| April 02, 2011 | No. 40 |
I posted the March 2011 weather data for the Palmira Weather Station. We had a total of 5.83 inches of rain at the Palmira Station. Craig Bennett in Los Naranjos (just north of the Ruiz Coffee Shop) reports 3.2 inches of rainfor the month. Terry Zach in El Santuario reports 3.63 inches.
Our total rainfall for the year of 2011 at the Palmira Station is now 6.65 inches. This is within normal range and variation for the previous 4 years (range 2.04-10.0, mean=7.0).
The winds in March averaged 8.3 miles per hour with a maximum recorded wind of 35.2 mph. This actually turned out to be a bit lower than it was for the month of February (average 36.6 and max 36.6). We are now through the windiest part of the year and working into the rainy season with more rain and less wind.
I reorganized the Stations page of the website. All of the stations listed report data to Weather Underground. You can see current temperature and wind data for all the stations and easily link to their Weather Underground pages. There is now a weather station at Playa La Barqueta (Las Olas) owned and operated by Richard Kemnitz. This a nice addition for our weather information. You can now check the weather at this beach and see if it is worth an outing during the rainy season.
The ENSO continues to be in the La Niña phase. La Niña is expected to gradually weaken into a neutral phase by June of 2011. Here is link to the latest La Niña report. Here is a link to a more comprehensive report. You can monitor this and get weekly updates at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center at this link.
The IRI (International Research Institute for Climate and Society) is reporting generally normal precipitation for Central America April through June. Here is the graph that they published in March 2011:
The rainy season is creeping upon us. The grass and treess are already looking greener. Insects are coming out and the birds are feasting. It is time to get those dehumidifiers cleaned and cranked-up. The umbrellas should be at hand and ready for duty. You might also consider going to Amazon and downloading a few more books for your Kindle to be ready for those afternoons and evenings inside!
Lloyd Cripe