Reflection Post #1

I've chosen to compare my site with Megan Morvey's site in Springfield, MO.

First a look at overall temps and rainfall amounts.

Found here: http://www.world-climates.com/city-climate-limon-costa-rica-north-america/  

Found here: http://www.world-climates.com/city-climate-springfield-missouri-usa-north-america/

There is a dramatic temperature changes in Springfield as compared to Limon, which will never see a 30 degree temp, but in Springfield it's common in winter months. Limon pays for it's milder weather with higher rainfall amounts, seeing 2 to 3 times more rainfall than Springfield on average. Also notice that when Springfield is getting it's heaviest rainfall, Limon is receiving some it's lightest, and vice versa.

This difference in temperature and rainfall have a few causes. 

The first is latitude, which is a difference of almost 30 degrees (Limon = 9° N / Springfield = 37°N).

The second cause is the Continental Polar air mass that swings south in the winter months. 

Map of North America showing the Cold Continental Polar Air Mass (cP) moving southward to meet with the Maritime Tropical Air Mass (mT) moving north from the Gulf Of Mexico. The cP brings cold arctic air with it, which causes dramatic shifts in temperatures for Springfield, MO, and the mT brings warm, moisture laden air that feeds thunderstorms and snowfall. The collision of these two air masses is responsible for the severe weather in Springfield. When warm air moves into a region of colder air, the warm air is forced to rise. As warm air reaches the dew point clouds form and moisture falls. If the air below is cold enough, it creates the snow and ice storms that are so common in the Springfield winter. When these air masses collide in spring the rising warmer air forms clouds that are put into a cyclonic motion by upper level winds, creating super cells that form tornadoes.

Limon is not directly affected by these air masses because it is so far south. Limon sees neither this kind of severe weather nor drastic temperature changes.
Found here: http://frank.mtsu.edu/~cdharris/GEOL100/weather/wthr-sum11.htm

During the year Springfield has a variety of severe weather. This is mostly caused from the meeting of the cP and the mT.

January ice storm in Springfield, MO. Found here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/35687/springfield-missouri-ice-storm-2007-part-2

Tornado near Aurora, MO, May 2003. Found here: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=photos_tornadoes

Snow storm of October 2011 Springfield, MO. Found here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2112757/2011-blizzard-in-springfield-missouri-we-finally-have-snow-

Meanwhile, in Limon, Costa Rica....

Beach near Limon, Costa Rica. Found here: http://www.arenal.net/costa-rica/costa-rica-destinations.htm

Limon sees nowhere near the sever weather Springfield does, but it does see greater amounts of rain.The rainy season runs November-January which is when the cP is moving southward. This movement cause the mT to move south as well, pushing excess moisture across the gulf toward Limon. It can sometimes rain for days on end, and Limon can see 15" of rain in December easily. 

Something Limon must deal with that Springfield does not is the movement of the ITCZ. 

The ITCZ moves north in summer months as the polar air mass in the North Pole shrinks. The ITCZ is an area of low pressure formed by the meeting of the trade winds. A low pressure system pulls air into the atmosphere where there air condenses. The rainy month of July in Limon is directly caused by the movement of the ITCZ. Springfield doesn't see this type of rain. In fact, when Limon is getting its heavy July rain, Springfield is seeing a lull in the heaviest rainfall. Found here: Found at http://www.newmediastudio.org/DataDiscovery/Hurr_ED_Center/Stages_of_Hurricane_Dev/ITCZ/ITCZ.html

The ITCZ doesn't get anywhere near the Continental U.S., let alone Springfield. When Limon is being saturated by ITCZ induced rainfall, Springfield is experiencing warm days with minimum rainfall.

It almost seems like Springfield can have more drastic changes in temperature and weather patterns in one month than Limon sees in a year!