If you are heading to an Independence Day parade in San José this morning, go early and keep an umbrella handy for later. Streets along the downtown parade route are closed, and afternoon thunderstorms are likely in the Central Valley and across the Pacific. The morning is your best window. The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) expects skies over the Central Valley and the Pacific to range from partly to mostly cloudy, with showers, downpours and scattered thunderstorms forming over the mountains in the afternoon and spreading to nearby areas.
On the Caribbean side and in the Northern Zone, skies should stay partly cloudy, with isolated showers building over the mountains after midday. In northern Guanacaste, moderate winds and warm temperatures are expected through the morning and early afternoon, while clouds hang along the South Pacific coast.
That is a change from last night, when the Caribbean and Northern Zone took the heaviest rain during the lantern parades. Streets there may still be wet and slick this morning, even where the sky has cleared. In San José, the main parade runs from Parque Central to Plaza de la Democracia, with 12 student bands and more than 2,000 students marching. Expect Avenida Segunda, Paseo Colón and the streets that feed into them to be closed or controlled by traffic police while the parades pass.
Streets around Parque Nacional, near the Legislative Assembly, also close early in the day for the official civic ceremony with President Laura Fernández. If your route crosses downtown, pick another way around or leave extra time. The license-plate restriction is off today. Cars with plates ending in 3 or 4, which would normally be restricted in central San José on a Tuesday, can drive as usual. The restriction was lifted because today is a national holiday, and it frees up officers for parade duty.
That does not mean the roads are clear. Closures start early, and the crowds along the routes are full of children, so slow down near town centers anywhere in the country, not only in the capital.
Schools and towns nationwide are holding their own parades this morning, and most will wrap up before the rain builds. If you plan to be outdoors after lunch, keep in mind that storms form over the mountains first. If you hear thunder, move indoors rather than waiting it out under a tree.
The National Emergency Commission (CNE) placed the Caribbean, the Northern Zone, the Central Valley and the South Pacific on green alert last week, with rainy conditions forecast to continue through Wednesday, Sept. 16. Celebrations continue throughout the day as Costa Rica marks 205 years of independence. For what the holiday means for pay and business hours, see our earlier article.
