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Who says it does not get cold in Costa Rica? Of course, it does. Compared to the temperatures in some other places, this is still paradise. Many of us who have moved to Costa Rica come from cold places. Most of us relocated because of the nice weather, which is amongst the best in the world.
I have clients from New York, Portland, Kelowna, and even less cold places like Berlin, Amsterdam, and Los Angeles, where it still gets to temperatures of around 30ºF or zero Celsius.
One client who worked in Kazakhstan came home to Atenas occasionally to get warm. He got used to freezing his butt off but loved to sit out on the porch at night and enjoy the view with a cold beer in hand. Most of us moved to Costa Rica to avoid being cold and enjoy nice weather.
Ski hat and woolen gloves
Guess what? Your blood gets thinner after a while. Also, climate change is changing the weather we are used to. Fortunately, we still haven’t seen snowfall in Costa Rica. A couple of days ago, it was 65ºF in my office. I was still working, wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. My wife says I am crazy because she is freezing. But she is Costa Rican and has different skin.
We had breakfast together one day last December, and she was wearing a ski hat and woolen gloves. I had a big laugh out of it, and she got pissed off at me. She said wearing gloves in Costa Rica is fashionable and is totally serious about that. We are in Costa Rica, for God’s sake. At least we don’t get any frost on our windows
Snow and rain
We don’t expect snow in Costa Rica, so leave your skis where they are. It is becoming warmer than before, but the cooler weather here is mainly during December and January. Thirty years ago, during most of the rainy season, we would enjoy the morning sun and get a few hours of rain in the afternoon. It rains a lot more now than it did then. I don’t remember having ever seen so many flooded areas outside the Central Valley in the 45 years I’ve lived here.
For that same reason, I have written a few blogs about being careful and hiring a knowledgeable real estate agent when you buy real estate in Costa Rica. Your agent will know what to look for regarding landslides and other hazards in areas with lots of rainfall.
December winds
December and January mean snow for many. For those living in Costa Rica, it means wind. We get a lot of wind, starting in January and ending in February/March; these are the cooler months. The higher areas are cooler (Escazu, Grercia, Heredia), and the lower areas are less cool (Santa Ana, Atenas, Naranjo).
Microclimate
To give you an idea of the winds, today in San Jose, we have Easter wind at 30 km/h (19 mph) during the daytime and 13 km/h (8 mph) at night this November. There will be much more wind in December and January. So, if you plan to move to Costa Rica soon, you’ll have to bring a sweater and extra warm socks.
The advantage of living in Costa Rica is that you can choose the climate you want to live in. Costa Rica has many different microclimates. So talk to me. I’d love to explain it in a Zoom meeting and answer all your questions before you buy a property.
