Break out the sun screen. Costa Rica’s “little summer” is set to arrive this weekend.
According to the National Meteorological Institute, an increase in the trade winds will clear the skies in the Central Valley and the northwestern province of Guanacaste over the weekend.
The phenomenon, which comes around most years between the end of June and beginning of July, is called the “veranillo de San Juan,” or the “San Juan’s little summer,” because it often falls close to the Day of San Juan on June 24.
Meteorologist Rosario Alfaro said she could not promise there would be absolutely no rains, but that whatever showers the might occur over the Central Valley and Nicaragua over the weekend would be “very isolated.”
In Guanacaste, the little summer will extend through Tuesday, with the clearest conditions over Liberia and the central and northern parts of the province.
The Central Pacific and Southern Pacific can expect less rain, but nothing to get too excited over, while on the Caribbean side, rains will continue in the mornings and evenings, leaving nice beach-going weather during most of the day, Alfaro said.
And if it’s all over too quickly, don’t lose heart. The rainier-than-usual La Niña conditions Costa Rica has been experiencing have been slowly diminishing, Alfaro said, and sunnier days could still be ahead.
Trade winds regularly pick up a second time between July and August for another round of unseasonably nice weather called Las Canículas, sometimes referred to in English as the “dog days” of summer.
