Climate and Average Weather in Costa Rica
Because Costa Rica is located between nine and ten degrees north of the Equator, the climate is tropical year round. This means the average maximum temperature lies around 32 °C (90 °F) throughout the year. The average annual minimum nighttime temperature is 23° Celsius (73° Fahrenheit). However, the country has many micro-climates depending on elevation, rainfall, topography and by the geography of each particular region.
Costa Rica's seasons are defined by how much it rains during a particular period and not to the four seasons like in the Northern Hemisphere. The year can be split into two periods, the dry season known to the residents as summer, and the rainy season, known locally as winter.
The "summer" or dry season goes from December to April, and "winter" or rainy season starts in May. Especially the central part of Costa Rica and the western side of the country have to deal with large amounts of rain. This monsoon period lasts, depending on the region, until somewhere between late October and early December.
Thanks to its fairly southern location in Central America, Costa Rica has almost no chance of hurricanes. The hurricane route from the Caribbean runs just north of the country. Because neighboring Nicaragua is on a possible course of hurricanes, the indirect effects of a hurricane can be experienced in northeastern Costa Rica.
Interested in more detailed Weather and Climate information for Costa Rica?
Please select the city below you wish to travel to, or the one closest to your destination. Each selected city will show you the following graphs:
1. Yearly average minimum and maximum temperatures
2. Monthly averages of precipitation throughout the year (rainfall, snow etc)
3. Monthly average hours of sunshine throughout the year
Additionally, some pages provide historical weather data such as humidity, wind speed, and water temperature.