TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands El nino effects?

lots of weather changes all around thanks to a strong
El nino in place.. Any comment as to how it is effecting the BVI for 2016 sailing season? Cheers to all Aleta skipper

No idea why but today the entire Atlantic is a mess with some areas getting much worse in the coming days. Tropical Storm season arrived with Alex in January?

Alex is actually a late bloomer from the 2015 season. Water temps in the Atlantic ITZ are considerably higher than average which allowed the convetion to build as the upper level eastward shear faded. Hopefully Alex will be it until June. Theoretically strong El Nino years produce relatively quiet Atlantic hurricane seasons but this one is expected to fade by late spring. The abnormal temps extend a good way north so winter storms coming off the east coast will probably produce stronger swell trains out of the north through March. Rainfall should be slightly below normal.

Can anyone report on the Christmas winds this year? Everything I see points to moderate to almost non-existant this year.

I can assure you that the Christmas winds existed. While our wind instrument failed for the fourth time <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cloud.gif" alt="" /> (finally being replaced by B & G with a supposedly improved version) so I can't give you a reading, we had one or two reefs in pretty much at all times. We've seen it blow harder but it was most definitely there.

Charterer aboard S/V Orion over Christmas reported strong winds daily ... Multiple reefs at times. Thanks - Mark

30 kts was not uncommon

Sounds like business as usual
cruising out of Red Hook February 10th looking for local info.
Key west is under tropical depression for days hearing cruisers changing plans transiting the panama Canal due to strong El nino conditions in the Pacific. Spare the Virgins :-)