Crops · dekad 2026-09-01

Costa Rica

1 of 7 crop regions in Costa Rica are at their worst on record for this point in the season. Its highest in any previous year was 3, on a recent average of 0.42.

Vegetation, cumulativethe harvest measure1of 7
Vegetation, current1of 7
Water satisfaction2of 7
Rainfall, 3-month0of 7
Temperature2of 7

What moved, and when

Each square is one dekad, and its shade shows how many of this country’s crop regions stood at their own worst on record for that point in the season. Rows are ordered by how much time each instrument summarises, shortest first, because a shorter window can move sooner. That order is fixed and is the same on every country page.

Vegetation, currentthis dekad
Soil moisturethis dekad
Temperaturethis dekad
Rainfall, 3-monththe past 3 months
Vegetation, cumulativethe season so far, from sowing
Water satisfactionthe season so far, as a water balance
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep
none at a recordone regionfewer than a thirda third to three quartersmost or alltoo few regions reporting to saynot reported
What connects these rows

Nothing we can show. The driver is not identified here. This section says what moved and when. It never says because.

These 25 dekads were picked rather than derived. A shorter window changes which peak looks like the first, and a sequence visible inside a window may not exist outside it.

How bad is it, against this country’s own record

Five instruments read together our combination, not an observation

worst on record of 26 years at this point in the season

The most stressed of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026, across 5 instruments read together

202620012026

What the instruments say

The canopy is in its worst third, as are water satisfaction and rainfall.

Each track is that instrument’s own 26 years, worst on the left.

Vegetation, cumulative-0.274th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.52lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction89%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.014th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature26.7 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Five instruments, each against its own 26 years for this point in the season. They are shown together because they can disagree: a region can sit at a record low on vegetation while water or rainfall sits in its best third. 66 of the 440 regions at a record low on current vegetation have water or rainfall sitting in its own best third at the same moment, about one in seven. This page reports where each one sits and does not say what caused what.

Every region of Costa Rica, worst to least

Each bar is the full spread of that region’s previous 25 years at this point in the season. The dot is this year. A dot at the left of a wide bar and a dot at the left of a narrow bar are different findings, which is why the history is drawn rather than described.

its normalworsebetterCartagoGuanacasteAlajuelaHerediaPuntarenasSan JoséLimón

Regions in colour are at their worst on record. The rest are placed on the same scale so a single deep region inside an otherwise ordinary country reads differently from a country where the whole distribution has moved.

Cartago

-0.73 lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.73lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.594th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction100%19th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.1417th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature17.9 °C2nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Guanacaste

-0.47 4th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.474th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.87lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction76%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.972nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature28.4 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Alajuela

-0.21 7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.217th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.1310th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction100%10th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.429th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.3 °C5th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Heredia

-0.03 9th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.039th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.0011th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction100%9th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+1.7825th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.2 °C7th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Puntarenas

-0.01 14th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.0114th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.663rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction100%14th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.303rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.9 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

San José

+0.14 13th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.1413th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.0612th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction99%23rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.2612th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature21.7 °C3rd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Limón

+0.21 18th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.2118th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.1718th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction100%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+2.2026th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature25.2 °C7th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

This measurement is of the crop canopy and not of what stressed it: heat, drought, disease and late planting are not separable here, which is why no claim on this page names a cause.

Kristjan Lepik (2026). The Long Swell, Crops. thelongswell.com