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Typical Costa Rica Weather Conditions |
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Monday, 07 May 2007 |
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In tropical regions, the weather is usually hot and rainy. Costa Rica is a tropical land, but it has a varied climate, partly because of its rugged mountains. A chain of mountains curves from the northwest to the southeast across Costa Rica, and on the Caribbean coast there is a range of hills called the ‘Fila de Matama’. Night temperatures in the higher regions range from a high of 95 degrees Fahrenheit to below freezing.
Winds also affect the Costa Rica weather conditions and the Costa Ricans have given the winds special names. The ‘norte’ is a cool wind from North America that sometimes reaches Costa Rica between November and January, lowering temperatures for a few days. The ‘papagayos’ are strong winds that blow in from the Pacific, and ‘alisios’ are the trade winds that affect the northern slopes near the Pacific. Each of these winds creates a temporary change in Costa Rica weather conditions, with some areas being more strongly affected than others. Surrounded by low mountains, San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica and stands at an altitude of approximately 3773 feet in the northern part of Costa Rica. For much of the year, Costa Rica weather in this area is considered excellent; with spring like temperatures the majority of the time and some periodic episodes of rain showers. When considering Costa Rica weather, you will need to be aware of the two different Costa Rica weather seasons. The wet season is between May and November, and the dry season lasts the rest of the year. Costa Rica weather patterns in the wet season tend to bring sunshine until at leas midday in San Jose, though you can sometimes see rainstorms forming over the mountains.
The biggest change in temperature in San Jose comes between day and night, and some evenings are quite chilly. |
