What conditions does Cloudscapes look for?

Cloud Drama Score: ≥ 75.0%. Low Clouds: ≥ 20.0%. Mid-Level Clouds: ≥ 30.0%. High Clouds: ≥ 40.0%. Visibility: ≥ 5000.0m

How often do conditions match?

There are 4 upcoming opportunity windows in the next 10 days.

More Cloudscapes in Costa Rica

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Rule Cloudscapes

Turrialba - Cloudscapes - Costa Rica

Turrialba, Cartago Province, Costa Rica

Multi-layered dramatic clouds for striking sky photography

Currently

Real-time conditions

Cloud Drama Score

40%

Cloud Cover100%

Wind Gusts1.8m/s

Precipitation Chance100%

Air Pressure862.7hPa

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in America/Costa_Rica

Next opportunity

Dramatic Cloud Drama

Turrialba

Tue, May 19 · 06:00–07:00 · 1h window

Medium confidence

50%

☁️Cloud Drama Score98.2%

Cloud Cover: 60%

Wind Gusts: 0.9m/s

Precipitation Chance: 99%

Air Pressure: 862.2hPa

Dramatic Cloud Drama at Sunrise

Turrialba

Fri, May 22 · 05:00–06:00

☁️Cloud Drama Score:89.6%

Low

Dramatic Cloud Drama

Turrialba

Fri, May 22 · 06:00–08:00

☁️Cloud Drama Score:83.2-88.4%

Low

Dramatic Cloud Drama

Turrialba

Sat, May 23 · 07:00–08:00

☁️Cloud Drama Score:98.8%

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

1matching hours in the next 80 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
Sat, May 16
22:00	14%	57%	0%	20%	974m
23:00	15%	64%	0%	31%	994m
Sun, May 17
24:00	14%	77%	0%	32%	868m
01:00	8.4%	67%	2%	65%	2953m
02:00	7.3%	48%	7.7%	100%	5715m
03:00	1.8%	47%	15%	100%	24134m
04:00	1.5%	76%	9.4%	100%	2498m
05:00	45%	75%	4.1%	100%	780m
06:00	44%	80%	4%	100%	1354m
07:00	48%	79%	1.1%	100%	21032m
08:00	39%	59%	0%	100%	24135m
09:00	34%	68%	0.3%	100%	24134m
10:00	28%	70%	1.1%	100%	24134m
11:00	28%	84%	0%	97%	23494m
12:00	26%	92%	0%	95%	18921m
13:00	26%	83%	0%	100%	4462m
14:00	36%	79%	0%	100%	3527m
15:00	43%	83%	0.2%	100%	2425m
16:00	50%	95%	0%	100%	2441m
17:00	45%	91%	0%	100%	382m
18:00	47%	85%	0%	100%	6622m
19:00	1.5%	85%	0%	100%	19731m
20:00	1.4%	84%	0%	100%	24000m
21:00	4.2%	83%	0%	100%	24135m
22:00	0.3%	83%	0%	100%	24135m
23:00	0.3%	74%	0%	100%	24134m
Mon, May 18
24:00	0.1%	46%	0%	100%	24135m
01:00	0.7%	23%	0%	100%	24134m
02:00	0.2%	24%	0%	100%	21145m
03:00	0.1%	28%	0%	100%	21201m
04:00	0%	29%	0%	100%	24134m
05:00	44%	83%	0%	100%	24134m
06:00	41%	89%	0%	100%	10218m
07:00	40%	77%	0%	100%	808m
08:00	36%	45%	0%	100%	24134m
09:00	32%	51%	0%	100%	18998m
10:00	21%	59%	0%	100%	9600m
11:00	19%	41%	0%	100%	20022m
12:00	20%	35%	0%	100%	20391m
13:00	22%	19%	0%	100%	21306m
14:00	37%	22%	0%	100%	18318m
15:00	44%	22%	0%	100%	24135m
16:00	51%	45%	0%	100%	20069m
17:00	46%	82%	0%	100%	24135m
18:00	49%	96%	0%	100%	5925m
19:00	8.1%	90%	0%	100%	24135m
20:00	8.2%	48%	0%	100%	24135m
21:00	13%	36%	0%	100%	24135m
22:00	10%	35%	0%	92%	24134m
23:00	12%	32%	0%	15%	24135m
Tue, May 19
24:00	8.8%	32%	0%	29%	21867m
01:00	8.2%	35%	0%	30%	20955m
02:00	9.5%	35%	0%	100%	24134m
03:00	9.6%	35%	0%	97%	24134m
04:00	10%	34%	0%	51%	21288m
05:00	61%	29%	0%	89%	24134m
06:00	98%	23%	0%	56%	21400m
07:00	99%	20%	0%	11%	24134m
08:00	92%	28%	0%	37%	24134m
09:00	79%	29%	0%	33%	24135m
10:00	31%	37%	0%	97%	19294m
11:00	30%	70%	0%	100%	23567m
12:00	29%	47%	0%	100%	18799m
13:00	16%	43%	1.5%	100%	20239m
14:00	28%	39%	2.9%	100%	21680m
15:00	34%	35%	4.4%	100%	23120m
16:00	40%	31%	8.2%	100%	23340m
17:00	60%	26%	12%	100%	23560m
18:00	64%	21%	16%	100%	23780m
19:00	0%	17%	12%	95%	23898m
20:00	0%	12%	8.6%	90%	24016m
21:00	0%	8%	5%	85%	24135m
22:00	0%	9%	5%	83%	24135m
23:00	0%	9.9%	5%	80%	24135m
Wed, May 20
24:00	0%	11%	5%	78%	24135m
01:00	0%	15%	17%	83%	18391m
02:00	0%	19%	28%	89%	12646m
03:00	0%	23%	40%	94%	6902m
04:00	0%	25%	59%	96%	12646m
05:00	64%	28%	78%	98%	18391m

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
Sun, May 17 Sunrise 05:13 Sunset 17:48
07:00	863hPa	100%	1%	100%	94%	24°	100%	1.8m/s	0.93m/s
08:00	863hPa	100%	0%	100%	91%	38°	100%	2.2m/s	1.4m/s
09:00	863hPa	100%	0%	100%	84%	52°	100%	2.7m/s	1.9m/s
10:00	863hPa	100%	1%	100%	78%	66°	100%	3m/s	2.3m/s
11:00	863hPa	96%	0%	100%	76%	78°	96%	2.9m/s	2.6m/s
12:00	862hPa	95%	0%	100%	80%	78°	97%	2.8m/s	2.5m/s
13:00	862hPa	100%	0%	94%	87%	67°	100%	2.9m/s	2.5m/s
14:00	861hPa	100%	0%	88%	88%	53°	100%	2.7m/s	2.3m/s
15:00	861hPa	100%	0%	82%	90%	39°	100%	2.4m/s	1.9m/s
16:00	861hPa	100%	0%	85%	92%	25°	100%	2.3m/s	1.8m/s
17:00	861hPa	100%	0%	88%	95%	11°	100%	2.1m/s	1.4m/s
18:00 ☾	862hPa	100%	0%	92%	94%	-3.3°	100%	1.6m/s	0.99m/s
19:00 ☾	863hPa	100%	0%	80%	95%	-17°	100%	1.3m/s	0.54m/s
20:00 ☾	863hPa	100%	0%	68%	95%	-30°	100%	1.6m/s	0.62m/s
21:00 ☾	864hPa	100%	0%	56%	90%	-43°	100%	1.7m/s	0.89m/s
22:00 ☾	864hPa	100%	0%	60%	91%	-53°	100%	1.7m/s	0.86m/s
23:00 ☾	863hPa	100%	0%	64%	94%	-60°	100%	1.3m/s	0.59m/s
Mon, May 18 Sunrise 05:13 Sunset 17:48
24:00 ☾	862hPa	100%	0%	69%	94%	-60°	100%	1m/s	0.6m/s
01:00 ☾	862hPa	100%	0%	75%	97%	-53°	100%	0.9m/s	0.83m/s
02:00 ☾	861hPa	100%	0%	82%	97%	-43°	100%	0.9m/s	0.87m/s
03:00 ☾	861hPa	100%	0%	88%	98%	-31°	100%	1m/s	0.81m/s
04:00 ☾	862hPa	100%	0%	92%	97%	-18°	100%	1.1m/s	0.86m/s
05:00 ☾	862hPa	100%	0%	96%	97%	-3.8°	100%	1.1m/s	0.85m/s
06:00	862hPa	100%	0%	100%	96%	10°	100%	1.8m/s	0.79m/s
07:00	863hPa	100%	0%	100%	95%	24°	100%	2.6m/s	1.4m/s
08:00	864hPa	100%	0%	100%	90%	38°	100%	2.5m/s	1.6m/s
09:00	864hPa	100%	0%	100%	82%	52°	100%	3m/s	2.1m/s
10:00	864hPa	100%	0%	100%	82%	66°	100%	3.3m/s	2.5m/s
11:00	863hPa	100%	0%	100%	83%	78°	100%	2.9m/s	2.3m/s
12:00	862hPa	100%	0%	100%	76%	78°	100%	2.7m/s	2.4m/s
13:00	862hPa	100%	0%	98%	71%	66°	100%	2.6m/s	2.4m/s
14:00	861hPa	100%	0%	95%	71%	53°	100%	2.5m/s	2.5m/s
15:00	861hPa	100%	0%	93%	76%	39°	100%	2.1m/s	2.3m/s
16:00	861hPa	100%	0%	94%	83%	25°	100%	2m/s	1.9m/s
17:00	861hPa	100%	0%	94%	90%	11°	100%	1.6m/s	1.4m/s
18:00 ☾	862hPa	100%	0%	95%	94%	-3.2°	100%	1.2m/s	0.8m/s
19:00 ☾	862hPa	100%	0%	71%	90%	-17°	100%	0.9m/s	0.58m/s
20:00 ☾	863hPa	100%	0%	47%	88%	-30°	100%	1m/s	0.62m/s
21:00 ☾	863hPa	100%	0%	22%	94%	-42°	100%	0.4m/s	0.22m/s
22:00 ☾	863hPa	92%	0%	36%	95%	-53°	92%	0.4m/s	0.34m/s
23:00 ☾	863hPa	15%	0%	50%	95%	-59°	35%	0.51m/s	0.57m/s
Tue, May 19 Sunrise 05:13 Sunset 17:49
24:00 ☾	863hPa	29%	0%	64%	96%	-59°	43%	0.9m/s	0.98m/s
01:00 ☾	862hPa	30%	0%	61%	95%	-53°	43%	0.91m/s	0.96m/s
02:00 ☾	862hPa	100%	0%	59%	95%	-43°	100%	0.8m/s	0.8m/s
03:00 ☾	861hPa	97%	0%	56%	95%	-31°	97%	0.81m/s	0.84m/s
04:00 ☾	861hPa	51%	0%	70%	95%	-17°	69%	1m/s	1.1m/s
05:00 ☾	862hPa	89%	0%	84%	95%	-3.8°	89%	0.91m/s	0.99m/s
06:00	862hPa	56%	0%	99%	93%	10°	60%	0.9m/s	0.85m/s
07:00	863hPa	10%	0%	99%	84%	24°	23%	0.91m/s	0.59m/s
08:00	863hPa	37%	0%	100%	76%	38°	38%	1.5m/s	1.5m/s
09:00	863hPa	33%	0%	100%	70%	52°	39%	2m/s	2.2m/s
10:00	863hPa	97%	0%	100%	65%	66°	97%	2.4m/s	2.6m/s
11:00	863hPa	100%	0%	100%	68%	78°	100%	2.3m/s	2.8m/s
12:00	863hPa	100%	0%	100%	74%	78°	100%	2.2m/s	2.4m/s
13:00	892hPa	100%	1%	93%	82%	66°	100%	1.6m/s	1.7m/s
14:00	921hPa	100%	3%	86%	90%	53°	100%	0.97m/s	1m/s
15:00	950hPa	100%	4%	79%	98%	39°	100%	0.34m/s	0.36m/s
16:00	950hPa	100%	8%	82%	97%	25°	100%	0.4m/s	0.39m/s
17:00	949hPa	100%	12%	84%	97%	11°	100%	0.47m/s	0.43m/s
18:00 ☾	949hPa	100%	16%	87%	97%	-3.2°	100%	0.53m/s	0.46m/s
19:00 ☾	949hPa	95%	12%	82%	97%	-17°	95%	0.66m/s	0.63m/s
20:00 ☾	948hPa	90%	9%	77%	97%	-30°	90%	0.79m/s	0.81m/s
21:00 ☾	948hPa	85%	5%	72%	97%	-42°	85%	0.93m/s	0.98m/s
22:00 ☾	948hPa	83%	5%	77%	96%	-53°	83%	0.89m/s	0.92m/s
23:00 ☾	949hPa	80%	5%	81%	95%	-59°	81%	0.85m/s	0.87m/s
Wed, May 20 Sunrise 05:13 Sunset 17:49
24:00 ☾	949hPa	78%	5%	86%	94%	-59°	78%	0.82m/s	0.82m/s
01:00 ☾	949hPa	83%	17%	84%	87%	-53°	84%	0.91m/s	1.1m/s
02:00 ☾	950hPa	89%	28%	81%	80%	-43°	89%	1m/s	1.3m/s
03:00 ☾	950hPa	94%	40%	79%	74%	-31°	94%	1.1m/s	1.6m/s
04:00 ☾	950hPa	96%	59%	86%	78%	-17°	96%	1.1m/s	1.4m/s
05:00 ☾	949hPa	98%	78%	93%	82%	-3.8°	98%	1.2m/s	1.3m/s
06:00	949hPa	100%	96%	99%	86%	10°	100%	1.2m/s	1.2m/s

How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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