West Bay in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), West Bay sees average daytime highs around 26°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 86 mm of rain over about 18 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 26°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Winter is West Bay's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. West Bay has little temperature swing across the year, so its calendar seasons blur — the season framing matters less here than for a place with four distinct seasons. For the whole year in context, see West Bay's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 26°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 25°C
- Rainfall
- 86 mm
- 18 wet days
- Avg wind
- 26 km/h
- Travel score
- 7.8
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in West Bay in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 26°C.
A typical winter day in West Bay reaches about 26°C and drops to 25°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in West Bay
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
winter sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
West Bay weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 25° | 28 | 6.6 | 11 | 7.7 |
| Feb | 26° / 25° | 13 | 2.8 | 11.3 | 8.4 |
| Mar | 26° / 25° | 16 | 3.9 | 11.9 | 8.3 |
| Apr | 27° / 26° | 18 | 3.7 | 12.4 | 8.0 |
| May | 28° / 26° | 95 | 11.2 | 12.9 | 6.5 |
| Jun | 28° / 27° | 104 | 13.2 | 13.1 | 5.4 |
| Jul | 29° / 27° | 60 | 12.3 | 13.1 | 5.4 |
| Aug | 29° / 27° | 93 | 15.3 | 12.7 | 5.0 |
| Sep | 29° / 27° | 139 | 18.6 | 12.1 | 4.5 |
| Oct | 28° / 27° | 214 | 20 | 11.6 | 4.7 |
| Nov | 27° / 26° | 108 | 12.1 | 11.1 | 6.4 |
| Dec | 26° / 25° | 44 | 8.5 | 10.9 | 7.2 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
West Bay gets around 86 mm of rain over 18 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 26 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 10 h 54 min in early December to 11 h 36 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 4.6 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for West Bay
None of West Bay's seasonal hazards peak in winter. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
West Bay sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
West Bay's rainy season runs September–November, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is winter a good time to visit West Bay?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is one of the better times to visit West Bay for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for West Bay in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, West Bay sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 25°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear, sun protection and a windbreaker. About 18 days see rain.
Sea temperature near West Bay in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 27°C across winter — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 30°C and coldest in February near 27°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 27 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 27 | Warm |
| May | 28 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 30 | Tropical |
| Sep | 30 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index in West Bay in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in West Bay peaks around May 13 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 7 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Very high |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | High |
Air quality in West Bay in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in West Bay is worst in June — around 27 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 27 | 25 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 8 | Good |
| Mar | 8 | Good |
| Apr | 10 | Good |
| May | 14 | Moderate |
| Jun | 27 | Moderate |
| Jul | 25 | Moderate |
| Aug | 19 | Moderate |
| Sep | 13 | Moderate |
| Oct | 10 | Good |
| Nov | 7 | Good |
| Dec | 7 | Good |
Where is West Bay?
West Bay sits at 19.4°N, 81.4°W, 5 m above sea level, in Cayman Islands. The nearest listed city is George Town, 11 km away.
Topography around West Bay
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of West Bay.
Within 3 km, the terrain around West Bay has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 10 m around an average of 2 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 21 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 24 m.
The land around West Bay is covered by water (59%) within 3 km, water (91%) within 16 km, and water (97%) within 80 km.
Cayman Islands travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 113% of US
- price level, 2024
- GDP per capita
- $104,293
- 2024
- Homicide rate
- 4.4
- per 100k, 2020
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for West Bay (19.382°, -81.3928°, elevation 5 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.