NOTE: the current weak El Niño conditions are expected to strengthen through 2023 and persist at least through the first half of 2024. Details from U.S. NOAA Warm water in the Pacific Ocean influences weather patterns around the world in a phenomenon called El Niño while cool water and the … [Read more...]
Current & Seasonal Weather, Storms & Climate
Weather is something that everyone thinks about before visiting Costa Rica. Anywhere with that much tropical rainforest gets a lot of rain and while the trees, wildlife and flowers are wonderful most people also want some sunny beach weather. The pages in this category have current weather, hurricane, cyclone and tropical storm info as well as some interesting stuff on how the weather develops and Costa Rica's seasonal patterns.
Current Storms in Costa Rica
current storms | forecasts to avoid | best time to visit | useful forecasts | historical storms After an exceptionally active and long hurricane season NOAA predicts that precipitation will be normal for the first half of 2021 in Costa Rica. That means very dry on the Pacific side until … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Live Weather Reports
Headed over to the Caribbean side and you want to know what the weather is doing right now? Arenal Barva Volcano Buenos Aires Cahuita Cerro Muerte Domincal Golfito Irazú Volcano Jiménez La Cruz Liberia Limón Los Chiles Manuel Antonio Nicoya Nosara/Guiones Palo Verde Paquera Poás … [Read more...]
Today’s Weather in Costa Rica
Skip down to today's detailed weather and forecasts for each region of Costa Rica. General Costa Rica Weather Trends Costa Rica's dry season lagged a bit and the first few weeks of 2020 saw some lingering rain even in the drier regions of the Pacific. The Caribbean has had typical "tropical" … [Read more...]
Here Comes the Rain Again
The 2019 Costa Rica rainy season arrived along with the intertropical convergence zone right on schedule at the beginning of May and June is shaping up to be slightly wetter than average. The Costa Rican Emergency Alert System - Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias … [Read more...]
Riders on the Storm(s)
Costa Rica Rainy Season Travel A lot of people ask us "will there be any sun if I go to the beach in rainy season?" but a better question might be "is it possible to go to the beach in rainy season?" We spent this August and an unexpected bit of September traveling all over Costa Rica gathering … [Read more...]
Here Comes the Dry Season
Pacific ocean surface temperature increases accentuate the seasonal shift in the inter-tropical convergence zone amplifying the trade winds across the 10th parallel... ...in other words... The 2018 Rainy Season Might End Early in Costa Rica! The rains usually taper off between late … [Read more...]
How Caribbean Storms Bring Pacific Flooding to Costa Rica
In October of 2017 Tropical Storm/Hurricane Nate provided a perfect example of how a cyclonic low pressure system in the Caribbean could cause massive rainfall and flooding in the central mountains and on Costa Rica's Pacific side. (see road closures) The Caribbean coast ends … [Read more...]
Seasons in Costa Rica
Note: contrary to predictions from the Costa Rican weather services that El Niño would delay or mitigate the onset, the 2019 rainy season is right on time and more intense than normal. Costa Rica's two seasons are the dry "summer" (verano) - January through April and rainy "winter" … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Weather
This is a lot of information about weather in Costa Rica. To skip the meteorological details go to "The Best Time to Visit" or "Make Your Own Accurate Forecast" or use the menu to read one of the other more generic posts in the weather category. If you really want to know about weather in … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Rainy Season & Rainfall Map
The Pacific slope rainy season in Costa Rica is from May to mid-December with a dramatic peak in precipitation September into November. There's nearly no rainfall in the dry season between January and April. The Caribbean coast follows a different pattern with more consistent rainfall year round but … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Dry Season, Temperatures & Sunshine Map
Costa Rica's dry season is most dramatic in the northwest part of the country where almost no rain falls between January and April. The further south on the Pacific side occasional showers are possible any time and the real rains typically start earlier in May, fall harder through the rainy season … [Read more...]
Reading Weather Charts
You may not have seen charts like this before, but they are very easy to read. Monthly Rainfall by Region The more of a month that is covered by the blue rainfall blob, the more it rains that month. For example the red outlines highlight the month of August when it rains much less in Jacó … [Read more...]