Snow In Constanza

ERICKXSON

Bronze
Dec 24, 2002
1,222
0
0
47
www.creambay.com
Hey guys i just read in the newspaper that it snow a bit in constanza last night registering temperatures of 4 below 0 degrees everything seems to be frozen.

what the world is comming to::::::::::::::::::::



I will be opening the first ski resort in the caribbean next year lol!
 

juancarlos

Bronze
Sep 28, 2003
676
0
0
Lambada said:
I read El Caribe, too, & whilst not wishing to be overly pedantic I thought 'escarchas de hielo' meant frost, not snow. I know, I know......it is white & it is on the ground. ;) Should be good for the brussel sprouts! Here is the article, perhaps someone can put me right?
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/articulo...CD046BFB02B17AA3CFEF192&Seccion=63&titular=ok

You are right, it means frost, not snow. But it's the closest thing to snow in the Caribbean. It must have been really cold in Constanza! Here in Los Angeles temperatures have not fallen that much and I have never even seen escarchas de hielo. It does snow outside the city, towards the mountains and inland, but not along the Pacific Coast or within the city itself.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,370
3,150
113
You people call that news?

The Constanza Valley and the Valle Nuevo are areas known to drop below freezing from time to time in the winter time.

Now, when it snows in Santo Domingo, now that's when the world is going nuts!

But, Constanza? Oh, please.
 

marliejaneca

Bronze
Oct 7, 2003
980
10
0
I had always heard about the cold temperatures in Constanza as well, but then you are dealing with a mountain, so it should be expected. I remember driving through the valley and seeing pine trees, it was almost like being back home, what a shock from the lush vegetation and palm trees. I have heard about a resort on the mountain that is designed like a ski resort with swiss chalet type buildings etc, but I don't know if this is true since I never ventured to it. Can someone enlighten me to how true this is. Also, how high is the mountain, or should I say elevation. Is it one of the highest mountains in the Caribbean?
Just curious,
Marlie
Now what is shocking is all the snow in LA - wow the pics are unbeleivable!! 3 ft in the mountains, but the city got clobbered.
 

ustelephone

Member
Mar 31, 2004
361
2
18
www.ecoislandadventures.com
marliejaneca said:
I had always heard about the cold temperatures in Constanza as well, but then you are dealing with a mountain, so it should be expected. I remember driving through the valley and seeing pine trees, it was almost like being back home, what a shock from the lush vegetation and palm trees. I have heard about a resort on the mountain that is designed like a ski resort with swiss chalet type buildings etc, but I don't know if this is true since I never ventured to it. Can someone enlighten me to how true this is. Also, how high is the mountain, or should I say elevation. Is it one of the highest mountains in the Caribbean?
Just curious,
Marlie
Now what is shocking is all the snow in LA - wow the pics are unbeleivable!! 3 ft in the mountains, but the city got clobbered.

There is a resort as you described on the mountainside facing Constanza. Also, you can drive to Alta Bandera, which is around 10,200 feet. The road is poor and should only be driven in a 4x4. I camp up there at least once a month and the temps are usually close to freezing at night.
 

Spirit7

New member
Aug 26, 2004
150
2
0
Constanza is great, and so is Parque Nacional Bermudez.

marliejaneca said:
I had always heard about the cold temperatures in Constanza as well, but then you are dealing with a mountain, so it should be expected. I remember driving through the valley and seeing pine trees, it was almost like being back home, what a shock from the lush vegetation and palm trees.

It's nothing new that there is frost in Constanza since it gets down to 0 centigrade or 32 fahrenheit, or below, occasionally in the winter months, due to the altitude of course. It's a nice town in a high valley but the only negative is the road up is a hassle and dangerous.

Parque Nacional Bermudez has Pico Duarte, the highest peak in the Caribbean at over 10,000 ft. and here too it gets plenty cold in winter. If you are into nature and can do the climb (several days round trip by mule or on foot) you
will see practically virgin land (well not really since it is a popular trip for the domestic eco-tourists) and could have a fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime experience, hardships and all (especially if it rains--you will be slipping and sliding plenty and coming down you may slide on your behind part of the way). I recommend it for those so inclined.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,370
3,150
113
The Constanza Valley is around 6,000 feet above sea level. It's the highest inhabited valley in the Caribbean.

There are many high mountains nearby (Pico Duarte and Pico La Pelona are over 10,000 feet above sea level) and about 3 or 4 other peaks that are above 9,000 feet.

At these altitudes, most places in the world would have had some form of glacier, but given that the DR is in the tropics, its actually much more warmer than at higher latitudes.

Regardless, it is very cold up there and extremely cold by Caribbean standards.

To give you an idea of the sharp contrast on this island, about 70 to 90 miles southwest of Pico Duarte is the Enriquillo Valley. The Enriquillo Valley is 140 feet below sea level (the lowest point in the Caribbean) and its a desert with temperature reaching far beyond 100 degrees farenheit in many areas of that valley. There are also so fabulous cactsus and fragipani in the area. This is all a sharp contrast to the pine covered mountains, which themselves are a sharp contrast to the palm studded lower level valleys, savannahs, and coastline!

I love this island!
 

juancarlos

Bronze
Sep 28, 2003
676
0
0
It's a nice town in a high valley but the only negative is the road up is a hassle and dangerous."

Well, if they fixed that road or built a new highway, more people would be inclined to visit Constanza and those looking for cool weather might even decide to settle there. I am sure that, in summer, temperatures there are not that high either. Mild weather is a plus. Better than heat+humidity.
 
Last edited:

Mr_DR

Silver
May 12, 2002
2,506
60
0
Nal0whs said:
The Constanza Valley is around 6,000 feet above sea level. It's the highest inhabited valley in the Caribbean.

There are many high mountains nearby (Pico Duarte and Pico La Pelona are over 10,000 feet above sea level) and about 3 or 4 other peaks that are above 9,000 feet.

At these altitudes, most places in the world would have had some form of glacier, but given that the DR is in the tropics, its actually much more warmer than at higher latitudes.

Regardless, it is very cold up there and extremely cold by Caribbean standards.

To give you an idea of the sharp contrast on this island, about 70 to 90 miles southwest of Pico Duarte is the Enriquillo Valley. The Enriquillo Valley is 140 feet below sea level (the lowest point in the Caribbean) and its a desert with temperature reaching far beyond 100 degrees farenheit in many areas of that valley. There are also so fabulous cactsus and fragipani in the area. This is all a sharp contrast to the pine covered mountains, which themselves are a sharp contrast to the palm studded lower level valleys, savannahs, and coastline!

I love this island!
That is what makes DR so special except for the humidity.
To what corner of the island would you go to avoid the humidity?
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,370
3,150
113
Mr_DR said:
That is what makes DR so special except for the humidity.
To what corner of the island would you go to avoid the humidity?

Personally, the only time I feel really uncomfortable in the lowlands of the DR is during the Summer month when the island appears to be in an oven. During that time I usually head for the mountains (I have a vac. home in Jarabacoa) since the weather is so much more pleasant there than in the low lands.

In Jarabacoa, basically the climate there is still tropical but with much lower humidity than in the lower valleys.

In Constanza, the clilmate is down right continental for my taste.

and in the Valle Nuevo you need a sweater even in the Summer month due to the cool temperatures there. Of course, Valle Nuevo is a protected land, I think its either a national park or a scientific reserve. I've heard people refer to it as both, but the point is that its protected, in theory.

There is an area near Pico Duarte where you can hear to Coqui frog singing. For many years people thought that the Coqui frog only lived in Puerto Rico (in fact, its a national symbol with Puerto Rico), but recently it was discovered that the Coqui also lives in the Cordillera Central, along with different birds including parrots and palmchats and also wild boars.

Over all, its a nice area with lots of rock outcroppings similar to the ones in the Alps, thus the nickname given to the area as the "Dominican Alps".