Heading to Liberia and thunderstorms?!
 

Argh! I don't usually look at advance weather reports but we are leaving on Saturday for a much looked forward to trip. A friend at home was going to book a last minute trip the same week but is thinking of canceling because of the forecast. They are calling for thunderstorms everyday we are there - what the heck? I know the rainy season is approaching but wasn't expecting it so soon. If anyone can shed some light on what we might expect when thunderstorms are predicted, other than rain and thunder, I'd appreciate knowing if these forecasts usually mean there are chances of storms at some point during the day but there is also sun/cloud? Planning on staying in Guanacaste the whole time near Playa Ocotal. I can deal with the occasional downpour but sure not for a whole week! I realize it will be what it will be but psychologically it would help to know in advance what we should expect. If
anyone lives in the area and can comment I'd appreciate your feedback. Muchas gracias!

I checked a few different weather sites and see only a few days with isolated or scattered thunderstorms (30 to 50% probability). There is nothing to suggest that there will be steady rain for a week. I wouldn't worry. I think the guy who is responsible for road maintenance also does weather forcasting on the side. Check again tomorrow and there may be nothing but sunshine predicted. I've seen the forecasts for different areas vary by the hour. Many of the forecasts are dead accurate about 20 minutes before or after the event forecast.

LOL, love the comment about the road maintenance. Thanks so much, I am slowly relaxing. Appreciate your feedback, but let me know if the road guy gets a better forecast going for us. ;-)

No mater where I go in CR, or when, the forecasts almost always say the same thing - 50% chance of thunderstorms. Then I get there and find they haven't had rains in weeks. Just saying the wx forecasting, especially if it's a US website, isn't always very reliable.

Definitely agree with tully and kinkazote. I live about an hour and a half from Liberia (although in the mountains) and this morning it was rainy and windy but now is beautifully sunny and windy.

I just took a look at Weather Underground and they are showing partly cloudy for a couple of days and then sunny, sunny, sunny. No worries.

If there is actually rain near Liberia this time of year, the farmers would consider it a miracle!

Hooray, keep it coming, but only the good stuff! Coming from the north where we are facing more snow, I'm feeling somewhat relieved. Thanks for your comments.

Don't bother looking at forecasts - I checked a couple different weather sites for my trip last month and one had rain every single day with 90's forecast. The other had mid 70's and some rain. It ended up being 70/80's with a little rain at night, no worries. I sure wouldn't cancel over a forecast - tell your friend to book his flight!

I think your friend would regret cancelling the trip. *IF* there's going to be any rain this time of year, it will be very brief and nothing that should interfere with your vacation. I'd plan on very warm, dry days.

I'd worry more about the heat than the chance of rain. We stayed in the Liberia/Brasilito area in March 2008 and it was too darn hot! Our warmest day in Liberia was 106F, luckily we did a daytrip to up in the mountains to Buena Vista Lodge with the thermal pools and mud baths where it was much cooler. In Brasilito it was upper 90's each day.

Thank you everyone, feeling much relieved. Greatly appreciate all your comments. I'll report back to say how the forecast actually was, and we'll be prepared for the heat!

The IMN, which is Costa Rica's national weather service, does a good job every year at predicting when the rainy season will start and end. It's nowhere near yet. In fact, it's too soon for the factors to appear that even allow them to issue their annual prediction.

When the rainy season does arrive, it comes in gradually. It's not like the faucet is off one day and on the next. Guanacaste is the last region of the country where it starts raining. I think you'll be safe in late March/early April.

The traditional start of the rainy season is May 15, the feast day of San Isidro, the patron saint of farmers. Churches in many small towns do the "blessing of the animals" on that day. Farmers would traditionally bring their animals to the church to be blessed. People bring their dogs and cats these days too. :)

The weather predicitions for the start of the rainy season were issued today. (It won't affect your trip, starfish.) Things should get underway about two weeks early this year.

South Pacific - early April
Central Valley - late April
North Pacific - early May
Central Pacific - mid May

The Caribbean coast doesn't have rainy and dry seasons per se -- the rain is spread out evenly through the year -- so there's never a predicition issued.

Rainfall is expected to be higher than average, but not as wet as 2010.

Thanks alot Jeff, good news for us, and the farmers I guess it it's been dry.

You can also look here for rainfall patterns:
www.costa-rica-guide.com/weather/weathermap.html

In case you want to look at the IMN forecasts, they are here

http://www.imn.ac.cr/

If you click on region or city, you can see the breakdown by am/pm/night as well as extended forecasts for a week.

I found the IMN forecasts to be quite good and useful for trip planning.

The first rains of the year are always a treat. Things get pretty dry and dusty by now and I actually look forward to the start of the rainy season.

Hi everyone, just back from a fabulous SUNNY week with not a drop of rain. It was hot as predicted but beautiful. Loved the country and the people - such a good vibe. Thanks for all the previous feedback and a word of advice to those worried about the weather - don't! Pura vida!

I'm glad it worked out and you had a good time. :)

hsmithcr,

The link you provided is really good for checking the weather patterns. I haven't looked at it in awhile and decided to check it out again; but I couldn't get it to open. Hopefully this will open:

http://costa-rica-guide.com/Weather/...rMap.html#rain

Thanks, Shillmac. I have used this site for a while and they went and changed it - adding that little #rain at the end. I have made a note of it -- thanks again.