Hurricane Headed for Baja

Category 3 Hurricane Norbert, which will pack winds of 110 knots, has formed off the coast of Mexico. Although still 600 miles from land, current projections have him making a nearly 90° turn, then hitting land 72 hours from now at Bahia Santa Maria, which is about 175 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. A lot of things can happen to change his path, but everyone on both sides of Baja, as well as anywhere in the Sea of Cortez, needs to be on the alert. If Norbert‘s path continues, please take all the necessary precautions, including stripping everything off the outside of your boat.

If Norbert were to come ashore at Bahia Santa Maria, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, as there is very little to destroy there, and much of his force would be lost in the tall mountains of the Sierra Gigantica before he crossed over to the Sea of Cortez.

If you’re slated to do the Baja Ha-Ha, don’t freak out, as the conditions for hurricanes tend to change very quickly at this time of year. In the 14 years we’ve done the Ha-Ha, there have been plenty of October hurricanes off Mexico, yet there have only been a couple in November — all of them way down by the border with Guatemala. In the last 50 years there has never been a November hurricane that came near the Ha-Ha course. Of course, we’re as scared of hurricanes as you are, so the Grand Poobah will be contacting Commander’s Weather daily during the Ha-Ha to not only see if a tropical storm is forming, but even if conditions are conducive to such a storm forming.