February 15, 2024

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!

February 14, 2024

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!

February 13, 2024

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!

February 12, 2024

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!

February 11, 2024

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!

February 10, 2024

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!

February 9, 2024

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!

February 8, 2024

Good morning Bay Islands. Our photo of the day comes from Patric Lengacher and was taken in French Cay. I love looking above and below the surface of the water. We are dealing with clouds and a few showers this morning, but starting this afternoon through the weekend we should be mostly dry.

This morning we have clouds and a few showers around. About half of our weather stations on the big island have picked up .01 or .02 of an inch of rain this morning. These clouds are slowly moving from east to west, so we will keep a chance of rain in the morning. We should be mostly sunny with only a very slight chance of rain this afternoon. Tommorrow morning we will have about a 20 percent chance of a morning shower, but Friday afternoon through the weekend looks dry.

This morning we have winds from the east at 7-15 mph, but our seas are still slightly from the northeast at 3-4 feet giving us some waves on the north side as well. Today we will have east winds 15-20 mph and seas 3 feet and tonight east winds 20-25 and seas at 4 feet. Tomorrow through the weekend winds and seas should both be from the east 20-25 mph during the day and 20-30 mph in the late evening. So it will be a choppy weekend on the south side, less so on the north side. We had a cool morning this morning, but as we get the east wind back with fewer clouds, we will have lows around 75 (24C) and highs around 84 (29C).

We are still watching a norther Monday night into Tuesday and maybe Wednesday, but it is looking pretty weak right now. We’ll keep an eye on it.

The picture of the day featuring the reef always gets me in a mood for conservation and there is no more island-friendly choice for your dog that the food at Roatan Pets. Mitch Cummins sources his ingredients locally and gives a percentage of proceeds to ROAR, which provides assistance to the many needy pets on the island. Contact Mitch at +504-8746-5195

Our high tides at 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. are starting to get a little higher. Have a great Thursday!

Views of beautiful Honduran town on the shores of Roatan where the cruise port is located.

Don’t forget, if you want to hang some of these awesome shots on your wall and also have the rainfall averages and extremes for every month of the year, you can still get the Roatan Weather calendar at the lower price of 250 lempiras at Hangover Hut in West Bay, Las Sirenas in Camp Bay and, if you contact me first, also at CC Printing in Coxen Hole.

February 7, 2024

Good morning Bay Islands. Our photo of the day comes from Mayra Welcome and shows the waves getting almost to the pool at Infinity Bay in West Bay. The highest wave picked up by a buoy on the north side was 3.3 meters (10.8 feet) and several weather stations picked up winds around 40 mph. Fortunately this morning we are calmer, with northwest winds around 15 mph and seas 4-5 feet. We are also quite cool. Many of us had a morning low of 68 or 69 (20C).

At 7:50 a.m. we see some clouds moving in from the northwest. These will bring us a chance of showers through the morning hours.

Here is our rainfall as of 7:30 a.m. Very light totals so far.

One thing I would like to mention. In the very high winds we had yesterday, a few weather stations registered rain when it was totally dry. The reason is that those on poles were being shaken back and forth causing the measuring spoons inside to shake like they would if there was water in them. Mike Strine in Camp Bay suggested using a thicker galvanized steel pole. Another solution would be to screw the station to the highest eave of your house.

We will have moderate rain chances this morning and tomorrow morning under partly cloudy skies and cool conditions, mostly in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees. Thursday into the weekend looks pretty dry. Winds today should shift to the north, then to the east at 5-10 mph and seas will calm to 3-4 feet. Thursday into the weekend we will have brisk east winds 15-25 mph and seas 3-4 feet. Sunday looks a little calmer.

Extended forecast: Tuesday and Wednesday of next week looks like another norther, this time a little rainier and not quite as windy. The very long range forecast also shows a rainy norther coming Feb. 19 for a couple of days. As you know, forecasts that far out are very low confidence, but we’ll keep an eye on it.

Long-range forecasts may be low-confidence, but you can have high confidence that you will have a good time when you choose your excursion with Jolly Roger Roatan. They will make sure you have a safe, fun trip and get you back to your ship in plenty of time.

Low tides are 1:10 p.m. and 1:20 a.m. Have a great Wednesday!

February 6, 2024

Good morning Bay Islands. Our photo of the day comes from Kathy Sidenstricker in West End. These boats had better be tied down in their docks today or they’ll be in trouble. Things should get a little better this afternoon.

We start out the morning with seas 7-8 feet and winds around 30 mph from the west/northwest. The winds caused us to have about a two-hour power outage here on the east side. The buoy near Michael Rock in Guanaja is picking up 3 meter (9.8 foot) seas. Things should slightly calm this afternoon to 20-25 mph west winds and seas 6-7 feet. Tomorrow winds will be much calmer, from the northwest at 5-10 mph but seas will still be 4 feet. We also have about a 40 percent chance of rain tomorrow morning. Wednesday winds start turning back to the east and we will have brisk east winds into the weekend, but very little rain. We have another chance at a norther first of next week. This one looks a little less windy but more rainy.

Low tides are noon and midnight. Have a great day and stay safe out there.