The sea temperature at St John (Trunk Bay) today is 29.7 °C (85 °F) – water as warm as a bath. The usual October average is 29.6 °C. The forecast for the next 3 days is around 29.6 °C. Over the last 30 days the sea temperature has held at around 29.7 °C. Swimmable all year – the sea averages 26 °C or more in every month. Source: Sea Temp Map (seatempmap.com) – NASA MUR satellite data and the Copernicus Marine sea forecast.
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26.6°C / 79.8°F | 26.9°C / 80.5°F | 27.4°C / 81.3°F |
| February | 26.1°C / 79.0°F | 26.5°C / 79.7°F | 26.9°C / 80.5°F |
| March | 26.2°C / 79.1°F | 26.6°C / 79.8°F | 27.1°C / 80.7°F |
| April | 26.5°C / 79.7°F | 27.0°C / 80.5°F | 27.7°C / 81.8°F |
| May | 27.2°C / 81.0°F | 27.9°C / 82.2°F | 28.7°C / 83.6°F |
| June | 27.9°C / 82.2°F | 28.6°C / 83.4°F | 29.4°C / 85.0°F |
| July | 28.2°C / 82.8°F | 28.7°C / 83.7°F | 29.3°C / 84.8°F |
| August | 28.7°C / 83.6°F | 29.2°C / 84.5°F | 29.6°C / 85.3°F |
| September | 29.2°C / 84.5°F | 29.7°C / 85.4°F | 30.2°C / 86.3°F |
| October | 29.0°C / 84.2°F | 29.6°C / 85.3°F | 30.3°C / 86.6°F |
| November | 28.3°C / 82.9°F | 28.8°C / 83.8°F | 29.2°C / 84.5°F |
| December | 27.3°C / 81.1°F | 27.8°C / 82.0°F | 28.2°C / 82.8°F |
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25.2°C / 77.3°F | 25.5°C / 77.9°F | 25.6°C / 78.1°F |
| February | 24.8°C / 76.6°F | 25.1°C / 77.2°F | 25.2°C / 77.4°F |
| March | 24.9°C / 76.8°F | 25.3°C / 77.5°F | 25.4°C / 77.8°F |
| April | 25.1°C / 77.2°F | 25.5°C / 77.9°F | 25.7°C / 78.2°F |
| May | 26.3°C / 79.3°F | 26.7°C / 80.1°F | 26.9°C / 80.5°F |
| June | 27.0°C / 80.6°F | 27.4°C / 81.3°F | 27.6°C / 81.7°F |
| July | 27.3°C / 81.1°F | 27.6°C / 81.7°F | 27.9°C / 82.1°F |
| August | 27.6°C / 81.6°F | 27.9°C / 82.3°F | 28.1°C / 82.7°F |
| September | 27.6°C / 81.7°F | 28.1°C / 82.5°F | 28.2°C / 82.8°F |
| October | 27.5°C / 81.4°F | 27.9°C / 82.1°F | 27.9°C / 82.3°F |
| November | 26.7°C / 80.1°F | 27.0°C / 80.6°F | 27.1°C / 80.8°F |
| December | 25.8°C / 78.4°F | 26.1°C / 79.0°F | 26.2°C / 79.1°F |
5-year averages (2021–2025). Min/Max are typical daily lows and highs, not record extremes. (Copernicus ERA5)
Trunk Bay holidays
Inside Virgin Islands National Park on the north shore of St John, in the US Virgin Islands, the white sand of Trunk Bay faces the small wooded islet of Trunk Cay. The national park was created in 1956 on land donated largely by Laurance Rockefeller and today covers more than half of St John along with the surrounding reefs; the name Trunk Bay is often traced to the leatherback turtle, locally called the trunk turtle.
Beaches
Trunk Bay has changing rooms, showers and refreshments but no lifeguards, and a day-use fee is charged at the entrance, so check current services, fees and opening times. An underwater snorkelling trail with signs on the seabed runs along the reef around Trunk Cay and suits beginners in calm weather. Along the North Shore Road, Hawksnest Bay, Cinnamon Bay and Maho Bay each have their own beach; Maho Bay is known for green turtles grazing on the seagrass in shallow water. On the south-east of St John, Salt Pond Bay is the start of the walk to Ram Head.
Things to do
The ruins of the Annaberg Sugar Plantation, on the north coast of St John, include a windmill tower and the remains of the factory where enslaved Africans produced sugar and rum. The Reef Bay Trail leads down through the forest to petroglyphs carved beside a freshwater pool. Cruz Bay, the main town, has restaurants, bars and shops around the ferry dock, and Coral Bay on the east side is quieter.
Weather and best time to visit
At Trunk Bay the sea stays above 26 °C / 79 °F all year, even in the coolest month.
St John is warm all year, cooled by the trade winds. The drier season usually runs from about December to April, when visitor numbers are highest. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November, with the greatest risk from about August to October, and the powerful hurricanes Irma and Maria struck St John in 2017. North Shore parking is limited, so arrive early at busy times.
Hotels and where to stay
Accommodation on St John is mainly in villas, small inns and a few resorts, most of them in and around Cruz Bay and along the south shore at Great Cruz Bay, with campground cabins and tents at Cinnamon Bay.
Signature hotels: The Westin St. John Resort Villas (Great Cruz Bay)
Airport and getting there
St John has no airport. Cyril E. King Airport (STT) on neighbouring St Thomas has flights from the US mainland and the Caribbean; from the airport, taxis run to Red Hook in about 30 to 40 minutes, where passenger ferries cross to Cruz Bay in about 20 minutes and car barges also operate. As in the rest of the US Virgin Islands, cars drive on the left; US citizens travelling directly from the US mainland or Puerto Rico do not need a passport, but check identification requirements and the rules for any international connections.