www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I have been hearing internet reports and reading costa rica AM news about all the rain and flooding in Guanacaste and the whole coast in general. Roads and bridges are supposedly heavily damaged. Any first hand information? Is it still raining?
Will be traveling from San Jose to Tamarindo to Jaco to San Jose in about a week and a half.
Thanks.

Scottkit,

The rains that have inundated the Pacific Coast have reportedly been caused by the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. I have to admit I do not understand the cause effect rational of that but, since I am not a meteorologist, I will accept it.

Hurricane Wilma is suppose cause heavy rains there again so I guess the simple answer to your question is that if there is a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico when you are on the Pacific Coast there will be a lot of rain.

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Alex Levine

When did you hear these reports? They had some extremely heavy rains 3 - 4 weeks ago, and had some mudslides in Jaco, Quepos, Manuel Antonio, and in that area. Several hundred people lost their homes to mudslides. But that was towards the end of September. I was in San Jose last weekend, and I traveled to NW Guanacaste, i.e., Liberia, Playa Del Coco, Filadelfia, Belen, Huacas, Brasilito, Tamarindo and Flamingo Beach. Roads had lots of potholes due to the rains, but had no problem driving around. Did not go all the way South towards Jaco / Quepos area. I heard it's a little worse. Good luck.

Mikey B.

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DD & MB,
Thanks for the info. Heard about Wilma potentially causing heavy rains. I was under he impression that since the big rains and floods about 3 weeks ago, it was continuing to rain and cause more problems and flooding. Nice to hear that the roads were still passable a week ago.

This tail end of the rainy season is not the best time to go to the Pacific. THe weather is totally different on the Caribbean the past 2 months. Sunny and nice. Thats where I'd go this month.

The first deaths due to hurricane Mitch were on the Osa Peninsula due to flooding. A hurricane is a major low pressure area. Low pressure draws air towards it, which causes winds that bring moisture from the higher pressure areas on the Pacific side. The wet air rises along the wet adiabat and dumps moisture that it can't hold at higher altitudes losing about 3 degrees F. per 1000 ft. It also explains why things are hotter on the lee side since it picks up about 5 degrees F. on the way back down on the dry adiabat. I hope I spelled that stuff right, since it has been decades since I took the class.

Veelee,
I assume you are referring to Hurricane Mitch which hit Guatemala and Honduras around this time in 1998. I'm sure the principles are the same, but I just thought I'd clarify that for others reading this. BTW, Hurricane Stan actually hit way up in Veracruz Mexico which just goes to show how widespread the effects of these storms can be.