Acapulco -- The Weather and the Time

As the Jimmy Buffett song goes, “Theseveral inches of rain. On such occasions the rain
Weather is Here . . . “ -- In Acapulco you cancan start at any time and continue heavy for
almost always count on a sunny day and a clearmany hours, flooding streets and dry arroyos.
night – at least during three seasons of theTime
year. The winter months are the best. In theYou will find Acapulco at a longitude of
summer the weather can be “iffy” -- both99°45’W. It is in the “Central Time
in terms of sun (versus rain) and temperature.Zone,” as that term is understood in the
You will find Acapulco at a latitude ofUnited States and Canada. Set your clock to the
16°45’N. Anything up to 22.5° is consideredsame time as in Mexico City, Chicago or
in the tropics. Thus, Acapulco’s tropical climateSaskatchewan. This is GMT -6. In the summer,
should come as no surprise. (Perhaps anthe clock is moved forward to GMT -5 for
unexpected effect of being in the tropics is thatDaylight Savings Time. Do not assume that the
the face of the moon appears to have rotated.change from Standard to Daylight Savings time is
Be sure to study it at home first, and thenthe same as in your home country. Usually Mexico
compare when you get here.)changes later in the Spring and earlier in the Fall
Here is the good news: From December to Maythan in the United States. (Some places in Canada,
the average temperature is around 80°like Saskatchewan for example, do not change
Fahrenheit (26° Celsius). Highs rarely reachthe hour at all.)
90°F (32°C), and the lows are a comfortableA curious feature of the time zone is that
72°F (22°C). It almost never rains, and the sunAcapulco is on the extreme western edge of
comes out all day long. Clouds, if there are any,Central Time. Therefore, twilight comes relatively
are wispy. About 300 out of 365 days each yearlater in Acapulco than in places more central in the
are perfect beach days. Humidity during drytime zone, and dawn is also later, too. If you are
season is relatively low.used to having a sunrise walk on the beach
Here is the bad news: From June to October, rainaround 6:00 am, in Acapulco you may have to
is possible, especially overnight. The days can getwait until nearly 7:00 am.
hot (averaging close to 90°F (32°C) andElevation
peaking between 95°F (35°C) and 100°FIt may seem obvious to most people, but
(38°C) during July. It does not rain every dayAcapulco is at sea level, being on the ocean and
during rainy season. Many, if not most of theall. Visitors who come in from higher altitudes (like
days are sunny and bright, but usually hotter andMexico City or Toluca, or perhaps Colorado and
more humid than in the winter months. But whenUtah) will probably notice and appreciate the 20%
it does rain, the water really comes down! Rarelyor so more oxygen you get at sea level (when
does it rain during daylight. The humidity buildscompared with, say, 9,000 feet (2,700 meters).
while the sun is out, and then late at night rainAfter a week at sea level, the trip home may
bathes the mountains and the streets of the portresult in some huffing and puffing. The mountains
city, lingering often until early morning hours. If itaround Acapulco are high for being on the coast.
does rain during the day, a tropical weatherSome nearby peaks of the Southern Sierra
system of some sort is probably passing through.Madres go up as high as 7,000 feet, but the high
Acapulco is south of the corridor of serious Pacificpeaks overlooking Acapulco are only about 2,500
hurricanes, but every year a few tropical stormsfeet above the level of the bay.
or depressions will stop to dump as much as