Mexico Update: Hurricane Simon Stalls Off Pacific Coast; Puerto Vallarta Airport Closed Until Tuesday

October 12, 2026 — Hurricane Simon is crawling along Mexico’s Pacific coast without making landfall, and Puerto Vallarta’s airport will stay closed until at least Tuesday morning. Forecasters now expect the storm to move inland around midweek.

Where the storm is

• The US National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. MST advisory on Monday, October 12, put Simon at 115 mph (Category 3) and moving northwest at just 2 mph, about 50 miles southwest of Cabo Corrientes (CBS/AP).
• NHC expects Simon to move inland around midweek and warned of potentially catastrophic wind and life-threatening storm surge. Mexican forecasters cited by La Jornada expect it to weaken to Category 2 near Puerto Vallarta, then to Category 1 or a tropical storm near the Islas Marías.
• A hurricane warning covers the coast from Punta San Telmo to El Roblito, plus the Islas Marías (weather.com). Rain totals of up to 30 inches are possible in parts of Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco, with landslide risk.
• La Jornada reports two deaths linked to the storm, flooding in Colima, 114 shelters open across four states and ports closed at seven locations.

Airports, roads and local services

Volaris cancelled Puerto Vallarta, Tepic and Colima flights on October 11–12 and plans to restart gradually from Monday evening. Aeroméxico’s waiver covers flights to, from or via Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo and Colima. President Claudia Sheinbaum urged residents of Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Michoacán to stay sheltered.

Also on the radar: NHC gives a tropical wave south of southern Mexico a 90% chance of becoming a tropical depression within seven days.

ADVERTISEMENT

What it means for airline travelers

• Do not try to non-rev into Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo or nearby coastal points until the airports confirm normal operations. The first flights after reopening will be packed with stranded passengers, and standby seats will be scarce for several days.
• Simon’s track along the coast means more airports may be affected later in the week. Check the airport and airline before every leg.
• If you are already in the area, follow local authorities’ shelter orders and stay off the coast road. Expect power and phone outages.
• Register with STEP (US) or Registration of Canadians Abroad, and check whether your travel insurance covers hurricane delays that started before you bought it.

Sources

• US National Hurricane Center — Hurricane Simon public advisory (NHC home page)
• NHC — Eastern Pacific tropical weather outlook
• CBS News / AP — Hurricane Simon lashes Mexico’s Pacific coast
• UnoTV — Puerto Vallarta extends airport closure until Tuesday
• Proceso — Hurricane Simon extends closure of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo airports
• La Jornada — Hurricane Simon weakens to Category 3
• The Weather Channel — Rachel’s remnants to flood Southwest while Simon targets Mexico