Costa Rica Weather

 Costa Rica is located geographically only about eight degrees of north latitude of the equatorial line, thus Costa Rican climate is tropical all year round. However, because of the extraordinarily diverse amount of involved factors, the resulting country climate is a set of regional sub-climates. Therefore, the tropical weather of Costa Rica is greatly affected by its geography at the very local level. These factors include the totally heterogeneous relief (ranging from 0 to 3,431 m in only 51,100 km²) and the way as all its components (mountains, volcanoes, plains, valleys and plateaus) are distributed; the situation in respect to the two continental masses as American isthmus; the influence of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (sea winds and ocean current with their own temperatures, besides low pressure systems, tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes) and the general atmospheric circulation.

Current Weather of Costa Rica - Updated Satellite Image

Latest Image - GOES-12 1 km (VIS/Infrared on night). Updates each ½h.
Based on Costa Rica satellite images thanks to Space Science and Engineering Center (University of Wisconsin-Madison).

* As the image time is Universal Time Coordinated or UTC (as before with GMT), subtract 6 h to get Costa Rica time.

Costa Rica
Location: 9°55'N 84°4'W (At the center of America, in the American Isthmus).
Subdivisions: Provinces: 7, Cantons: 81, Districts: 473
Area: 51,100 km² (19,730 sq mi) | Population: 4,563,539 (2010)

Main Climatic Subdivisions:
Rainfall Regions (Drainage Basins Systems):
     Pacific: Dry and rainy period well defined. The dry one is from December to April.
     Caribbean: Dry period is not well defined (less rainy months have 100-200 mm of rainfall.
Climatic Regions:
     Northern Pacific, Central Pacific, Southern Pacific, Central Region, Northern Zone, Northern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean



The only Official Information and Current Weather Reports in Costa Rica are from Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (National Weather Institute)
See its Current Weather and Forecast Report (In spanish, but is a graphically eloquent flash-animated map report):
Wednesday 8 February 2012 ☼ | ☼☁ | ☾✶☁
Favorable Weather | Trade Winds
The Northern Pacific (including Guanacaste) will have good weather and will remain sunny, windy and dry throughout the day. This Wednesday will continue the windy pattern over much of the country, concentrated mainly in Guanacaste, the Central Valley and mountains of the national territory. Besides the pattern will remain dry with low to partial cloudiness on the Pacific slope and Central Valley; while in the Caribbean and Northern Zone, there will be a little heavier cloud cover and even possible scattered showers are expected over the mountains and their vicinity.

Morning:
Central Region: Partly cloudy, wind.
Northern Pacific: Sunny, windy.
Central & Southern Pacific: Sunny.
Caribbean: Partly cloudy, wind, possible isolated rains at north.
Northern Region: Partly cloudy, windy.

Afternoon:
Central Region: Partly cloudy, moderate wind.
Northern Pacific: Slightly cloudy, windy.
Central & Southern Pacific: Partly cloudy, possible isolated rains.
Caribbean: Partly cloudy, wind, possible isolated rains at north.
Northern Region: Partly cloudy, windy.

Night:
Central Region: Partly cloudy, moderate wind.
Northern Pacific: Clear, windy.
Central & Southern Pacific: Partly cloudy.
Caribbean: Partly cloudy, wind, possible isolated rains at north.
Northern Region: Partly cloudy, windy.


Temperatures (Max/Min ºC):

San José 23º/16º | Alajuela 29º/18º | Heredia 27º/16º | Cartago 22º/14º || Liberia 34º/23º | Nicoya 33º/23º | Puntarenas 33º/23º || Quepos 33º/23º || San Isidro de El General 30/22º | Golfito 33º/23º | Isla del Coco 31º/21º || Limón 30/20º | Guápiles 30º/21º || Sixaola 30º/20º || Ciudad Quesada 24º/17º | Upala 29º/20º

Source: Eladio Solano León (Meteorologist) - Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN)

Costa Rica Weekly Weather Forecast (6 - 13 February 2012)

Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN)

Favorable Weather | Warmness at Noon | Trade Winds
 This week begins under dry and windy conditions in the Central Valley and much of the Pacific slope, with very warm temperatures in hours around noon in both regions (maximum up to 34 ° C in some places of Guanacaste and maximum up to 30 ° C west of the Central Valley), there will be a little more cloud cover over the mountains during the afternoon in these regions. Moreover, in the Caribbean and Northern Zone it will be windy, partly cloudy with possible occasional showers over the mountains, while in the coast area and plains the weather will be stable and warm.

Source: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) - (Costa Rica National Weather Institute)

Costa Rica Weather in the month of February

Monthly Weather Characterization from IMN

  February is a month characterized by a rainy condition in the Northern Zone and Caribbean country, mostly during the first half of it, this is by the influence of trade winds and potential enterings of cold fronts to Central America. On the other hand, in the Pacific and the Central Valley there are consolidated dry conditions, especially in the South Pacific. Towards the end of the month usually occur some sultry days known as "cabañuelas."

Source: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) - (Costa Rica National Weather Institute)

Current Oceanic Influence (8 February 2012)

From USA National Hurricane Center Advisories

8 February 2012, 03:00 UTC
No Significant Climatic Disturbances
 The oceanic surroundings of Costa Rica remain with no significant climatic disturbances in this moment.

There are not significant climatic disturbances at this time. Satellite photograph of Central America (8 February 2012, 01:45 UTC). NOAA - National Weather Service

Sources: NASA / USA National Hurricane Center - NOAA / National Weather Service

Costa Rica Weather, General Description

 The seasons of Costa Rica climate are defined by the amount of rain that falls during a particular period of time. The year can be easily divided into two main periods or seasons, named by the local residents as "Verano", summer and "Invierno", winter. The "Verano" season is from December to April, and is the time of the year when there are more blue skies and few rains. The "Invierno" is the rainy period, from May to November, and during this time, in most locations, it rains constantly; with sunny mornings, sometimes cool, sometimes sweltering, and the rain coming during the first hours of afternoon.

The maximum rain quantity received is at the Northeastern lowlands, the Caribbean, near the Orosi Valley, Arenal and Monteverde areas, Talamanca Range, Osa Peninsula and Golfito (Southern Pacific) (annual rainfall of over 5,000 mm). Humidity is also higher on the Caribbean side than on the Pacific. The mean annual temperature on the coastal lowlands is around 80 °F (27 °C), 69 °F (21 °C) in the main populated areas of the Central Cordillera, and below 50 °F (10 °C) on the summits of the highest mountains. In the highest areas of Irazú Volcano (3,431 m) and Chirripó (3,810 m), temperatures sometimes can drop below 0 ºC.

The driest season of Costa Rica in most places is from December to April, while the rainy season is from May to November. On the Caribbean coast, however, December is by far the more wet month. The highlands areas are always cooler. The lowest elevation level in the country is the Pacific Ocean at sea level, the highest point is Cerro Chirripó, a somewhen glaciated mountain with an elevation of 3,810 m (part of Chirripó National Park). Even on a clear day, it is possible to see both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean from the top.