RAINY SEASON Start - Costa Rica

Seasonal transition beginning at start of April

By Kayla Pearson SOURCE:  AMCostaRica.com  March 22, 2013 Costa Rican summer is coming to an end, as indicated by the first big storm of the season Thursday afternoon in the Central Valley.  Residents can expect the rainy season to officially begin next month in the Pacific regions. The Instituto Meteorológico Nacional is predicting that the rainy season will come to south Pacifico Sur during the first week of April.  Next it will come to the central Pacifico between April 21 to 25.  The Central Valley will see the start of the rainy season May 1 to 5 and the north Pacifico will start getting rain May 6 to 10.  All the areas are expected to have rain 20 percent above average. The Caribbean coast and the northern zone are always out of step with the rest of the country and generally have rain when the rest of Costa Rica experiences a dry season. The weather institute is predicting rains through June from 5 to 15 percent below average. This 2013 prediction is more positive than what happened last year, said Juan Carlos Fallas, general director of the weather institute.  2012 had a rain deficit that ranged from 31 to 70 percent, the highest being in the north Pacific where there was drought. There is also a high probability that there will be

Estimated start of 2013 rainy season* South Pacific April 1 to 5 Central Pacific April 21 to 25 Central Valley May 1 to 5 North Pacific May 6 to 10 *Source: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional no El Niño or La Niña phenomenon, but a neutral climate, said Fallas. In the Atlantic Ocean, temperatures will be slightly warmer, but normal, he added. Also, when compared to the last 10 years, the number of cyclones is also predicted to be normal. For the Caribbean, the prognosis is around 4 tropical cyclones, Carlos said. Next week, the country will celebrate Semana Santa or Holy Week.  It will be a time of religious celebrations and vacations.  The weather prediction is that most of the country will be warm and clear and cloud cover at the beaches. There is a likelihood of showers around the mountains. Towards the end of the week there is a probability of more downpours, said the institute.