<p>So, I understand that during much of the year, Panama gets regular rain due to moist air being carried in by the trade winds from the Caribbean. </p>

<p>However, the country also has a "dry season" from roughly December to March, and I haven't been able to find information on why that happens, given that the trade winds are supposed to be blowing year-round. Is there some climatic process in the Caribbean that weakens them or directs them northwards during this time of the year? </p>

<p>EDIT: Ah, this must be related to the seasonal movement of the intertropical convergence zone, right? Is that that the trade wind effect is present year round, but just doesn't produce a lot of precipitation in Panama on its own, until the ITCZ adds majorly to it during the northern summer?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-17T14:28:37.213Z
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsoon, look under "Process"
Spencer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-17T22:12:30.473Z
Panama's air surface temperature on land stays about the same all year. So which monsoon processes would be affecting it seasonally then?
user26529
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-17T22:14:33.667Z
As for sea surface temperature, changes to that are exactly what's driving the movement of the ITCZ, right?
user26529
<meteorology><climate><precipitation><climatology><seasons>
Why does Panama have a dry season?
user26529
# Why does Panama have a dry season?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-16)

So, I understand that during much of the year, Panama gets regular rain due to moist air being carried in by the trade winds from the Caribbean.

However, the country also has a "dry season" from roughly December to March, and I haven't been able to find information on why that happens, given that the trade winds are supposed to be blowing year-round. Is there some climatic process in the Caribbean that weakens them or directs them northwards during this time of the year?

EDIT: Ah, this must be related to the seasonal movement of the intertropical convergence zone, right? Is that that the trade wind effect is present year round, but just doesn't produce a lot of precipitation in Panama on its own, until the ITCZ adds majorly to it during the northern summer?

**Tags:** meteorology, climate, precipitation, climatology, seasons

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsoon, look under "Process"  
> **username_0**: Panama's air surface temperature on land stays about the same all year. So which monsoon processes would be affecting it seasonally then?  
> **username_0**: As for sea surface temperature, changes to that are exactly what's driving the movement of the ITCZ, right?  

---

## 0 answers

