Costa Rica Weather–April 2016 Observations, Facts, & Tidbits

You’ll notice that we now show rainfall and temperatures for eleven towns in Costa Rica:

• San Ramón de Alajuela
• Atenas
• Nuevo Arenal
• Quepos
• Near San Isidro de General
• San Rafael de Heredia
• San Marcos de Tarrazu
• El Cajón de Grecia
• Grand View Estates, Siquirres
• Volio de Cachí, Orosi Valley
• Escazú

This isn’t weather forecasting. We report after the fact to give you a much better picture of the weather in each of these areas. You can click on the map above to enlarge it and check out the average rainfall for the towns in which you are interested.

Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April

Paul’s San Ramón Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• The dry season in the Central Valley is 6 months long, lasting from approximately November 15th until May 15th. April is usually the last month of the dry season in the Central Valley, and usually averages 2-4 inches of rainfall for the month. We had 3.35″ this April, falling all in the last week. We got our first rain of the season on April 16th, though it was just a few drops. The rest of the rainfall for the month began on April 24th, with measurable rain on 5 days and a trace of rain on one additional day. You could tell the rains were coming because it started to get more humid and uncomfortable, even at 3,000 ft. elevation and just 10 minutes outside of the town of San Ramón.
•  The coolest temperature for the month was 61.5°F. The warmest temperature for the month was 86°F, with an average high of 80.4°F. This is the highest average temperature we’ve ever recorded in April.
•  Gloria and I are permanent residents and consider ourselves immigrants to Costa Rica. Our intention is to stay here and we consider Costa Rica our home. Both of us are firmly planted here. The main reason we’re here is because we wanted a different life. We think Costa Rica is the easiest country to retire to. Yes, it’s pretty easy here, for us at least. We talk about it all the time. And it even costs less than the States.
•  I wanted to live in Latin America all my adult life.  I always thought the coolest thing a person could do was to live in another country, and in another language. We are still taking Spanish classes. Sometimes we can’t believe that we can actually communicate in another language!
• Our rental house is still for sale. You can read about it in the featured property listing below. We are still looking for a great rental in downtown San Ramón.
• Total rainfall for the last 3 years in our area of San Ramón:
  • 2015 – 103 inches
  • 2014 – 120 inches
  • 2013 – 111 inches

Lance T’s Atenas Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• In April, daytime highs and overnight lows averaged about the same as in the last two years.
•  The most dramatic change has been the amount of rainfall. The amount in April this year was more than 50% less than that in previous years. There was thunder and lighting all around on several days, presumably with accompanying rain, but none that reached Vista Atenas with any measurable amount, except on 3 successive days towards the end of the month.

Total rainfall for the last 3 years in our area of Atenas:

• 2015 – 63.70 inches
• 2014 – 73.59 inches
• 2013 – 63.84 inches

John’s Nuevo Arenal Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• April was another dry month but also a very warm one.
• We acquired another Great Dane “puppy,” a one-year-old that we named “Maven.” She is very energetic and adds a lot of spice to our other three Danes. They are all very warm and affectionate, but can be very intimidating when you come up the driveway!
• We’ve been in Costa Rica for over 25 years and own the B&B, Chalet Nicholas, located in Nuevo Arenal.
• Total rainfall for the last 3 years in our area of Nuevo Arenal:
  • 2015 – 208.34 inches, setting a new record!
  • 2014 – 184.95 inches
  • 2013 – 164.75 inches

Lance M’s Central Pacific Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• April was a very strange Month as far as weather in the area went. The month started out in the triple digits then dropped back into the nineties during the day. Night time temps ranged from the high 60s to high 70s at night.
• The rainy season has started early with us, with Quepos receiving eight days with measurable rainfall. That was a welcome sight. Even though the area doesn’t suffer from the dry season like other parts of the country, this year was a very hard dry season due to the unusually high temperatures.
• Thanks to the early rains, the area has come back to life with very fast growing green grass and plants starting to bloom. It is really hard to think of any other place to live in the world where you find beautiful country and people who extend there hand in friendship. Pura Vida.
• Total rainfall for the last 2 years in our area:
  • 2015 – 130.3″ / 330.96 cm
  • 2014 – 73.54 inches (as of February 2014 when I started measuring it for this newsletter).

Gordon’s Villa Nueva (San Isidro de El General) Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• April had an average low of 71.6 °F / 22 °C at 6:00 am and an average high of 84.9°F / 29.4°C at noon. This is slightly lower than last month (by 2°F) on both the low and the high.
• We have noticed a slight diminishing in the strength of the afternoon breeze. For a while it was getting quite gusty, enough to remove the place-mats off the table.  But the breeze is still there, making the hottest days very tolerable!
• The rainfall for the month was 6.5″, spread over 6 days; one day saw 2.5″.  There were also 3 additional days of rain, but not enough to measure in the gauge.
• My wife had a procedure done on her knee in April.  Her right knee had no cartilage left; it was bone-on-bone.  We checked out knee replacement, then found out the problem could be fixed with stem cells, and for 1/10 the cost. So we went private, as it was a 3 year wait to go through “the Caja system.”  The doctor removed stem cells from her hip and injected them into her knee.  The whole procedure lasted 2-1/2 hours, including time in the recovery room.Then it was two weeks in a wheelchair with no weight on that leg, followed by two weeks walking with a cane.  It is now week three, and all is well!  The doctor that did the procedure has had the Discovery Channel ask him if they could come in and film him some time, so he must be known as a good doctor! Just another plus with living here in Costa Rica!

Steve’s San Rafael de Heredia Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• The rainy season arrived. Hallelujah! Frogs are croaking during the day and fireflies are out at night. The May beetles emerged a few weeks ahead of schedule. Happy hour at our house is at six and the May beetles’ favorite thing to do is to drop into my beer glass. So, as a precaution I have to place a little saucer over the top of the glass. I’ll have to get myself one of those German steins with a lid on it.
• Do any of you have pauraques? They are well-camouflaged dark brown birds that sit on the ground at night and fly straight up in the air to catch and eat May beetles, and so, are my heroes. They have a terrifically loud call and remind me of screaming banshees. If you want to hear what one sounds like go on the internet at  http://www.xeno-canto.org/collection/area/america and then type in “pauraque” in the little search box.
• April began calm and sunny, followed by a week of wind, then a week of cloudy, breezy weather. Many an afternoon, we could see it raining in Santa Ana and Ciudad Colon (in the far distance), but nothing here. But the rains did arrive eventually, bringing the monthly total to over ten inches, a little above normal for April. The cumulative total so far for 2016 is 18.6 inches.
• After the first couple of days of heavy rain, all of the water storage tanks were full, the pond had been flushed out nicely, and the water was crystal clear.  We channel several of our downspouts from the house to the pond, which is why the water clears up so fast in a downpour. Frogs should be laying eggs on our pond plants soon.
• The downside of April was that both Maria and I came down with the flu. She had it a week but mine hung on for five weeks (I got it just before Easter). Thank heavens I am over it. It was a long haul.
•  Total rainfall for the last 3 years in our area of Heredia:
  • 2015 – 144.9 inches
  • 2014 – 115.1 inches
  • 2013 – 111.3 inches

Bonnie’s  San Marcos de Tarrazu Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• We have recently moved and will continue our weather reporting from our new location starting with the month of May.

Irina’s El Cajón de Grecia Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• Finally towards the end of April, the rains started – and they started with a vengeance! First day of rain in el Cajón measured 23.8 mm – almost one inch. The total for April came in at 78.0 mm (3.1″) – quite a bit more than last year (56.2 mm) and in 2013 (59.2 mm). Only in 2014, was the rainfall for April higher (134.1 mm).
• With the rain came the abéjones. They flew all night and were dead by the next morning – our patio was covered with them!
• Humidity:
  • average high: 58.4%
  • average low: 22.5%
  • average humidity for the month: 40.5%
•  2015 rainfall for year: 107.6 inches (273.23 cm)

Here’s a poem that Jim (my husband) wrote about the first rain. It’s from his book of poetry “A Year Of Days”:

First rains

At dark fall

lights twinkle

electric, along

the ridge & farther away –

Atenas, Sarchi,

Palmares.

 

At dark fall

lights twinkle

year after year,

down the canyon, above –

fireflies, lightening

at first rains.

Mike’s Grand View Estates (Siquirres) Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• April in the Caribe was hot and dry. We recorded 21 days with no rain, and a further 5 days with just a trace. Total rainfall for the month was only 50 mm (2 inches). That is less than 10% of the wet stuff that fell in April last year. Year-to-date rainfall is 111.5 mm (43.9 inches), with almost half of that total having fallen over 5 days in February.
• No rainy days means no cool days, as reflected in our average daily high of 30.9°C (87.6 °F). We recorded our highest daytime highs (32.9 °C; 90.2 °F) in each of the last 3 days of April; this has continued into May. The hottest time of day is in mid-morning, after the nighttime mountain breeze dies down but the afternoon sea breeze has not yet established itself. With humidity in the 70% range, it gets quite uncomfortable and the community pool offers welcome relief.
• We recorded 23 days in which the daytime high exceeded 30 °C, and only 2 nights when the overnight low fell below 20 °C.
• Total rainfall for the last 2 years in our area of Grand View Estates:
  • 2015 – 305.7 inches
  • 2014 – 208.2 inches (May through December)

Juan Miguel’s Volio de Cachí Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• The wet season has begun here, like in many other parts of the country.   But unlike some areas where there is no rain for months and then suddenly it starts raining, here it is just a more regular, gradual increase.
• We had one very foggy morning and two additional days with mist for several hours, but no measurable rain on those days.
• Our average overnight humidity was up to 89%  this month and the average daytime humidity was 57%.  Daytime low humidity was 34% and daytime high was 96%.
• Finca update:  Rosita had her new baby—another buckling unfortunately, but he is cute and snow white.  He and Trixie the rabbit play together a lot.   Also, just hatched some Guinea Fowl to add to the menagerie.

Tim’s Escazú Observations, Facts, & Tidbits for April:

• We had some rain at the end of the month.
• The transition to the rainy season was felt to be sooner than expected.
• If you are in the market for insurance — automotive, homeowners, liability or medical — contact us at Garrett Brokers, a family owned business that has serviced the expat community for more than 35 years.
• Escazú County is one of 20 counties that make up the San Jose Metropolitan Area. It is west of the downtown San Jose area, with the Escazú mountains as its backdrop.

Related Articles:

• Costa Rica Weather Report: 2016 Monthly Temps & Rainfall
• Costa Rica Weather: 2015 Monthly Temps & Rainfall
• Our Weather in San Ramón & Atenas Costa Rica – 2014
• Our Weather in San Ramón & Atenas Costa Rica – 2013
• Our Weather in San Ramón de Alajuela, Costa Rica – 2012
• Our Weather in San Ramón de Alajuela, Costa Rica – 2011
• 15 Days
• El Nino – What is it?