Season by season
Dry season (December–June)
Steady trade winds, lower humidity and mostly short showers. This is the most comfortable time to walk the runways and the best for dry, firm roads in the north. The east coast is at its roughest in the winter trades, which is exactly when the Blow Hole performs best.
Wet season (July–November)
Hotter and more humid, with heavy downpours that turn the old coral roads muddy and can make parts of the north awkward in an ordinary car. Mornings are often clear, so start early. Low cloud and squalls occasionally delay the small aircraft.
Sea conditions & typhoons
The west-coast beaches by San Jose are usually calm; the east and north coasts are open ocean and never suitable for casual swimming. Typhoons are possible in any month and likeliest from about August to November — Typhoon Yutu struck Tinian directly in October 2018. When a storm approaches, flights stop, so keep your plans flexible.
Month by month
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rainfall | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29°C | 23°C | 95 mm | Quiet |
| February | 29°C | 23°C | 70 mm | Quiet |
| March | 30°C | 23°C | 60 mm | Quiet |
| April | 31°C | 24°C | 65 mm | Quiet |
| May | 31°C | 25°C | 85 mm | Quiet |
| June | 31°C | 25°C | 125 mm | Quiet |
| July | 31°C | 25°C | 215 mm | Quiet |
| August | 31°C | 24°C | 320 mm | Quiet |
| September | 31°C | 24°C | 290 mm | Quiet |
| October | 31°C | 24°C | 270 mm | Quiet |
| November | 30°C | 24°C | 160 mm | Quiet |
| December | 29°C | 24°C | 110 mm | Quiet |
Temperatures and rainfall are approximate long-term averages; individual years vary, and a single typhoon can change a month completely.
Festivals & events
- February: the Tinian Hot Pepper Festival usually takes place in San Jose, with food stalls, music and pepper-eating contests (dates vary — check before you go)
- March–April: Holy Week and Easter are observed in the village church, with processions
- May: the fiesta of San Jose, the village’s patron saint, is usually held around the start of the month
- July: the anniversary of the 1944 landings on 24 July is marked locally; CNMI Liberation Day on 4 July is celebrated mainly on Saipan
- August: the anniversaries of the atomic missions on 6 and 9 August sometimes bring commemorative visitors to North Field
Our advice
For the easiest visit, come between January and May, take the earliest flight you can and do the north first, before the heat builds. In the wet season, allow a spare day on Saipan in case flights are disrupted. Region-wide advice is on the when to go page.
