CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Small craft advisories and high rip current risk warnings continue to be in effect for the U.S. Virgin Islands through tomorrow, the National Weather Service said this morning.
Pulses of a long-period northerly swell and moderate to locally strong east to northeast winds will maintain hazardous seas for small craft, according to the NWS.
Consequently, dangerous swimming and life-threatening rip current conditions for beachgoers are likely.
Fresh to strong winds in the Windward Passage and south of Hispaniola will pulse on Saturday night and Sunday night.
Meanwhile, a cold front stretching from western Cuba to northern Belize will dissipate through today.
This will bring moderate to locally fresh winds and moderate seas.
Caribbean Gale Warning
A strong subtropical ridge over the northwestern Atlantic will force fresh to near gale-force easterly winds across the south-central Caribbean during the next several days.
Gale force winds are expected to pulse offshore Colombia tonight through Sunday night. Seas should peak near 12 feet during the late night/early morning hours of all three nights.
A cold front extends from western Cuba to northern Belize. Showers are likely occurring ahead of the front in the northwestern Caribbean. Moderate north winds are noted behind the front with seas to 6 feet.
The rest of the Caribbean Sea is dominated by a 1,037 mb high pressure system located south of Newfoundland. The pressure gradient between the aforementioned ridge and lower pressures in northwestern South America result in strong to near gale-force easterly trade winds in the south-central Caribbean, with gale force winds occurring off the coast of Colombia.
Seas in these waters are 8-12 feet. Fresh to strong easterly breezes and seas of 5-8 feet are found in the north- central and NE Caribbean. Moderate to locally fresh easterly winds and seas of 4-7 feet are noted in the southeastern Caribbean. Elsewhere, moderate or weaker winds and slight to moderate seas prevail.
For the forecast, gale force winds are ongoing off the coast of Colombia, which will become fresh to strong by this morning. Fresh to strong winds are also prevailing over most of the central Caribbean.
Gale force winds are expected to pulse offshore Colombia at night from Friday night through Sunday night.