The normally benign, pleasant weather is one of the Sea's
greatest attributes. Even when it does storm, it usually
doesn't compare to the open Pacific. The dry season is from
December through April, and this is generally considered the
"cruising" season. Squalls called "Chubascos" are common
from July through October. Hurricanes seldom reach up very
far North into the Sea (there has only been one recorded
incident of a hurricane reaching Guaymas), but their after effects can
wreak some havoc.
Wind
The winds are usually out of the northwest from October
until May, when southern winds become more frequent but are
variable and often non-existent. Dead calms are a common
occurrence. During the early winter strong afternoon
northwesterlies (25+ knots) occur 5 days out of 7. They
can make for a very choppy, uncomfortable beat north.
 See Predicting Northers for more information.
Temperature
Temperatures can range from the high 50s in winter to 100+
at the height of summer. Winter is quite comfortable, and
spring is particularly pleasant. A lot of people (myself
included) tolerate the summer heat, though August can be
pretty miserable. The Baja side tends to be a few degrees
cooler than the mainland side during the summer. If you
are going to sweat through the summer in a Marina, an air
conditioner is highly recommended. One of the 5000btu, $200
units from the discounts stores, stuck in the companion way
or the forward hatch will generally do the job.
El Niņo and La Niņa
During an El Niņo year the Sea of Cortez is affected like the
rest of the west coast. During the 97/98 El Niņo there were
hurricanes all the way to the end of November, pummeling
Acapulco and even glancing off Cabo San Lucas. The dry
season was never very dry.
The 98/99 season will see the less common La Niņa
phenomenon, which is a cooling of the tropical Pacific. Predictions
about its results are just beginning. From what I have been
able to gather, La Niņa will not have much effect on the Sea
of Cortez area, at least not compared to El Niņo.
I have listed some El Niņo/La Niņa information sites. The
STORMFAX site is the best to start with.
Getting Weather Reports
Weather information can, at times be difficult to come by.
There is no equivalent to the US weather service channels.
The local marinas usually have weather reports taken from
the internet. Listening to the local cruiser nets (usually
on VHF 22 or 68) in the morning will often enlighten you as
well. If you have HAM/SSB access, then there are several
nets that provide regular weather info. See the Communications in Mexico page
for frequencies and schedules and internet access details.
References
MexWX: Mexico Weather for Boaters
by John E. Rains
Perfect - 112 pages 2 edition (March 1, 1998) Point Loma Pub; ISBN: 0963847015
A great guide to marine weather for the Pacific coast of Mexico and the
Sea of Cortez. Updated edition includes information on El Nino, Internet weather
resources, weather frequency listings, charts, satellite photos,etc. Explains the
cruising seasons, best times for north or south passages, winds, currents and storms.
Click on the title or book cover to order from Amazon.com now!
Click here for more books on the Sea of Cortez!
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Rare waterspout near San Carlos
