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Rule Cloudscapes

Monteverde - Cloudscapes - Costa Rica

Puntarenas, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica

Multi-layered dramatic clouds for striking sky photography

Currently

Real-time conditions
Cloud Cover100%
Wind Gusts3.3m/s
Precipitation Chance57%
Air Pressure996.7hPa

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in America/Costa_Rica
cloudscapes weather icon
Next opportunity
Dramatic Cloud Drama
Monteverde
Tomorrow · 06:00–08:00 · 2h window
Medium confidence
52%
☁️Cloud Drama Score78.3-85.5%
Cloud Cover: 100%
Wind Gusts: 2.2m/s
Precipitation Chance: 95%
Air Pressure: 997.0hPa
cloudscapes weather icon
Dramatic Cloud Drama at Sunrise
Monteverde
Wed, Jun 10 · 05:00–06:00
☁️Cloud Drama Score:100%
Medium

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast tracks dramatic cloud conditions across Costa Rica's remarkable diversity of landscapes—from volcanic peaks to Pacific coast to pristine rainforest. We analyze cloud types, coverage patterns, and tropical atmospheric instability to predict when sky drama combines with the country's iconic natural features.

Costa Rica's position between Pacific and Caribbean, combined with volcanic peaks reaching over 3,800 meters, creates extraordinary cloud dynamics. The green season (May-November) brings afternoon convective storms and dramatic cloud buildup, while the dry season (December-April) offers clearer skies but occasionally spectacular transitions. The country's multiple microclimates mean cloud conditions can vary dramatically within short distances.

What makes Costa Rica cloudscape photography special:

  • Volcanic drama - Arenal, Rincón de la Vieja, and Turrialba volcanic peaks piercing cloud layers, sometimes adding volcanic steam to natural clouds
  • Green season storms - Afternoon convective buildups create towering cumulus and dramatic storm light over rainforest and coast
  • Pacific coast systems - Offshore weather approaching Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio creates layered cloud compositions over ocean
  • Rainforest scale - Osa Peninsula and Drake Bay's pristine wilderness under tropical cloud systems provides untouched landscape drama

Arenal Volcano provides Costa Rica's classic cloudscape composition—the symmetrical cone often partially wrapped in clouds or emerging from cloud layers, especially during green season when afternoon convection builds around the peak. Rincón de la Vieja's active volcanic features combine with cloud drama—steam vents and fumaroles adding to natural cloud formations. Tamarindo's Pacific coast works brilliantly for sunset cloudscapes when afternoon storms clear, leaving dramatic cloud remnants for golden hour. Manuel Antonio's combination of rainforest hills and Pacific creates compositions with clouds at multiple elevations. Drake Bay and Osa Peninsula offer pristine wilderness cloudscapes without human development. Green season (May-November) produces the most dramatic conditions with daily afternoon storm buildups.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
3matching hours in the next 95 hoursJump to next match
OR logic: one branch per group is enough
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
America/Costa_Rica
Cloud Drama Score
≥ 75.0%
Low Clouds
≥ 20.0%
Mid-Level Clouds
OR1·B1
≥ 30.0%
High Clouds
OR1·B2
≥ 40.0%
Visibility
≥ 5000.0m
Sun, Jun 7
08:0051%98%100%100%22826m
09:0041%72%86%100%24130m
10:0023%49%85%100%24135m
11:0023%61%42%100%21863m
12:0023%73%81%100%7984m
13:0023%75%31%100%21911m
14:0041%99%61%100%22233m
15:0041%99%49%100%16793m
16:0051%100%50%100%10579m
17:0060%100%92%100%3046m
18:0064%100%73%100%5729m
19:000%100%100%100%1008m
20:000%94%83%100%2822m
21:000%98%100%100%2575m
22:000%99%100%100%1546m
23:000%100%100%100%827m
Mon, Jun 8
24:000%100%100%100%1440m
01:000%84%100%100%21168m
02:000%98%100%100%12928m
03:000%100%100%100%5865m
04:000%100%100%100%858m
05:0064%98%100%100%1290m
06:0067%69%100%100%15873m
07:0057%22%100%100%24014m
08:0041%5.1%100%100%24134m
09:0033%5%100%100%24134m
10:0019%7.6%75%100%24135m
11:0019%0%92%100%24135m
12:0022%19%100%100%24134m
13:0023%30%92%100%24134m
14:0035%9.3%22%100%24134m
15:0038%7.2%24%100%24135m
16:0056%16%87%100%24134m
17:0063%22%65%100%24135m
18:0047%47%5%100%24135m
19:001.4%99%5%100%24135m
20:009.9%99%64%100%24135m
21:008.5%62%55%99%24135m
22:0011%49%56%41%24134m
23:0014%85%75%25%23807m
Tue, Jun 9
24:0012%81%55%29%20352m
01:003.6%100%100%98%8006m
02:001.3%100%100%100%6446m
03:001%100%100%77%5632m
04:000.1%100%100%90%11531m
05:0068%91%100%70%16282m
06:0086%100%100%27%8303m
07:0078%100%96%15%12295m
08:0065%95%69%14%21373m
09:0056%87%57%47%24134m
10:0024%100%99%100%24135m
11:0027%63%85%99%24135m
12:0045%38%23%5.5%24134m
13:0047%49%34%8.4%24135m
14:0067%78%30%2.8%24134m
15:0064%73%68%0.2%24134m
16:0057%29%96%8.4%24134m
17:0059%30%100%100%23938m
18:0061%38%96%73%24135m
19:005.7%51%31%100%24134m
20:009.9%51%15%99%24134m
21:0013%46%6.3%11%24134m
22:0012%16%27%69%24134m
23:007.8%23%79%45%24134m
Wed, Jun 10
24:009%47%75%5%24134m
01:0012%39%20%41%24134m
02:0015%34%5.4%16%24135m
03:0015%72%5.5%22%24134m
04:0013%100%49%4.5%20488m
05:00100%79%36%4.2%24135m
06:0065%73%5%2.1%24135m
07:0062%28%5%3.6%24134m
08:0049%19%5%3%24134m
09:0057%18%5%6.5%24135m
10:0037%16%5%11%24134m
11:0026%29%5%96%24135m
12:0045%26%5%38%24134m
13:0037%23%5%79%24135m
14:0024%8.3%5%99%24134m
15:0036%13%5%100%24135m
16:0071%13%5%67%24135m
17:0031%8.2%5%96%19197m
18:0087%8.9%15%75%10306m
19:000%7.9%23%67%14916m
20:000%6.8%30%59%19525m
21:000%5.8%38%51%24135m
22:000%3.9%52%57%24135m
23:000%1.9%66%63%24135m
Thu, Jun 11
24:000%0%80%69%24135m
01:000%0.03%56%54%24135m
02:000%0.07%32%40%24135m
03:000%0.1%7.9%25%24135m
04:000%0.5%7%49%24135m
05:0052%0.9%6%73%24135m
06:0021%1.3%5.1%96%24135m
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity). For OR groups, only one branch is required, so some OR-branch predicates can be ✕ even in a matching hour.

What does Cloud Drama Score mean?

Inputs that drive the score

This derived score summarizes multiple raw weather signals. The table below shows the supporting inputs hour by hour, so you can see what's pushing the score up or down.

Time
America/Costa_Rica
Air Pressure
hPa
High Clouds
%
Mid-Level Clouds
%
Precipitation Chance
%
Relative Humidity
%
Solar Elevation
°
Total Cloud Coverage
%
Wind Gusts
m/s
Wind Speed
m/s
Mon, Jun 8 Sunrise 05:17 Sunset 17:59
09:00
997hPa 100% 100% 57% 82% 50° 100% 3.3m/s 1.6m/s
10:00
997hPa 100% 75% 61% 78% 63° 100% 3.1m/s 1.7m/s
11:00
996hPa 100% 92% 65% 69% 74° 100% 2.7m/s 1.4m/s
12:00
996hPa 100% 100% 68% 63% 76° 100% 3.6m/s 1.8m/s
13:00
995hPa 100% 92% 68% 59% 67° 100% 3m/s 1.9m/s
14:00
994hPa 100% 22% 68% 57% 54° 100% 3m/s 2.3m/s
15:00
994hPa 100% 24% 67% 58% 40° 100% 2m/s 1.9m/s
16:00
994hPa 100% 86% 74% 62% 26° 100% 1.8m/s 2m/s
17:00
995hPa 100% 65% 81% 71% 13° 100% 2.2m/s 1.9m/s
18:00
995hPa 100% 5% 88% 74% -0.66° 100% 1.8m/s 1.4m/s
19:00
996hPa 100% 5% 87% 76% -14° 100% 2.7m/s 2m/s
20:00
997hPa 100% 64% 86% 75% -27° 100% 3.5m/s 2.6m/s
21:00
997hPa 99% 55% 85% 76% -39° 99% 2.7m/s 1.8m/s
22:00
998hPa 41% 56% 87% 77% -49° 68% 2.3m/s 1.6m/s
23:00
998hPa 25% 74% 90% 80% -56° 85% 3.7m/s 2.6m/s
Tue, Jun 9 Sunrise 05:18 Sunset 17:59
24:00
997hPa 29% 55% 92% 86% -57° 81% 5.8m/s 4.2m/s
01:00
997hPa 98% 100% 90% 93% -52° 100% 5.8m/s 3.8m/s
02:00
997hPa 100% 100% 89% 95% -42° 100% 5.9m/s 3.7m/s
03:00
997hPa 77% 100% 87% 96% -31° 100% 5.6m/s 3.4m/s
04:00
996hPa 90% 100% 90% 95% -18° 100% 4.2m/s 3m/s
05:00
996hPa 70% 100% 92% 94% -4.8° 100% 5m/s 2.9m/s
06:00
997hPa 27% 100% 95% 93% 8.8° 100% 2.2m/s 0.93m/s
07:00
998hPa 15% 96% 89% 94% 23° 100% 2.7m/s 2m/s
08:00
998hPa 14% 68% 83% 92% 36° 96% 4.3m/s 2.9m/s
09:00
999hPa 47% 57% 77% 88% 50° 87% 4m/s 2.2m/s
10:00
999hPa 100% 99% 77% 80% 63° 100% 3.9m/s 2.2m/s
11:00
998hPa 99% 85% 78% 78% 74° 99% 3.8m/s 2m/s
12:00
997hPa 6% 23% 78% 73% 76° 38% 4m/s 2.4m/s
13:00
996hPa 8% 34% 59% 66% 67° 51% 3.8m/s 2.7m/s
14:00
995hPa 3% 30% 40% 68% 54° 78% 3.8m/s 3.3m/s
15:00
995hPa 0% 68% 22% 70% 40° 73% 3.6m/s 3.1m/s
16:00
995hPa 8% 96% 20% 72% 27° 96% 3m/s 2.5m/s
17:00
995hPa 100% 100% 19% 79% 13° 100% 2.7m/s 2.1m/s
18:00
995hPa 73% 96% 17% 80% -0.58° 98% 1.3m/s 1m/s
19:00
995hPa 100% 31% 16% 80% -14° 100% 1.4m/s 0.91m/s
20:00
995hPa 98% 15% 15% 80% -27° 98% 1.9m/s 1.4m/s
21:00
996hPa 11% 6% 15% 79% -39° 46% 1.5m/s 1.1m/s
22:00
996hPa 69% 26% 17% 78% -49° 69% 1.4m/s 1.3m/s
23:00
996hPa 44% 79% 19% 77% -56° 79% 1.6m/s 1.3m/s
Wed, Jun 10 Sunrise 05:18 Sunset 17:59
24:00
995hPa 5% 75% 22% 76% -57° 75% 1.1m/s 1.1m/s
01:00
994hPa 41% 20% 27% 75% -51° 47% 1.4m/s 1.3m/s
02:00
993hPa 16% 5% 32% 75% -42° 34% 2.2m/s 2.1m/s
03:00
993hPa 22% 6% 38% 76% -31° 72% 2.2m/s 2m/s
04:00
994hPa 4% 49% 43% 74% -18° 100% 1.4m/s 1.4m/s
05:00
994hPa 4% 36% 48% 74% -4.8° 79% 1.5m/s 1.6m/s
06:00
994hPa 2% 5% 53% 75% 8.8° 73% 1.8m/s 1.8m/s
07:00
994hPa 4% 5% 54% 71% 23° 28% 1.8m/s 1.4m/s
08:00
994hPa 3% 5% 55% 60% 36° 19% 2.1m/s 1.4m/s
09:00
995hPa 6% 5% 56% 58% 50° 20% 2.7m/s 2.4m/s
10:00
995hPa 11% 5% 59% 59% 63° 20% 3.1m/s 2.9m/s
11:00
995hPa 96% 5% 62% 58% 74° 96% 3.1m/s 2.9m/s
12:00
994hPa 38% 5% 65% 59% 76° 40% 3.3m/s 3.2m/s
13:00
993hPa 79% 5% 49% 60% 67° 79% 3.5m/s 3.4m/s
14:00
992hPa 99% 5% 33% 63% 54° 99% 4m/s 4.1m/s
15:00
992hPa 100% 5% 17% 65% 40° 100% 4m/s 3.7m/s
16:00
992hPa 67% 5% 45% 67% 27° 67% 4m/s 3.5m/s
17:00
992hPa 96% 5% 72% 73% 13° 96% 3.4m/s 2.8m/s
18:00
993hPa 74% 15% 100% 81% -0.5° 77% 3m/s 2.4m/s
19:00
996hPa 67% 23% 100% 82% -14° 68% 2.4m/s 1.9m/s
20:00
999hPa 59% 30% 100% 83% -27° 60% 1.8m/s 1.5m/s
21:00
1002hPa 51% 38% 100% 84% -39° 51% 1.2m/s 1m/s
22:00
1002hPa 57% 52% 100% 83% -49° 61% 0.91m/s 0.78m/s
23:00
1003hPa 63% 66% 100% 83% -56° 71% 0.62m/s 0.54m/s
Thu, Jun 11 Sunrise 05:18 Sunset 17:59
24:00
1003hPa 69% 80% 100% 82% -57° 80% 0.33m/s 0.31m/s
01:00
1004hPa 54% 56% 100% 78% -51° 62% 0.39m/s 0.23m/s
02:00
1004hPa 40% 32% 100% 75% -42° 43% 0.46m/s 0.15m/s
03:00
1004hPa 25% 8% 100% 71% -31° 25% 0.52m/s 0.08m/s
04:00
1004hPa 49% 7% 100% 67% -18° 49% 1.1m/s 0.55m/s
05:00
1003hPa 73% 6% 100% 64% -4.8° 73% 1.7m/s 1m/s
06:00
1003hPa 96% 5% 100% 61% 8.8° 96% 2.3m/s 1.5m/s
07:00
1002hPa 98% 5% 92% 61% 22° 98% 2.4m/s 1.9m/s
08:00
1001hPa 99% 4% 84% 61% 36° 99% 2.4m/s 2.3m/s
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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