Belize Vacation Rain Explained

Often people who are planning a Belize vacation are checking the weather and worried about rain ruining their trip. It is very rare that we have all day, everyday rains here. In the 10.5 years I have lived here there was only one year that we got hit very badly during the rainy season where that was the case, but it is definitely not the norm no matter what the weather forecast says.

Since we had a lot of rain predicted this past week, I decided to track the weather for a couple of days and checked in every so often to see what the chances were. As you can see in my bullet points below, the predicted thunderstorms kept getting bumped later and later. Although there was a forecast 60 to 80% chance of rain both days which is high, we got very little rain and no thunderstorms. It rained once very late at night and a light drizzle one early morning.

Day 1

80% chance of precipitation.

• 1:40 pm possible thunderstorms at 8:15 pm
• 2:30 pm possible thunderstorms at 8:45 pm
• 5:00 pm possible thunderstorms at 9:30 pm
• 8:40 pm possible thunderstorms at 9:30 pm
• 10:13 pm thunderstorms will continue (there were none, to begin with)
• 1:55 am possible thunderstorms at 2:15 am and a chance of precipitation 50% (A short heavy rain finally came at 3:11 am)

Day 2

60% chance of precipitation.

• 7:00 am short light early morning rain
• 7:30 am isolated thunderstorms predicted at 11:15 am
• 11:40 thunderstorms ending at 12:15 pm
• 2:12 pm chance of thunderstorms at 8:00 pm
• 4:40 pm chance of thunderstorms at 9:45 pm
• 7:15 scattered thunderstorms will continue (they never started)
• 12:00 am thunderstorms possible at 4:30 am

Overall based on what was predicted I would have said 8 out of 10 chance of how much rain we were going to get. In that respect, it makes sense for people wondering if they are going to get rained out on their trip. In reality, it was a 1 or 2 the level we actually got and none of it would have interfered with any vacation related activities.

Belize Forum Links

Here are some good links to TripAdvisor posts where travelers are seeking advice about planning their trip to Belize and worried about the weather. Responses that regular posters and destination experts gave help put things in perspective.

Rain in forecast…trip ruined? This traveler was worried that their upcoming trip to San Ignacio and Placencia and if their activity plans will be ruined by rain.

Weather in Belize during July, August and September. This person is planning their 2017 during one of 3 months. They are wondering how bad exactly do the rainfall and storms get and if it is unrealistic to enjoy a sunny warm beach holiday during this time.

Rain – How much will the trip be affected? In this post, the writer wonders if they should be packing ponchos and umbrellas. Replies from a resort manager, a destination expert and a few contributors offer wise advice.

Belize Weather Links

Best time to visit Belize. This link has an average monthly temperature chart. It also gives more insight into Belize travel and lists official holidays when all banks and some stores and restaurants may be closed.

Belize Weather. Here you will find a good breakdown of Belize weather by month. This page also has current weather widgets for San Ignacio, Belize City, Placencia and Ambergris Caye.

Wunderground is a great weather app option for checking travel weather – I was using it to get my rain info above. It gives forecasts, weather alerts, weather radar, sunrise, moonrise and a whole lot more.

You can download it in your smartphone from Google Play and Itunes Store.

• Click to Download Wunderground app in Google Play Store.
• Click to Download Wunderground app in iTunes.

A Bit More About Belize Weather

Belize is considered to have a subtropical climate and has both dry and rainy seasons. The dry season spans from December to May and the rainy season is during the months of June to November.

Temperatures can range from 60°F or 15°C (very rarely and probably in January) to 96°F  or 35°C generally, but Belize has an annual mean temperature of 80°F or 26°C. Most days are breezy (by the water) but it can get hotter than a $2 pistol as has been the case lately and humidity is usually always a factor for making it feel warmer than the actual temperature.

Annual Rainfall in Belize varies with an average of 19 inches  – 50 cm in the northern districts up to 29 inches –  75 cm in the southern areas.

If you are looking for the driest time of year to visit Belize then plan your trip between April & May. If you want to save a few save a few dollars on vacation then consider booking your trip during low season (usually after Easter to the end of November).

Here are some pictures of the weather this week as a visual illustration of a large amount of predicted rain and thunderstorms we did not really get.