Riviera Maya, Q.R. — The entire Yucatan Peninsula continues to be locked in an enormous mass of Arctic air. State Civil Protection are warning local residents of an extreme dip in nighttime temperatures again for Monday.
According to State Civil Protection (Coordinación Estatal de Protección Civil Quintana Roo), thermometers in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto bottomed out at 4.2C (39F) Monday morning.
Other areas such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen fared out a little better, but certainly not what locals are used to. State Civil Protection reported Cancun residents woke up to 11C (51F) in the suburbs and 13C (55F) in the center Monday morning.
Riviera Maya (Playa del Carmen) was not far behind with a wakeup temperature of 9C (48F) with similar temperatures for Sian Ka’an in the municipality of Tulum at 8.0 C (46F) and both José María Moralos and Chetumal also at 9C .
The only municipality that has remained somewhat near normal nighttime temperatures has been Cozumel with a balmy Monday morning wakeup temperature of 19C (66F).
Weather for Cancun and Riviera Maya is forecast to remain cool and windy for the rest of the week with well-below average temperatures. Meteorologists say temperatures will remain low into the weekend due to incoming polar air (cold front 33).
On Monday, the National Meteorological Service (SMN) of the Government of Mexico issued an advisory on the cold air associated with cold front number 32 as well as incoming cold front 33.
“The Arctic air mass associated with cold front number 32 will move eastward across the Gulf of Mexico, modifying its thermal characteristics and allowing for a gradual increase in daytime temperatures across much of Mexico.
“However, cold to very cold conditions will persist during the morning and evening across the Northern Plateau, the Central Plateau, and eastern Mexico. Northerly winds with gusts of 70 to 90 km/h will prevail in the Isthmus and Gulf of Tehuantepec and gusts of 40 to 60 km/h in Yucatan and Quintana Roo.”
The SMN says as cold front 32 moves off, a new front of even colder polar air, cold front 33, will move in. That front will start to enter the region Thursday and “bring a further drop in temperatures, showers and heavy rain to the region,” they reported Monday.
“Very heavy to intense rain is forecast for Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Tabasco on Thursday along with a very strong to intense “Norte” wind event along the Gulf of Mexico coast, the Yucatan Peninsula and the Isthmus and Gulf of Tehuantepec.
“Starting Wednesday night, snow or sleet is expected on the peaks of Popocatépetl, Iztaccíhuatl, Pico de Orizaba and Cofre de Perote. Cold front 33, with its polar air, will affect Cancun and Riviera Maya by Friday. The entire state will see a further drop in temperatures with its arrival.
Agencies around Quintana Roo have been handing out free blankets this winter to those in need. On Sunday, the city of Cancun expanded its blanket drive to include 17 suburbs due to the ongoing extreme cold. Hundreds of people showed up as the Civil Protection trucks arrived with the free blankets over the weekend.
