The warmest places in the Caribbean in winter are mostly in the south of the region. From November to March, Kingston, Trinidad, Grenada and St Lucia have the highest day-and-night averages of the 13 places compared here. Trinidad and Kingston are hottest by day (31.5°C and 31.2°C), and St Lucia has the mildest nights, at 24.2°C (76°F). The real outlier is the Bahamas: Nassau averages 27.0°C (81°F) by day and 19.3°C (67°F) at night, the coolest in the table by a clear margin.
So for warmth that lasts into the evening, pick an island with mild nights: St Lucia, St Maarten and Grenada lead the table. Below: 13 places compared on official climate averages, the answer month by month, where the rain falls, and how to choose.
The Warmest Caribbean Islands, November to March
These figures are the World Meteorological Organization's 1991-2020 climate normals, the official averages for each weather station, as archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information (WMO climate normals). There is one station per place, almost all at airports; St Lucia's is Hewanorra, at the island's southern tip. "Day high" and "night low" are the average daily maximum and minimum, the midpoint is halfway between them, and rain is the average total for the five months. The archive has no figures for Aruba, Curaçao, Cuba or Tobago, and we left out Punta Cana and Santo Domingo because their data sheets mix up the two stations, so they are not in the table.
| Place | Island, country | Day high | Night low | Midpoint | Rain, Nov to Mar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston | Jamaica | 31.2°C | 23.4°C | 27.3°C | 177 mm |
| Trinidad | Trinidad and Tobago | 31.5°C | 22.6°C | 27.1°C | 541 mm |
| Grenada | Grenada | 30.1°C | 23.8°C | 27.0°C | 398 mm |
| St Lucia | Saint Lucia | 29.7°C | 24.2°C | 27.0°C | 483 mm |
| Barbados | Barbados | 29.6°C | 23.6°C | 26.6°C | 403 mm |
| Montego Bay | Jamaica | 30.3°C | 22.7°C | 26.5°C | 366 mm |
| St Maarten | St Martin, Sint Maarten | 29.2°C | 23.8°C | 26.5°C | 427 mm |
| St Kitts | St Kitts and Nevis | 29.2°C | 23.4°C | 26.3°C | 408 mm |
| Grand Cayman | Cayman Islands | 29.0°C | 23.4°C | 26.2°C | 328 mm |
| Antigua | Antigua and Barbuda | 28.8°C | 23.1°C | 26.0°C | 347 mm |
| San Juan | Puerto Rico, United States | 29.1°C | 22.7°C | 25.9°C | 535 mm |
| Dominica | Dominica | 28.9°C | 22.5°C | 25.7°C | 892 mm |
| Nassau | New Providence, Bahamas | 27.0°C | 19.3°C | 23.2°C | 277 mm |
Three things stand out. The spread is small: every place except Nassau averages 28.8°C or more by day and 22.5°C or more at night, so every place in the table south of the Bahamas is warm in winter. Days put Kingston and Trinidad on top, but nights separate the holiday islands: St Lucia, St Maarten and Grenada have the mildest, while nights in Jamaica and Puerto Rico average 22.7°C to 23.4°C. And Nassau sits apart: 2.6°C cooler than Barbados by day and 4.3°C cooler at night.
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The Warmest Caribbean Island, Month by Month
November: Kingston (Jamaica) and Trinidad are the warmest by day, both at 31.9°C. St Maarten (St Martin) and St Lucia have the mildest nights, at 24.9°C to 25.1°C. Nassau (Bahamas) is the coolest, at 28.3°C by day and 21.2°C at night.
December: Kingston (Jamaica) and Trinidad are the warmest by day, at 31.2°C to 31.4°C. St Lucia and St Maarten (St Martin) have the mildest nights, at 24.1°C to 24.4°C. Nassau (Bahamas) is the coolest, at 26.8°C by day and 19.6°C at night.
January: Trinidad and Kingston (Jamaica) are the warmest by day, at 30.9°C to 31.0°C. St Lucia has the mildest nights, at 23.9°C. Nassau (Bahamas) is the coolest, at 26.1°C by day and 18.2°C at night.
February: Trinidad and Kingston (Jamaica) are the warmest by day, at 30.9°C to 31.3°C. St Lucia and Grenada have the mildest nights, at 23.4°C to 23.7°C. Nassau (Bahamas) is the coolest, at 26.6°C by day and 18.5°C at night.
March: Trinidad is the warmest by day, at 32.1°C. St Lucia and Grenada have the mildest nights, at 23.9°C to 24.0°C. Nassau (Bahamas) is the coolest, at 27.2°C by day and 19.1°C at night.
Places within half a degree of each other are a tie. Trinidad's station is at Piarco, inland in the north of the island, and Kingston's is on Jamaica's dry south coast, in the rain shadow of the Blue Mountains, so their days run hot. For the holiday islands, read the nights. For the whole region on one page, see Caribbean weather in January.
December in Detail
| Place | Day high | Night low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston | 31.4°C | 23.5°C | 41 mm |
| St Lucia | 29.8°C | 24.4°C | 99 mm |
| Grenada | 30.2°C | 23.9°C | 105 mm |
| Trinidad | 31.2°C | 22.8°C | 149 mm |
| Barbados | 29.6°C | 23.9°C | 88 mm |
| St Maarten | 29.3°C | 24.1°C | 101 mm |
| Montego Bay | 30.2°C | 23.0°C | 81 mm |
| St Kitts | 29.3°C | 23.7°C | 110 mm |
| Grand Cayman | 29.0°C | 23.6°C | 62 mm |
| Antigua | 28.8°C | 23.4°C | 81 mm |
| San Juan | 29.0°C | 22.9°C | 123 mm |
| Dominica | 29.0°C | 22.7°C | 207 mm |
| Nassau | 26.8°C | 19.6°C | 43 mm |
December is drier than November everywhere in the table. St Lucia averages 29.8°C by day and 24.4°C at night, Barbados 29.6°C and 23.9°C, and Antigua 28.8°C and 23.4°C. Nassau drops to 26.8°C and 19.6°C. For the festive fortnight compared with the Canaries, the Red Sea and long haul, see our Christmas sun holidays guide.
January in Detail
| Place | Day high | Night low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston | 30.9°C | 22.9°C | 15 mm |
| Trinidad | 31.0°C | 22.1°C | 80 mm |
| St Lucia | 29.2°C | 23.9°C | 85 mm |
| Grenada | 29.7°C | 23.3°C | 64 mm |
| Barbados | 29.1°C | 23.3°C | 61 mm |
| Montego Bay | 29.8°C | 22.2°C | 77 mm |
| St Maarten | 28.6°C | 23.3°C | 68 mm |
| St Kitts | 28.7°C | 22.9°C | 62 mm |
| Grand Cayman | 28.4°C | 22.9°C | 55 mm |
| Antigua | 28.2°C | 22.6°C | 55 mm |
| Dominica | 28.5°C | 22.3°C | 143 mm |
| San Juan | 28.5°C | 22.2°C | 103 mm |
| Nassau | 26.1°C | 18.2°C | 45 mm |
January is the coolest (or joint coolest) month of the year by day everywhere in the table, but the south barely notices: Grenada still averages 29.7°C by day and 23.3°C at night. Nassau averages 26.1°C (79°F) by day and 18.2°C (65°F) at night, warm enough for the beach by day but cool after dark. See Barbados weather in January for sea temperatures.
The Bahamas: the Cool One
Nassau is the coolest place in the table in every winter month. Its January nights average 18.2°C, against 23.3°C in Barbados and 22.2°C in Montego Bay. That is mostly latitude: Nassau lies about 12 degrees of latitude north of Barbados, southeast of Florida. Days are still warm enough for the beach, and it is the driest place in the table in November (87 mm).
One caveat. Our Bahamas weather page uses a different source, a 10-year model average for the area, which puts Nassau's nights about 3°C milder than the station does. Across the five islands with a weather page, the two sources differ by up to about 3°C, and the model runs cooler by day than the stations. Both agree that the Bahamas are the coolest of the group by day. Going in January or February? Pack a layer for the evenings.
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Rain: November Is the Wet Tail
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November (NOAA's National Hurricane Center), and November still carries the wet end of it. Everywhere in the table, November is the wettest of the five winter months: St Lucia gets 191 mm in November and 57 mm in March, Barbados 173 mm and 38 mm, and San Juan 187 mm and 55 mm.
Kingston is the driest place in the table, with 177 mm from November to March. Dominica is the wettest, with 892 mm at its airport on the east coast. In 12 of the 13 places, the driest winter month is February or March. For the March picture on one island in more depth, see our Puerto Rico weather in March guide.
How to Choose
- Warmest day and night together: Kingston and Trinidad, then Grenada and St Lucia, all within 0.3°C of each other.
- Mildest nights: St Lucia, at 24.2°C, the island to pick for long dinners outside.
- Hottest days: Trinidad, 31.5°C, but that is an inland airport.
- Driest: Kingston, with 177 mm from November to March.
- Wettest: Dominica, 892 mm.
- Coolest: Nassau, 27.0°C by day and 19.3°C at night, still warm by day.
- Classic UK favourites: Barbados and Antigua are within 0.8°C of each other by day; Barbados is a little warmer and Antigua drier.
For quieter islands such as Dominica and Grenada, see our hidden gems in the Caribbean. For warm places closer to home or in the US, see winter sun holidays from the UK and the warmest place in Florida in winter.
Plan It in Dream Trip
Choosing between islands usually means a pile of saved TikToks, Instagram posts and Google Maps pins. Dream Trip puts them on one map.
- Save what you find: send the beaches, rum shacks, snorkel spots and hotels you see on TikTok, Instagram and Google Maps to one map.
- Compare places: see your Barbados, St Lucia and Antigua saves side by side before you book.
- Plan the days: once you have picked, let Dream Trip's AI draft a day-by-day plan on a live map, and share the trip with whoever you are going with.
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FAQ
Which Caribbean island is warmest in December?
Kingston (Jamaica) and Trinidad are the warmest by day, at 31.2°C to 31.4°C. St Lucia and St Maarten (St Martin) have the mildest nights, at 24.1°C to 24.4°C. Nassau (Bahamas) is the coolest, at 26.8°C by day and 19.6°C at night.
Which Caribbean island is warmest in January?
Trinidad and Kingston (Jamaica) are the warmest by day, at 30.9°C to 31.0°C. St Lucia has the mildest nights, at 23.9°C. Nassau (Bahamas) is the coolest, at 26.1°C by day and 18.2°C at night.
Which Caribbean island is warmest in February?
Trinidad and Kingston (Jamaica) are the warmest by day, at 30.9°C to 31.3°C. St Lucia and Grenada have the mildest nights, at 23.4°C to 23.7°C. Nassau (Bahamas) is the coolest, at 26.6°C by day and 18.5°C at night.
Which Caribbean island is warmest in March?
Trinidad is the warmest by day, at 32.1°C. St Lucia and Grenada have the mildest nights, at 23.9°C to 24.0°C. Nassau (Bahamas) is the coolest, at 27.2°C by day and 19.1°C at night.
Is the Caribbean hot in November?
Yes. November is the warmest of the five winter months by day in 12 of the 13 places (Trinidad warms up again by March): day highs average 28.3°C in Nassau and 31.9°C in Kingston, with most islands around 30.3°C. It is also the wettest winter month everywhere in the table, the last month of the hurricane season. Nassau and Kingston are the driest in November.
Is the Bahamas warm in January?
By day, yes: Nassau averages 26.1°C (79°F). The nights are cool for the Caribbean, at 18.2°C (65°F), about 5°C cooler than Barbados.
When is the rainy season in the Caribbean?
On every station in the table, June to November gets more rain than December to May, and those are the months of the Atlantic hurricane season. In winter, November is the wettest month and February or March usually the driest. Dominica is the wettest place in the table in every winter month.
