General Situation: High pressure ridge across area will weaken as it shifts eastward today through Tuesday. A cold front will approach the Bahamas by late Tuesday and then it will move through the NW and Central Bahamas by late Wednesday, exiting the SE Bahamas by early Friday followed by a building high pressure system. Cooler conditions behind the front will quickly warm up Saturday as another cold front approaches the Bahamas by late Sunday.
Tuesday 06th – Partly cloudy to cloudy and warmer during the day. Partly cloudy to fair skies and cool at night. Maximum temperature 81F and minimum temperature 68°F. Small craft should remain in port due to extremely dangerous ocean swells. Winds N to NE at 10 knots for all areas at first, but becoming more NE to E later and veering more SE to S at 10 to 15 knots in the NW Bahamas. Seas 1 to 3 feet over the ocean for all areas but remaining up to 14 feet over the open Atlantic water exposures.
Wednesday 07th – Partly sunny and warm with scattered showers or isolated thunderstorms affecting the NW Bahamas by late afternoon. Cloudy with scattered showers or thunderstorms across the NW Bahamas but mainly fair and mild elsewhere across the Bahamas. Maximum temperature 83°F and minimum temperature 69°F. Small craft should remain in port until ocean swells subside. Winds S to SW at 15 to 20 knots in the NW Bahamas and E to SE at 10 to 15 knots in the Central and SE Bahamas. Seas 4 to 7 feet in the NW Bahamas but up to 12 feet in NE’ly to E’ly swells and 2 to 4 feet in the Central and SE Bahamas but up to 12 feet in NE’ly to E’ly swells especially along eastern Atlantic exposures.
Thursday 08th - Partly cloudy and warm ahead of the cold front with scattered showers or possible isolated thunderstorms along the boundary. Partly sunny, mild and a bit breezy behind the front, turning mainly fair and breezy at night. Maximum temperature 77°F and minimum temperature 66°F. Small craft should not venture far from port as an advisory for seas is in place. Winds NW’ly at 15 to 20 knots in the NW Bahamas and gusty at times but SW to W at 10 to 15 knots in the Central Bahamas becoming NW’ly at 15 to 20 knots in the Central Bahamas by afternoon and light and variable in the SE Bahamas . Seas 4 to 7 feet in the NW Bahamas and 2 to 4 feet in the Central and SE Bahamas but building up to 4 to 7 feet in the Central Bahamas by afternoon. NE’ly swells will build seas up to 10 feet over Atlantic exposed waters.
Friday 09th – Partly to mostly sunny and mild with the chance of showers mainly in vicinity of the front. Partly cloudy to fair skies at night. Maximum temperature 75°F and minimum temperature 68°F. Small craft should exercise caution through early morning in the NW and Central Bahamas. Winds NW to W at 15 to 20 knots at first in the NW and Central Bahamas switching to N’ly at 10 to 15 knots, falling light and variable at times and N’ly at 10 to 15 knots in the SE Bahamas. Sea 4 to 6 feet in the NW and Central Bahamas becoming 2 to 4 feet later and 1 to 3 feet in the SE Bahamas. Mixed swells up to 7 feet over Atlantic exposed waters.
Saturday 10th – Partly to mostly sunny and warm but becoming breezy over all areas. Partly cloudy to fair skies and mild at night. Maximum temperature 81°F and minimum temperature 72°F. Small craft should exercise caution in the SE Bahamas late. Winds N to NE at 10 knots or less in the NW and Central Bahamas, falling light and variable at times and NE’ly at 10 to 15 knots in the SE Bahamas but increase to 15 to 20 knots late. Seas 1 to 3 feet in the NW and Central Bahamas and 2 to 4 feet over the SE Bahamas, building to 4 to 6 feet late.
Sunday 11th – Partly cloudy to cloudy and breezy with some scattered showers or possible isolated during the day through nightfall. Maximum temperature 83°F and minimum temperature 72°F. Small craft should exercise caution the entire Bahamas. Winds NE to E at 10 to 15 knots veering to S to SW at 15 to 20 knots later in the NW and Central Bahamas and NE’ly at 15 to 20 knots in the SE Bahamas becoming E to SE at 10 to 15 knots later. Seas 2 to 4 feet for the NW and Central Bahamas but building 4 to 6 feet later and 4 to 6 feet in the SE Bahamas but falling to 2 to 4 feet late.
Beachgoers and mariners should exercise extreme caution due to high surf and the risk of dangerous rip currents along the northern and eastern shorelines during stated advisories. Motorist should avoid travelling coastal roads due to the impact of battering waves, dangerous surf and sea spray especially during high tide periods through at least Thursday.
Geoffrey N. Greene
