds 20-25 mph and seas 4-5 feet on the north side. After that they drop to 2-3 feet for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Temperature forecast: I don’t often do temperature forecasts for reasons I explain here: https://roatanweather.org/frequently-asked-questions…/
But I’m going to make an exception because this norther will bring us some cooler weather. Sunday and Monday will be cooler because of clouds and showers, but Tuesday and Wednesday will be cooler because of cooler drier air behind the cold front, as you can see on this forecast map that shows dry air in brown. Wednesday morning should be the coolest of all and the best chance of seeing some 69 degree readings on the islands (20.6C).

Low tide is 10:15 p.m.

I’ll be heading down island today to get the best meat on the island. James Thomas and his crew at Carniceria Rosita give you the best cuts and always serve it up just how you like it. Have a great Friday!

This morning’s photo comes from Philip Sikora and is looking at the mountains of the mainland from Flowers Bay. I love days when you can see the mainland clearly and it generally happens after a nice rain clears. We don’t have a lot of rain in the forecast through Saturday, but a norther should bring more rains Sunday and Monday.

Rain forecast: On this morning’s satellite we can see a few popcorn clouds moving from east to west and at 7:30 a.m. some are approaching Guanaja. So we will leave a small chance of a scattered shower until midmorning. After that we should be mostly dry through Saturday, though I can’t rule out a nighttime or early morning shower tomorrow. Sunday through Tuesday rain chances go up as our next norther, which looks a lot like our last norther, comes through. Not all day rains, just scattered showers here and there.

Speaking of rain, many of us got a shower just after midnight this morning. Here are the rain totals.

If your “good boy” is a growing pup and an graying older dog, you need to give Mitch Cummins at Roatan Pets a call at 98017828. He can create a formula specifically designed to your dog’s needs.

Wind forecast: We wake up to east winds around 10 mph and seas from the northeast around 3 feet. When seas are from the northeast, the waves are similar on both sides of the islands. Seas should be 2-3 feet through tomorrow with a tendency to be more from the east, meaning that the north side may get even calmer. Winds will be from the east 10-15 mph today and tomorrow. Saturday looks quite calm with very light winds and seas 1-2 feet. Sunday winds turn to the northwest at 17-22 mph and seas from the northwest at 2-3 feet.

Low tide is 9 p.m. Have a great Thursday!

Good morning Bay Islands. Our photo of the day comes from Jamini McLaughlin Elwin in my neighborhood of Jonesville Point. I’m not a flower expert so if someone knows what kind of flower this is, please let me know in comments. Really short forecast because I’m flying back to the island today (yay!). We got some nice rains last night across our islands. We will have scattered showers this morning and tomorrow morning and we’ll be mostly dry in the afternoons. Also dry Friday and Saturday waiting for our next norther Sunday. Winds will switch from northeast to east today at 7-12 mph and seas should calm to 3 feet from their current 4-5 feet. Have a great Wednesday!

Good morning Bay Islands. This photo from Dawn Horton in West Bay was taken the last time we had a norther. That was a lot windier than this one will be. We wake up to northwest winds 15-20 mph and seas around 3 feet on the north side.

Rain forecast: There are a few clouds out there, but there are areas of sun.. We will still have scattered showers in the forecast, but most of the day should be partly cloudy. Tomorrow there will be a 30 percent chance of a scattered shower and Thursday a 50 percent chance of a morning shower. Rainfall totals shouldn’t be too bad though, so if you have plans the next three days, this shouldn’t ruin them. Friday and Saturday look nice, then Sunday our next norther comes with a chance of rain.

Wind and wave forecast: We will have northwest winds today 15-20 mph and seas 3 feet on the north side, perhaps getting to 4 feet by evening. Seas will continue to be 3 feet on the north side tomorrow, but with calmer winds 5-10 mph turning back to the east. Seas on Thursday will be from the northwest, meaning 3 foot seas on both sides of the islands. Things look a bit calmer into the weekend before our next norther comes on Sunday, with winds pretty similar to today’s norther.

Don’t forget this from Ikigai by Robby Molina: “Rediscover romance at Ikigai this Valentine’s Day! Indulge in an exquisite dining experience with our specially curated menu for lovers, meticulously prepared by the renowned Chef Robby Molina. As one of the top 100 chefs in the world, Chef Molina’s culinary expertise promises to elevate your Valentine’s Day celebration to new heights.
Nestled in the historic Romeo’s building in French Harbor, Ikigai offers a picturesque setting with a commanding view of the harbor, setting the stage for a truly romantic evening. As the sun sets at 5:45pm, immerse yourselves in the beauty of the moment and savor the culinary creations of Chef Molina.”

Low tides are 6:15 p.m. and 6:40 a.m. Have a great Tuesday!

Good morning Roatan. Our photo of the day comes from Dian Lynn watching the sun go down from Sundowners in West Bay. We will have clear skies today and winds light and variable. Seas should calm on the southside from 4 feet this morning to 3 feet and maybe 2. A very weak norther is coming tomorrow.

The long view of the satellite shows a cold front entering the Gulf of Mexico. It brought me some snow here in Oklahoma (just a quick trip, we’ll be home soon). Most of the cold air is moving to the east, not the south, so this system will be very weak when it gets here tonight. We will have clouds and scattered showers tomorrow and a chance of rain through Thursday, but rain totals should be anywhere between half an inch to 2 inches. Tomorrow winds will be from the northwest 15-20 mph and seas around 4 feet on the north side. Wednesday winds will turn back to being from the east at 10 mph, but seas will still be coming from the northeast, meaning 2-3 foot waves on both sides of the islands. For the end of the week and the weekend we’ll have mostly dry conditions, 20 mph east winds and seas 3-4 feet on the southside. Another weak norther is coming Sunday night into Monday.

This is the week for the guys to cook isn’t it? And we know, guys don’t cook they grill. And if you want the best meats on the island, check out Carniceria Rosita in Coxen Hole and French Harbour. Keep in mind the prices on this list are subject to change. But I know whatever cut of meat you want, James Thomas and his crew can serve it up for you.

Low tides are 5 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. under a very small crescent moon. Have a great week!

Good morning Bay Islands. David and Heather Granada send us this picture from the hill overlooking Politilly Bight at sunset. I love that this weather picture includes one of our communities. Don’t forget that the five photos with the most likes get into the poll on Feb. 29 to compete for a $50 La Sirena de Camp Bay, Restaurant & Bar gift certificate. Don’t forget to get your Roatan Weather calendar when you stop by La Sirena as well (or Hangover Hut or CC Printing). When you send me your photo at bookmybio@gmail.com, tell me the name of the photographer and the location of the photo.

Rain forecast: We have clear skies over our islands this morning and that will last through today and tomorrow with dry conditions. We can see the cold front cutting through the southeast US headed our way, but it will weaken greatly. We will have a good chance of rain Tuesday and then scattered showers Wednesday and Thursday. But total precipitation should only be a half inch to an inch, maybe two inches toward Utila, so it won’t be raining all the time, just passing showers. Things dry up for the end of next week into the weekend.

Wind forecast: We have brisk east/southeast winds today bringing 4-5 foot seas on the south side. Winds will get calmer tomorrow from the east 7-12 mph though seas will still be 3-4 feet on the south side. Tuesday winds come from the north, but only around 10-15 mph, giving us 2-3 foot seas on the northside and maybe 3-4 foot seas for Thursday morning.

Long-range forecast: We are still looking at a stronger norther coming for next Sunday night into Monday Feb. 19. But there is disagreement about how strong. The GFS is giving us quite a strong norther with high winds and rains, but most of the rest of the models have this weaker. As we get toward the end of rainy season, I tend to agree with the weaker models, but we’ll keep an eye on it.

From Melissa Dixon, manager at Ikigai: “Rediscover romance at Ikigai this Valentine’s Day! Indulge in an exquisite dining experience with our specially curated menu for lovers, meticulously prepared by the renowned Chef Robby Molina. As one of the top 100 chefs in the world, Chef Molina’s culinary expertise promises to elevate your Valentine’s Day celebration to new heights.

Nestled in the historic Romeo’s building in French Harbor, Ikigai offers a picturesque setting with a commanding view of the harbor, setting the stage for a truly romantic evening. As the sun sets at 5:45pm, immerse yourselves in the beauty of the moment and savor the culinary creations of Chef Molina.

This Valentine’s Day, create unforgettable memories with your loved one at Ikigai. Book your table now and let Chef Molina’s extraordinary talents and the stunning backdrop of the harbor make your evening truly magical.”

Low tides are 4:10 p.m. and 4:20 a.m. Have a great Sunday!

Good morning Bay Islands! Our photo of the day is actually our photo of the night. Jeff Bodin sends us this gorgeous photo from Carib Bight looking west. You can see the lights of French Harbor lighting up the sky at the bottom. We should be mostly clear through the weekend with a new moon, so the stars should be brilliant tonight.

Rain forecast: This morning we have some high clouds over Guanaja and the east end. These clouds are moving to the northwest, but it highly unlikely they have any rain in them. We will be dry through the weekend and into Monday. Monday evening we get a very weak norther that will bring a chance of rain Tuesday through Thursday, but totals look light. The GFS is forecasting an inch for the big island and 2 inches for Utila and other models forecast even less.

Wind forecast: We are dealing with brisk east/southeasterly winds at 20 mph this morning giving us 4 foot seas on the south side and 2 foot on the north side. Winds will get a little calmer at midday for 3 foot seas southside, but tonight they will get back to 20-25 mph and 4 foot seas (even stronger in Guanaja). Tomorrow looks a little windier than today. Monday things calm down as our cold front approaches, turning our winds to the north, but this norther is quite weak on winds.

This Euro wave forecast shows what waves will look like when the norther is at its peak Tuesday morning, with seas only 3 feet on the northside, so not much to worry about.

If you’re planning your trip to the island next week, you picked a pretty good week to come, with very mild weather on tap. Make sure you contact Jolly Roger Roatan to plan the best excursion on the island (and in the water.)

Extended forecast: We have a norther that looks a bit stronger coming in a week from Sunday night into Monday Feb. 19. We’ll keep an eye on it.

Low tides are 3:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. Have a great weekend!

Good morning Bay Islands. Our photo of the day comes from Rachel Gillis and looks out over the far west point of West Bay. Our day looks mostly sunny with trade winds picking up from the east. Winds today will be from the east 17-22 mph and seas 4 feet on the south side. Tomorrow will be the same, but maybe a little windier in the evening with seas getting up to 5 feet on the south side. Sunday looks windy and dry as well. Winds calm on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday a very weak norther comes and gives us a chance of some rain and light north winds.

These Thai Chicken Satay skewers are a great way to kick off a meal at Ikigai by Robby Molina. Friday into the weekend is also a great time to get together with friends at the old Romeo’s building in French Harbor. And with nice weather this weekend the outdoor seating is marvelous. Come on down!

We’re getting into the new moon phase and some stronger tides. Low tides are 2:30 p.m. and 2:45 a.m. Have a great Friday!