Weather Costa Rica Rainfall. Rainfall patterns in Costa Rica vary greatly in
intensity across geographical areas. Some locations receive over 6 mts (18 ft)
of precipitation per year, while others receive under 1.5 mts (4 ft). Most of
the total rainfall for any given site (about 70%) occurs on less than 15 days
of a whole year, and will often be experienced as days of torrential downpour. Costa Rica may
hold the world record for the amount of rainy days at one site. Hacienda Cedral
registered 359 days of rain in 1968. The main reason for the diversity in Costa Rica’s
weather is the various elevations at which different parts of the country are
located. For example Guanacaste has a dry arid climate as it sits on the
lowlands, while Montverde a highland city that is misty and foggy throughout
the year due to its higher elevation. The Central Valley with San Jose enjoys the best climate in the
country as the weather here has an average of 22 degrees Celsius or 72 degrees
Fahrenheit and is tempered with a cool coastal breeze. In the highlands the
temperature averages 13 degree Celsius, while in the lowlands or at sea level
the temperature stays at around 26 degrees Celsius or 79 degrees Fahrenheit,
with hot days and sultry evenings.
Costa Rica weather
In Costa Rica the average annual
temperature is around 21 to 27 degrees Celsius or 70 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit
and the coolest months of the year are November, December and January. The
months March through May are the hottest months of the year, so make sure you
protect yourself from the sun. The nation's climate is classically divided into
two major seasons: rainy and dry. The dry season runs from January through May
and the rainy season from May to November and December. Locally, the seasons
were named by the early Spanish colonizers, who compared them to their own
Mediterranean climate, calling the dry months "verano" or summer, and
the rainy, grey and gloomy months "invierno" or winter. It is
interesting to note that some of the coldest temperatures are registered during
the early dry season or "summer". Climate is, of course, a complex
phenomenon, and there are many aspects of the weather in Costa Rica that are
worth examining in more detail, such as the influences of wind, rain, and
topography. Weather in Costa Rica is essentially a phenomenon of solar
radiation and air circulation. Intense heat at the equator puts air in motion,
and a worldwide pattern of winds is established.
Why the costa rica weather is so different?
The most famous of these, for Costa Rica, are the north-easterly trade winds, known locally as "alisios". These winds blow with considerable force from December to March and April. These winds, for example, are responsible for carrying moisture in the form of mists to the slopes of the Tilarán mountain range. These mists are what sustain the magnificent cloud forest ecosystem. Costa Rica travel has two seasons. The dry summer (verano) season is from December to May with many cloudless days and star-filled nights including views of the Southern Cross constellation. Coinciding with the winter in the northern hemisphere, this is the most popular season for visitors. You may be surprised how brown the landscape sometimes appears when flying into San Jose in April but after one or two downpours in May, everything is rapidly transformed into soothing green carpet. The green or rainy winter (invierno) season is a bit of a misnomer as the temperature hovers in the mid 70s year round in the Mesita Central. The mornings are beautiful, usually partially sunny with scattered cumulus clouds, covering over completely by noon, darkening by mid-afternoon with a major downpour often accentuated with a heart jolting lightning storm. Rivers race down the steep pitched gorges and roads washing away the last day's litter. By early evening it has tapered off to a light rain for an hour or two, and clearing by bedtime. It is a pleasant and alluring time of year with the popular tourist areas less crowded, and everything is so fresh and lush.
