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Today’s Weather
Visit the National Weather Service for the Northern Mariana Islands to see the weather in Saipan, Tinian, or Rota.

Climate
Tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October. The annual mean temperature is 83 degrees Fahrenheit (F)/28-29 Celsius (C).

The months of greatest humidity are July to November. Humidity is very high with monthly averages between 79 and 86 percent but fresh breezes provide a measure of comfortable relief. The mean annual rainfall is approximately 83.8 inches, but rainfall varies from year to year. Sometimes the islands experience droughts generally during the period from December through June. Some rain does occur during the dry season. The wet season is from July through October.

There is considerable cloudiness in the Marianas and on a scale of 10 (ranging from 0 for a cloudless sky to 10 representing a completely overcast sky) the annual mean cloudiness averages 6.7. Cloudiness is greatest from July to September when the average number of cloudy days per month is about 19.

The Marianas experience three wind patterns. These are trade winds, doldrums, and typhoons. The islands lie near the border between the Asiatic monsoon and the belt of northeast trade winds. At Saipan, easterly winds prevail about 45 percent of the time. From November until March or April winds, tend to be easterly and northeasterly. Average annual wind velocity is 10.5 mph.

Two principal types of storms influence the climatic character of the Northern Marianas: small-scale storms, consisting of thunderstorms and squalls, and large systems of tropical storms and typhoons, which can dominate an area as large as 300,000 square miles and persist for a week or more.

Light thunderstorms occur occasionally throughout the year, particularly during the months of June to October. The season of most serious storms is from August to mid-December. This is the period of the most frequent occurrence of tropical disturbances. While typhoons do not occur every year, when they do pass over the islands winds of 115 miles per hour with gusts of 160 miles per hour can be experienced. The islands have a very efficient system of monitoring tropical storms and ample time is provided to prepare for such disturbances.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists Saipan as having "the most equable temperature" with a low of 67.3 degrees Fahrenheit and an high of 88.5 F.

Night Sky
Astronomy enthusiasts may visit here to see the stars in the CNMI sky! Enter coordinates 145.7N 15.16E, then click “Make Sky Map” button.

Seasons

• Windy season starts about December and goes through April/May.
• Dry season occurs April/May to June/July. Some light tropical rains often occur during the dry season.
• Rainy season takes over from July to November, which are the months most when most major storms affect our islands.
• Flame Tree season begins when these beautiful trees are in full flower in June and July. Scattered stands of Flame Trees, Delonix regia (Tronkon Atbot in Chamorro and Kaenju in Japanese ), may be seen during other months. The arbor is the official tree of the Commonwealth.

Storm & Typhoon Info
Visit the Tropical Cyclone Information or Joint Typhoon Warning Center to see information about typhoons affecting the Saipan, Tinian, or Rota.

Sunrise/set & Moonrise/set
Click either Sun rise/set or Moon rise/set to see schedules. An interesting phenomenon known as the "green flash" can sometimes be seen at the precise moment of sunset. This event occurs at the exact moment the top edge of the sun's rim drops below the horizon and is caused when the intense, brilliant rays of this star are refracted when passing through the curvature of the Earth's water surface. For a split second, this creates a flash of green light as sunlight passes through a prism of water.

Tides
Click here to view Tide Charts