Caribbean Humidity and Wind by Month: Bahamas, Barbados, Santo Domingo and San Juan

Are the Bahamas humid?

Yes, but for most of the year less than the other bases in this comparison. Relative humidity in Nassau averages 71% in January, 68% in March (the lowest month) and 76% in June (the highest). From June it eases to 72% in July and sits between 72% and 75% for the rest of the year. So the Bahamas never have dry air, but the gap between the stickiest and the least sticky month is only about eight points. Choosing an island for the winter? See Caribbean in winter compared.

Here are all four places, month by month, with humidity on top and wind below in each cell:

Humidity gets uncomfortable when it combines with heat, and Nassau's heat changes a lot over the year, from a 25° high in January to 31° in August. That is why 71% in January is a pleasant terrace day and 72% in August is not. We hold no "feels like" figure, so read the humidity next to the temperature on the Bahamas page.

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Which Caribbean base is the most humid?

Santo Domingo, in every month. Its average runs from 76% in March to 84% in October and November, and even its lowest month equals Nassau's highest. San Juan is in between: 74% in March, 81% from September to November. Barbados is close to Nassau in the first half of the year (71% from February to April) and then climbs to 79% in August and October, so its sticky season runs from about July to November.

The pattern is the same across all four: the driest air is in late winter, February to April, and humidity climbs through summer and autumn. Nassau is the least humid in every month from July to April, tied with Barbados in February. In May Barbados is a point lower, and in June Barbados and San Juan are both a point lower. If humidity is your main worry, February to April is the best stretch for all four, and Nassau is the pick.

What is the average wind speed in the Bahamas?

At Nassau the daily mean wind is 20 km/h in November, December, January and February, the windiest months. It eases to 18 km/h in May and is lowest, 15 km/h, in June and September, then picks up again in October.

Read these as daily averages at 10 metres, not as gusts or the afternoon sea breeze. They are also on the low side compared with what coastal wind stations in the Bahamas report in knots, because a model box averages land and sea and a station on a beach does not. Use the table to compare places and months, not to judge a kite session.

Which island is windiest, and does it matter?

Barbados from December to July, and it is steady: 20 to 23 km/h, with its peak in June. From August to November it eases to 15 to 19 km/h and Nassau draws level or ahead (in October and November, Nassau is the windier of the two). That breeze is part of why a 28° January day feels easier in Barbados than the temperature suggests. San Juan sits in the middle, at 14 to 15 km/h in the winter and 18 km/h in July.

Santo Domingo is the opposite. Its wind never goes above 12 km/h in any month and sits at 9 to 10 km/h from May to November. Still air together with 84% humidity in October and November is the combination to plan around: no breeze in the sticky months. If you work in an apartment without air conditioning, this matters more than a 2 degree gap in temperature.

Which month is best if you dislike humid, still air?

Pick the month where humidity is low and wind is up. For each base:

• Nassau: February and March, with 71% and 68% humidity and a 20 and 19 km/h breeze. The highs are only 25° and 26°, so it can feel cool in the evening.
• Barbados: February to April, with 71% humidity and 20 to 22 km/h of wind and highs of 28° to 29°. This is the combination most people picture when they say Caribbean winter.
• San Juan: February to April, with 74% to 75% humidity and 14 to 15 km/h of wind.
• Santo Domingo: January to March for the lower humidity (76 to 79%), but expect little wind in any month.

What would we do?

If you hate sticky air, Nassau from January to April has the lowest humidity of the four, with Barbados close behind and the stronger breeze. If you want heat plus breeze, Barbados from December to May. If you choose Santo Domingo for its price or its scene, go in the cooler, drier months and make sure the apartment has air conditioning or a fan, because the air will be still. For rain and heat per month, which this page leaves out on purpose, see Caribbean in winter; for a wider search, where is warm in February.