SAIPAN — The National Weather Service in Guam says we’re in for mostly pleasant weather over the next few days in the Marianas, but beachgoers will still need to watch out for dangerous rip currents.
Forecasters say trade winds are blowing pretty steadily across the region, and while that’s helping keep things mostly dry and comfortable, it’s also kicking up the ocean a bit. Elevated trade-wind swell is keeping a high risk of rip currents in place along north- and east-facing beaches on Guam and across the CNMI.
On land, it should feel like classic island weather: partly to mostly sunny skies and just a few passing showers through about Saturday. A weak surface trough could bring a little more cloud cover and showers late Wednesday into Thanksgiving Day, but nothing that looks like a washout at this point.
Looking ahead toward Sunday and early next week, another weak disturbance could nudge rain chances up a bit, so things may turn a little wetter after the weekend.
Elsewhere around the region, Yap and Palau aren’t expecting any major systems, though a near-equatorial trough south of Palau could throw in some scattered showers at times. Farther east, across Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Majuro, the Intertropical Convergence Zone is still the main driver, bringing on-and-off showers and thunderstorms with some sunny breaks in between.
Most of the region is not dealing with drought right now, but Kapingamarangi is still classified under Severe Drought. Recent heavy rains may slowly improve conditions there, and forecasters say rainfall over the coming weeks should be near average for many islands, with slightly drier-than-normal conditions more likely east of the Marianas.
In the tropics, the only named system in the broader region is Tropical Depression 33W over the Philippines, well outside our local area. NWS Guam does not see any other areas of concern for tropical development near the Marianas through the weekend.
Even with calm, sunny weather on shore, NWS is urging swimmers, surfers, and fishermen to be cautious. If you’re not sure about the conditions, stay out of the water at hazardous beaches, listen for lifeguards and local advisories, and keep an eye on kids and weaker swimmers near the reef.
