| The Dominican Republic is located in the north | | | | 15 inches of rain per year on average. |
| central Caribbean and is part of the Greater | | | | Santo Domingo, as well as, the whole country |
| Antilles archipelago. It occupies the eastern two | | | | except the north coast experiences a wet season |
| thirds of the island of Hispaniola with Haiti to the | | | | from May through October. Rainfall amounts on |
| west. Santo Domingo, the capital of The | | | | average are between 5 1/2" to over 7 inches. |
| Dominican Republic was the first permanent | | | | The north coast faces the trade winds directly |
| European settlement in the Americas. | | | | and has a wet season from October to January. |
| The Dominican Republic is a very mountainous | | | | The two driest months for most of the country |
| country with peaks over ten thousand feet in the | | | | are February and March where between two and |
| Cordillera central. The mountains cause a great | | | | two and one-half inches of rainfall occurs each |
| variation in the climate across the country. | | | | month. Tropical storms and hurricanes do affect |
| Hurricanes also can affect The Dominican Republic, | | | | The Dominican Republic occasionally and can bring |
| especially the eastern and southern coasts. The | | | | 10-20 inches or more of rainfall. |
| reason for this is due to fact that most | | | | Temperatures |
| hurricanes approach from either the east over | | | | Temperatures in the Dominican Republic change |
| the Lesser Antilles or from the southeast after | | | | very little during the year. Summer highs average |
| passing through the eastern Caribbean Sea. | | | | in the upper 80's and winter highs in the mid 80's. |
| Rainfall | | | | Summer lows drop to the lower 70's and winter |
| The rainfall pattern is complex across The | | | | lows into the upper 60's. The temperatures can |
| Dominican Republic. Rainfall can be over 100 inches | | | | vary significantly across the country. The |
| per year over the windward slopes of the | | | | southwestern arid regions can top out in the 90's |
| northeastern mountains. The moist tropical wind | | | | with records near or over 100 degrees during the |
| flow from the trade winds supplies abundant | | | | summer. Winter temperatures can be below |
| moisture to build heavy showers. This is especially | | | | freezing near the highest points of the Cordillera |
| true during the summer. The southwestern part | | | | Central. Frost is even possible in the highest |
| of the country is the driest. Some valleys on the | | | | valleys. |
| lee side of the mountains may only receive about | | | | |