Global and Local Winds in Costa Rica

     Costa Rica is located in the Northern Hemisphere and lies between latitudes ranging from 8 degrees North to 11.04 degrees North, and longitudes ranging from 82.36 degrees West to 85.56 degrees West. In respect to atmospheric cells, Costa Rica is situated in the Hadley Cell. This cell ranges from the equator to about 30 degrees in latitude, which places Costa Rica well in that range. The wind belt in which Costa Rica is located is the Northeasterly Trade Winds, meaning the winds are coming from the Northeast and blowing towards the West. These trade winds occur right at or near the equator in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Costa Rica is also located near a low main pressure belt, which runs along the equator. It is also located near a “special” area known as the Doldrums, where the trade winds from the Northern Hemisphere meet the trade winds from the Southern Hemisphere.

     As I mentioned earlier, Costa Rica is located in the Hadley Cell, very close to the equator around the 8-11 degrees North latitude range. Due to it being surrounded by water on the east and west and the winds coming from the east, the west side of the country tends to be drier due to the mountains stopping a majority of the water (in the form of clouds) that it blown in from the east. The fact that Costa Rica is located so close to the equator keeps the climate nice and warm, while the trade winds cool it down and make it bearable to live in around a comfortable 70-80 degrees.

     Costa Rica is a country that consists of a few mountains and a few more volcanoes. Five types of winds that could be associated with these elevated formations could be mountain breezes, valley breezes, Eddies, Chinook winds (associated primarily with the Rocky Mountains), and Katabatic winds. Out of these five, Costa Rica experiences mountain breezes and valley breezes along with occasional Eddies. These breezes flow up or down the mountains and volcanoes, depending on the breeze, and tend to keep the valley a nice moderate temperature throughout the year. Along with the mountains and volcanoes, the country is surrounded by water on both sides giving it two coastlines. The two breezes associated with these coastlines are sea breezes and land breezes and Costa Rica experiences both of them. 

Typical Weather and Tourism in Costa Rica

     In Costa Rica, the Winter Solstice takes place on December 21 of this year (2015). The average maximum temperature for December is 28.4 degrees Celsius (about 83 degrees Fahrenheit), while the average minimum temperature for December is 19.6 degrees Celsius (about 67 degrees Fahrenheit). The temperature during this month has a beautiful range of not too hot, to not too cold. I'm sure there are millions of people in the world that wish they had a December that was this warm and the temperature never even got close to freezing. The average precipitation during this month is 143 mm or about 5.6 inches, which isn't too bad either for a winter month.

     

     The Summer Solstice for Costa Rica occurs on June 21 of this year. The average maximum daily temperature is 29.3 degrees Celsius (about 85 degrees Fahrenheit) in June, while the average minimum temperature comes to a mild 20.8 degrees Celsius (about 69 degrees Fahrenheit). Most people would assume that by getting the warm winter, like that of Costa Rica, that it would come with a blistering hot summer, but that's not the case in a tropical climate. The temperature is hardly any different, keeping that beautiful range. The main difference we see in the summer, however, is that the precipitation more than doubles from the 143 mm (5.6 inches) in December to 300 mm (about 11.8 inches) in June.

     Spring Equinox in Costa Rica occurs on March 20 of this year. In March, the average maximum temperature for Costa Rica is 30.7 degrees Celsius (about 87 degrees Fahrenheit), while the average minimum temperature is 19.8 degrees Celsius (about 67 degrees Fahrenheit). March and April are the hottest months on average for Costa Rica. Between the hottest and coolest months, there is hardly a difference in temperature. The average precipitation in March is also the lowest of any month in the year with 58.3 mm or about 2.3 inches.

     Autumnal Equinox for Costa Rica takes place on September 23 of this year. The average maximum temperature for September is 29.2 degrees Celsius (about 85 degrees Fahrenheit), while the average minimum temperature is 20.3 degrees Celsius (about 69 degrees Fahrenheit). Most might look at these temperatures and think that it would be the best time to go because it has the nicest difference between the average maximum and minimum temperatures along with summer and possibly cheaper travel expenses, but they wouldn't have done their research. The average precipitation for the month of September is 341.9 mm or about 13.5 inches.

     If you decided to travel to Costa Rica, I would highly recommend coming during the month of March if possible. This is the month with the lowest precipitation, meaning you won't be as limited with any activities you plan on doing. I recommend, when visiting Costa Rica, to visit some of the fabulous volcanic hot springs if you are looking to relax, or a nice rafting trip if you are more of a thrill-seeker. Luckily, by going in March, you would be avoiding hurricane season. The only potential hazards you would have to be aware of, although not weather hazards, are volcanoes and earthquakes, both of which are unpredictable. 

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Sources:

http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/costa-rica/san-jose

http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=CR&name=Costa-Rica