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Costa Rica has a tropical climate since it lies so
near the equator. The country is famous for having
one of the best climates in the world. You dress in
lightweight clothing year-round; a jacket may be necessary
for higher elevations and cool nights. For the rainy
season since U.S.-style rain gear is too warm and cumbersome
for the tropics.
Temperatures vary little from season to season and
fluctuate with altitude. The higher you go, the colder
it gets, and the lower you go the warmer it is. In
the Central Valley, spring-like daytime temperatures
hover around 72 degrees all year, while lower elevations
enjoy temperatures ranging from the upper 70s to the
high 80s. Temperatures at sea level fluctuate between
the high 80s and low 90s in summer with slightly more
humidity than at higher elevations.
Like other tropical places, Costa Rica only has two seasons.
The summer, or verano, is generally from late December
to April with March and April being the warmest months of
the year. The rainy season or invierno, runs from May
to November. January is usually the coolest month. At times,
there is an unseasonably dry spell or Indian summer either
in July, August or September. The Costa Ricans call this pause
in the rainy weather, veranillo, or little summer.
A relatively dry period at the end of July is referred to
as canícula when there is a respite in the May
to November rains. Light rains mixed with sunshine characterize
this period, which can sometimes extend into August.
Unlike many of the world's tropical areas, almost
all mornings are sunny and clear, with only a few hours
of rain in the afternoons during the wet season. Since
the temperature varies little, the wet months are usually
as warm as the dry months. It is unusual to have two
or three days of continuous rainy weather in most areas
of the country. October is usually the rainiest month
of the year. However, the Caribbean coast tends to
be wet all year long. For this reason, many foreigners
choose to live on the west coast of Costa Rica. This
climate, along with a unique geography, is responsible
for Costa Rica's lush vegetation and greenness at all
elevations, especially during the rainy season.
Foreigners should not let the rain get them down,
since there are a variety of indoor activities available.
San José's many museums, theaters, malls, casinos,
roller skating rinks, Internet cafés and other
indoor activities will more than keep you busy when
it rains.
Here are several good sites that offer information
about Costa Rica's weather:
http://costa-rica-guide.com/Weather/WeatherMap. html, http://www.vacationscostarica.com/costa_rica_weather.htm,
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CS/, and http://www.planetario.ucr.ac.cr,
http://www.imn.ac.cr/prono/prono.htm weather for next five
days,
http://www. imn.ac.cr/prono/EXTENDIDO.htm (for the next five
days), for 20 costa rica cities http://www.worldweather.org/171/m171.htm
(for 20 cities in Costa Rica) and for sea weather http://www.imn.ac.cr/marino/MARINO.
htm (sea weather).
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