THE CLIMATE IN COSTA RICA

Costa Rican Climate
Due its location fairly close to the equator, Costa Rica has been blessed with mild sub-tropical conditions year round and temperatures that vary principally in accordance to elevation: the higher the cooler. This is one of the main factors why many people are interested in purchasing real estate within its boundaries. If you decide to purchase a property and settle down, you should be informed about the weather conditions of the country.

There are actually two main climate seasons in Costa Rica. The dry season (which can be considered as the equivalent of summer and spring) goes from December to May. On the other hand, the wet season lasts from around June until November; during this time, mornings are generally sunny and heavy showers might be expected in the afternoon. Locally, the two seasons are known as "verano" (summer) and “invierno” (winter).

The temperatures in Costa Rica are determined more by elevation and location than by the seasons. Therefore, they range from tropical on the coastal plains to temperate in the highlands located in the heart of the country. Normal temperature at sea level on the Caribbean coast is, on average, of 27° C (82° F) and 32° C (89° F) on the Pacific lowlands. The standard year-round temperature of San José and the Central Valley (where you will find most of Costa Rica’s major cities) is of 23° C (74° F). These numbers decrease gradually with elevation (about one degree for every 100-meter gain). You'll definitely need a warm sweater or jacket for a trip to the mountains or volcanoes, where the difference between daytime highs and nighttime lows are the most marked.

The length of daylight diverges only slightly throughout the year and isn’t very significant. Usually, sunrise is around 6 a.m. while sunset is at 6 p.m; on average, you get approximately 12 hours of sunlight all year round. Also, since the sun's path is never far from overhead, the variations in temperatures in Costa Rica rarely exceed five degrees in any given location.

Life in the tropics: Rainfall
Rain is part of the everyday life of Costa Rica. Annual precipitation averages 250 cm (100 inches) nationwide. Depending on the area, the majority of this may fall in relatively few days, in some occasions fewer than 15 per year. In drier years, the Tempisque Basin in Guanacaste, for example, receives as little as 48 cm (18 inches), mostly in a few torrential downpours. The mountains, on the other hand, often exceed 385 cm (150 inches) per year, sometimes as much as 7.6 meters (25 feet) on the more exposed easterly facing slopes. Consequently, you cannot expect to stay dry in the mountain rainforests; even on the sunniest days, the humid forests produce their own internal rain as water vapor condenses on the cool leaves and falls.

Generally speaking, the worst downpours occur in the early afternoons in the highland regions, in mid-afternoons in the Pacific lowlands and in late afternoons (as well as during the night) in the Atlantic lowlands. Occasionally, it falls in sudden torrents the locals call called aguaceros, or it can fall hard and steady and can sometimes continue without letup for several days and nights.

Even in the rainy season, days often start out warm and sunny, although temporales (batches of bad weather) are not uncommon. As in many tropical countries worldwide, only newly arrived foreigners go out without an umbrella in the afternoon during the wet season. Therefore, do not forget to take one with you or to keep one in the car if you find yourself settling down in your recently purchased home!