When to go · Costa Rica

When to go to San José

Twelve months of averages for San José, and what they say about when to go.

Photo: Luis Manuel Madrigal Mena · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

When to go

What the averages say

Mean daily highs and lows and the month's rain, averaged over 2001 to 2020.

On these averages, San José has a mean high between 18°C and 32°C and under 150 mm of rain in December to April.

Of those months, it is also dry (under 50 mm of rain) and not humid in March.

Wet months (150 mm of rain or more): May to November.
Humid months (a high of 25°C or more with relative humidity of 70% or more): May to February.
The warmest month is April (30°C) and the coolest October (25°C). The wettest is October (301 mm) and the driest February (22 mm); about 1,792 mm of rain falls in a year.

How these sentences are worded

Each sentence is written from the figures by fixed rules, and says no more than they do. Mild to warm: a mean daily high from 18°C up to 32°C. Hot: 32°C or more. Cool: 10°C up to 18°C. Cold: under 10°C. Dry: under 50 mm of rain in the month; wet: 150 mm or more. Humid: a high of 25°C or more with relative humidity of 70% or more. A month is described as good for going when it is mild to warm and not wet.

San José: highs, lows and rainHighLowRain

The year at a glance

Mild to warm and dry
Mild to warm, humid or showery
Hot
Cool
Wet
Cold

JanMild–warm, mixed
FebMild–warm, mixed
MarMild–warm, dry
AprMild–warm, mixed
MayWet
JunWet
JulWet
AugWet
SeptWet
OctWet
NovWet
DecMild–warm, mixed

Month by month

Every month in San José

The whole year, with humidity, cloud and the sunlight reaching the ground.

Climate in San José by month: mean daily high and low, rain, and what the month is like
Month	High	Low	Rain	Humidity	Cloud	Sunlight (kWh/m²/day)	High in Dubai	What it is like
January	27°C	18°C	38 mm	79%	47%	5.5	23°C	Mild to warm, humid or showery
February	28°C	19°C	22 mm	71%	37%	6.3	24°C	Mild to warm, humid or showery
March	30°C	19°C	29 mm	64%	41%	6.5	27°C	Mild to warm and dry
April	30°C	20°C	77 mm	68%	69%	5.8	31°C	Mild to warm, humid or showery
May	28°C	21°C	220 mm	81%	85%	4.9	35°C	Wet
June	26°C	21°C	209 mm	88%	87%	4.8	37°C	Wet
July	27°C	20°C	184 mm	87%	87%	4.7	39°C	Wet
August	27°C	20°C	198 mm	88%	87%	4.8	39°C	Wet
September	26°C	20°C	256 mm	90%	85%	4.9	37°C	Wet
October	25°C	20°C	301 mm	91%	87%	4.4	34°C	Wet
November	26°C	19°C	188 mm	90%	79%	4.4	29°C	Wet
December	26°C	19°C	70 mm	85%	59%	4.9	25°C	Mild to warm, humid or showery

The Dubai column is Dubai's mean daily high, for comparison.

Modelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020. These data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) POWER Project funded through the NASA Earth Science/Applied Science Program.

The model's grid cell sits about 476 m lower than the town, so real temperatures there run a little cooler than these.

When to go nearby

Plan it

Plan a trip to San José

Tell us when and who is travelling, and a person puts the flights, the stays and the rest into one quote.

Plan a trip to San José More about San José When to go

Month

High

Low

Rain

Humidity

Cloud

Sunlight (kWh/m²/day)

High in Dubai

What it is like

January

27°C

18°C

38 mm

79%

47%

5.5

23°C

Mild to warm, humid or showery

February

28°C

19°C

22 mm

71%

37%

6.3

24°C

Mild to warm, humid or showery

March

30°C

19°C

29 mm

64%

41%

6.5

27°C

Mild to warm and dry

April

30°C

20°C

77 mm

68%

69%

5.8

31°C

Mild to warm, humid or showery

May

28°C

21°C

220 mm

81%

85%

4.9

35°C

Wet

June

26°C

21°C

209 mm

88%

87%

4.8

37°C

Wet

July

27°C

20°C

184 mm

87%

4.7

39°C

Wet

August

27°C

20°C

198 mm

88%

87%

4.8

39°C

Wet

September

26°C

20°C

256 mm

90%

85%

4.9

37°C

Wet

October

25°C

20°C

301 mm

91%

87%

4.4

34°C

Wet

November

26°C

19°C

188 mm

90%

79%

4.4

29°C

Wet

December

26°C

19°C

70 mm

85%

59%

4.9

25°C

Mild to warm, humid or showery