There is really only one word to describe the Samana Peninsula’s weather: delightful! The peninsula’s climate is “moderate tropical” with very few seasonal extremes. Although the rest of the island has a greater variance in temperature between winter and summer, with water on both sides of the peninsula, the ocean’s influence moderates our differences. There is only about five degrees difference in temperature between summer and winter and the trade wind also only varies moderately with winter’s difference being only about 5 mph stronger and a slight shift more toward the east-northeast from it’s summer’s east-southeast flow.

Although there is no real “rainy season” as is found in many tropical climes, we do have a few months with more rain than others. An increase in precipitation is usually noted in late fall as the seasonal change in the eastern Pacific Ocean increases the moisture flow northeasterly across Central America and into the Caribbean basin. And during January, February and early March, cold fronts that move south from North America will bring a day or two of rainy, windy weather and a north to northwest breeze. The effects of these fronts usually don’t last more than several days and a light windbreaker is all the extra clothing necessary.

The summer months usually see some afternoon thundershowers mostly confined to the immediate Samana Bay area and the western end of the peninsula. These weather cells build over the island’s warm land surface on the southern side of the bay and then cross over to bring moisture to the city of Samana and the southern side of the peninsula.

The north coast’s Las Terrenas enjoys the same settled weather as most of the peninsula. Las Galeras, out at the very northeastern tip of the peninsula, is considerably drier with diminished rainfall due to the effects of the ocean on three sides and the steering currents of Cape Samana’s big ridge to the south and the peninsula’s mountains to the west that deflect the rain-laden, low clouds.