Puerto Vallarta Hurricane Update for Travelers on 13 October
MEXICO · TRAVEL
Key Facts
- —The country Mexico, the southern neighbour of the United States. Puerto Vallarta, on the Pacific coast of Jalisco state, is one of its resorts most visited by Americans and Canadians.
- —Why it matters Hurricane Simon shut the resort’s airport from 6 pm on Saturday 10 October, over the US Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.
- —What happened The Puerto Vallarta hurricane closure ended when airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico cleared commercial flights from Tuesday 13 October.
- —Where Simon is At 6 am local time on Tuesday, Simon was a Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph (150 km/h) winds, 95 miles (155 km) offshore.
- —What it means for you Check your flight with the airline before leaving for the airport, and expect dangerous surf and rip currents on the beaches for several days.
- —Still open How many flights actually operate on Tuesday, whether Simon turns back toward land, and what damage officials will report for the Jalisco coast.
- —Prediction markets Polymarket gives 97.2% that Simon’s peak strength will settle at Category 4 (13 October, 8:38 a.m. ET; about US$17,550 traded).
The Puerto Vallarta hurricane closure of the resort’s airport has ended, with commercial flights cleared again from Tuesday 13 October. Hurricane Simon, now a Category 1 storm, is still drifting off the coast of western Mexico.
This follows our report on Storm Simón nearing Puerto Vallarta and the airport closure that began on Saturday 10 October. US visitors can plan to fly again, but the storm’s rain, surf and slow track still shape the week.
Puerto Vallarta Hurricane Closure Ends at the Airport
Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), the private company that runs Puerto Vallarta International Airport, brought the reopening forward in two stages. Its statement of Monday 12 October followed a meeting with Mexico’s civil aviation agency, AFAC, and its air navigation service, SENEAM.
From 14:30 local time on Monday, the airport opened only to official aircraft, such as government flights. Commercial flights were cleared from Tuesday 13 October, ending a Puerto Vallarta hurricane shutdown that began at 6 pm on Saturday.
The first stage beat the 8 am Tuesday reopening described in Puerto Vallarta Airport Stays Shut Until 13 October. GAP said better weather made the earlier restart possible, with passenger safety as the priority.
Manzanillo International Airport, which GAP also runs in neighbouring Colima state, reopened at 8 am on Monday 12 October. It had closed under an official notice to pilots while Simon passed offshore.
Where Hurricane Simon Is Now
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued intermediate advisory 24A at 12:00 UTC on Tuesday, 6 am in Puerto Vallarta. It placed Simon 95 miles (155 km) west of Cabo Corrientes, the cape at the southern end of Banderas Bay, where Puerto Vallarta sits.
Simon had maximum sustained winds near 90 mph (150 km/h) and was crawling west-northwest at only 3 mph (6 km/h). The NHC expects a slow northwestward motion and an eventual turn to the north over the next few days.
The NHC calls Simon a very small storm, with hurricane-force winds reaching only about 10 miles (20 km) from its centre. Tropical-storm-force winds extend about 45 miles (75 km), and the storm should remain a hurricane through midweek.
A tropical storm watch covers the coast from Cabo Corrientes to Escuinapa, including Puerto Vallarta, where tropical storm conditions are possible on Tuesday or Wednesday. A hurricane warning covers the Islas Marías, an island group offshore, and a hurricane watch runs from north of Escuinapa to Bahía Tempehuaya in Sinaloa.
Flights, Waivers and Rebooking
GAP said each airline sets its own schedule after the reopening and urged passengers to confirm their flight before heading to the airport. A cleared runway does not guarantee that any specific flight will run on Tuesday.
Shortly before 7 am local time on Tuesday, GAP’s official flight board listed 44 departures for the day, all but one shown as scheduled. American, United, Delta, Alaska and Southwest all listed flights to US cities, while an early Aeroméxico departure to Mexico City was marked cancelled.
Delta Air Lines has a Hurricane Simon travel waiver for Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara covering trips scheduled for 10 to 12 October. Customers can change flights at no extra cost if they rebook and travel on or before 15 October.
Delta’s waiver applies to tickets issued on or before 11 October, and customers who cancel receive an eCredit for future travel. Travellers on other US and Mexican carriers should check each airline’s own travel alert page or app.
Beaches, Rain and Hotels
The sea is the clearest Puerto Vallarta hurricane hazard for visitors this week, even on days when the sun is out. The NHC warns that swells from Simon are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents along south-western and west-central Mexico for days.
Rain remains a risk along the coast and further north, with 5 to 10 inches (125 to 250 mm) expected across coastal west-central Mexico. Isolated totals of up to 15 inches (380 mm) are possible in Sinaloa by Thursday 15 October, with flooding and mudslides on steep ground.
Guests should ask their hotel directly whether beaches, pools and boat tours are open before booking activities. Lifeguard flags and local civil protection orders on swimming take priority over any tour operator’s plans.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, bets price a 97.2% chance that Simon’s peak will be recorded as Category 4, with 2.6% for Category 5. About US$17,550 had been traded when the market was checked at 8:38 am Eastern time on Tuesday.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for US Readers
For US travellers, the Puerto Vallarta hurricane disruption is now mainly about rebooking, beach safety and the storm watch on the coast. Contact your airline before you leave home, and note that Delta’s free-change window closes on 15 October.
The US Consulate General in Guadalajara handles US citizen services for Jalisco, the state that includes Puerto Vallarta. The State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) sends US citizens local safety alerts by email.
Anyone already in Puerto Vallarta with a cancelled flight should rebook through the airline’s app rather than queue at the terminal. Travellers driving north toward the Nayarit or Sinaloa coast should follow the storm watches closely.
What Is Not Known
The flight board shows Tuesday’s services as scheduled, and airlines can still cancel individual flights during the day. GAP has not published a count of flights operated since the Puerto Vallarta hurricane closure.
There is no official damage count yet for Puerto Vallarta from Jalisco’s civil protection unit or the city government. The NHC says Simon could approach western Mexico later this week at or near hurricane strength, but calls its forecast very low confidence.
What Comes Next
The NHC issues full advisories on Simon every six hours, with intermediate updates in between. Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) issues the local warnings that state authorities act on.
After the Puerto Vallarta hurricane closure, the immediate questions are flight schedules and beach safety while Simon’s centre stays offshore. The forecast turn to the north later this week will decide how much rain reaches the coasts of Nayarit and Sinaloa.
More: Mexico news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Puerto Vallarta airport open after Hurricane Simon?
Yes. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico cleared all operations, including commercial flights, from Tuesday 13 October 2026, ending the Puerto Vallarta hurricane closure. Its flight board that morning listed American, United, Delta and Alaska flights as scheduled, so check your own flight before going to the airport.
Did Hurricane Simon make landfall near Puerto Vallarta?
No. As of the National Hurricane Center advisory issued at 12:00 UTC on 13 October, Simon had not come ashore. Its centre was about 95 miles (155 km) west of Cabo Corrientes.
Can I change my Delta flight to Puerto Vallarta for free?
Delta’s Hurricane Simon waiver covers Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara for travel dates of 10 to 12 October. You must rebook and travel on or before 15 October, and the ticket must have been issued by 11 October.
Is it safe to swim in Puerto Vallarta this week?
Not without caution. The National Hurricane Center warns of life-threatening surf and rip currents along west-central Mexico for several days, so follow lifeguard flags and local closures.
Sources: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), Puerto Vallarta reopening, 12 October 2026; Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, Puerto Vallarta closure, 10 October 2026; Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, Puerto Vallarta flight board, 13 October 2026; Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, Manzanillo reopening, 12 October 2026; US National Hurricane Center, intermediate advisory 24A, 13 October 2026; US National Hurricane Center, forecast discussion 24, 13 October 2026; Delta Air Lines, Hurricane Simon advisory, 13 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Living in or visiting Puerto Vallarta? See our Puerto Vallarta city guide with rents, safety and upcoming concerts.