Earlier this year we shared a pair of special editions about "Las Pintas",a folkloric method of reading the skies to anticipate the year’s weather. Each day from January 1 through January 12 represents a month ahead, serving as a simple, traditional guide that local farmers once used to forecast weather conditions throughout the year.
The pinta for January 8, which corresponds to this past August, showed a predominantly cloudy day. And indeed, August brought us many clouds and rain, though also its share of bright sunshine. The days leading up to XTERRA were almost summery, but overall the prediction held true.
For the 9th day of January The Daily wrote:
“September (Observed on January 9): Another cloudy day was recorded. September might experience sustained cloudiness, which could indicate higher humidity and a likelihood of precipitation, aligning with the peak of the rainy season.”
The official outlook from Costa Rica’s national weather institute, the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN), offers a similar perspective for the North Pacific region, including Guanacaste and Town. Rather than just cloudy skies, however, it predicts rainier-than-usual conditions for this part of Guanacaste.
Both tradition and science seem to align: September in Guanacaste is expected to be especially rainy, a time when the mountains and trees turn their deepest green and Town feels refreshed by the season. For locals, it’s the moment to pull out rain boots and umbrellas, but also, the opportunity to enjoy cozier days with more reasons to hang out with friends indoors while watching the rain fall outside.