CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The U.S. Virgin Islands will be under a high surf advisory starting this afternoon, NOAA’s lead meteorologist Ian Carlos Colón-Pagán said this morning,
St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix face a small craft advisory and high rip current risks now through late Friday night and into Saturday afternoon, according to Colón-Pagán.
“Pulses of a long-period northerly swell and moderate to locally strong east to northeast winds will maintain hazardous seas for small craft,” he said. “Consequently, dangerous swimming and life-threatening rip current conditions for beachgoers are likely.”
A 1025 mb high pressure is centered SE of Bermuda near 29N61W. The pressure gradient between the area of high pressure and the Colombian Low is supporting near-gale force winds off the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela and fresh to strong winds over the remainder of the central Caribbean, including the Windward Passage. A trough extends inland over the Yucatan peninsula. The pressure gradient between the area of high pressure and the trough is supporting fresh to strong SE winds over the western Caribbean, including the Yucatan Channel. Moderate to fresh winds are noted elsewhere across the Caribbean. Seas are in the 8 to 10 ft range in the south central Caribbean and 6 to 8 ft over the remainder of the central Caribbean waters. Seas of 6 to 8 ft are also in the western Caribbean. Seas in the 4 to 7 ft range are found in the eastern Caribbean.
For the forecast, fresh to strong winds will prevail across the south central Caribbean, pulsing to near gale-force at night off of Colombia the next several nights.
Gale force winds are expected offshore Colombia at night Friday night through Sunday night.
Fresh to strong winds in the Windward Passage, south of Hispaniola, and in the Gulf of Honduras will prevail today before diminishing.
A cold front will reach the Yucatan Channel tonight, then stall and weaken over the northwest Caribbean late Friday into Saturday.