| January 14, 2010 | No. 27 |
Well the winds have been blowing and the electricity has been falling! Our power went out Sunday and with it our internet went down. Just got it back up late this afternoon. So the weather station data has not been current for 4+ days as many of you have probably noticed. The web site continues to function even if our connection is down and the station data is not uploading. You can still get all the satellite information and the various information sections of the web site. All of this reminds us that we are living in a developing country and the infrastructure is not what we are used to in North America and Europe. We do all we can but have to be realistic and patient both of which are difficult for us spoiled/privileged people.
I posted the December weather data for the Palmira Arriba Weather Station at the beginning of the month. Check it out and make comparisons with last year's data. The obvious thing is that we had less rain for the year. We had a total of 146.18 inches (12.3 feet) of rain in 2009 as compared to a total of 222.68 inches (18.6 feet) of rain in 2008. That is 76.5 inches (over 6 feet) less rain. I think the 2009 rainfall was a bit below normal but not by much. The 2008 rainfall was excessive. I liked 2009 better and so did the coffee plants. Coffee needs between 65 to 115 inches of rain a year. When we get excessive rain it tends to stress the plants and encourages fungi which results in a lower production. This last year was better for both me and the coffee.
We are now in the dry season and along with it the NE Trade Winds are howling. The winds also blow moisture over the Talamanca Range and some areas of the District of Boquete get wet. Where we live in the subdistrict of Palmira, there is little to no debris moisture (Bajareque). You won't see any significant rain accumulation on our station data although some of you in other parts of the district may be getting drenched. One of the reason we chose to live in the Palmira area is because of less Bajareque.
The wind happens every year. Some areas are windier than others. Some have been reporting very strong winds in the Jaramillo area. I think that parts of Jaramillo and Alto Boquete are very windy areas this time of the year. Some years are more windy than others, but the winds always kick-up in January and February. I mentioned this in the article about understanding the Boquete climate. Along with the winds come fallen trees and power outages. All is not perfect in Paradise.
Why do we get these winds? It has to do with the fact that the ITCZ is a very low pressure area and north of us is a lot of weather (It is winter up there!) with higher pressures. The high pressure air wants to move into the low pressure areas so here come the winds. Keep in mind that if it weren't for those Trade Winds Columbus would have never gotten here and we probably wouldn't be here! Hershel once told me that "The winds are Boquete's dirty little secret." I think he was right but he could have also made that plural and added "floods." You can always escape to David and the Pacific beaches to get away from them a bit during this time of the year.
Gratefully, nothing lasts for ever so this too will pass away. Hang in there and enjoy the beauty of Paradise despite the blemishes. You probably won't need the umbrellas with all of this wind so store them for a while or take them with you to the beach to block those rays.
Lloyd Cripe