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CLIMATE
Puerto Vallarta has a typical tropical climate, with near constant temperature and humidity year round and wit a pronounced wet and dry seasonal variation. The average daily High temperature is; average daily low temperature is; Average daily humidity is 75%. The Rainy season extends from mid June through Mid October with most of the rain falling between July and September; August is the city's wettest month with an average of 14 days wit significant precipitation.
Even during the rainy season precipitations tends to be concentrated in large rainstorms with insignificant precipitations on most days; Occasional tropical storms will bring thunderstorms to the city in November, though the month is typically dray. February, March and April are the months with the least cloud cover. Prevailing winds are from the SW, and most weather system approaching Puerto Vallarta are consequently weakened as they pass over Cabo Corrientes, Thus even during the rainy season Puerto Vallarta's weather tends to be mild compared to other areas along the Mexican Pacific coast.
Hurricanes seldom strike Puerto Vallarta. In 2002 Hurricane Kenna, a category 5 hurricane made land fall about NW of Puerto Vallarta, and the city suffered some damage from the resulting storm surge, In 1971 Hurricane Lily, a category 1 hurricane, caused serious flooding on the Isla Cuale, prompting the city to relocate all of its residents to the new Colonia Palo Seco.
Geographical characteristics
Puerto Vallarta lays on a narrow coastal plain at the foot of the Sierras Cuale and San Sebastian, parts of the Sierra Madre Occidental. The plain widens to the North, reaching its widest point along the Ameca River, Three rivers flow from the sierra through the area, from South to North, the Cuale, The Pitillal and the Ameca a Number of arroyos also run from the sierra to the coastal plain. Many of the valleys of these rivers and arroyos are inhabited; also development has to some extend spread up the hillsides from the coastal plain.
The city proper comprises four main areas: the Hotel zone along the shore to the north, Olas Altas Col Zapata to the south of the Cuale River (named zona romantica recently in some tourist brochures), the Centro along the shore in between these two areas, and a number of residential areas to the East of the hotel zone, The oldest section of the town is the area of col. Centro near the church of lady of Guadalupe especially Hidalgo Street.
Seismic History
Puerto Vallarta, like much of the west coast of North America, is prone to earthquakes, though Puerto Vallarta tends to experience only peripheral effects of earthquakes centered further south. In 1995an Earthquake located off the Colima coast shook the crown of from the top of the cathedral.
Economy.
Nearly 50% of the workforce is employed in tourist related industries: Hotels, Restaurants, Personal service and transportation. The municipality does however continue to have strong agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors.
Industries.
griculture is especially important in the Ameca Valley to the NE of the city center. Principal crops there include flour corn, dry beans, fresh Chile, watermelon, and tobacco Fruit growing operations are more dispersed, with banana farm in the Ameca valley, Mango orchards in the low hills, and avocado farms on some of the higher ground above the city.
There are also significant livestock operations located in the Ameca valley, and of course fishing in the bay of Banderas is also a significant industry.
Industrial production includes food and beverage production, furniture production, and construction supplies, Thirty years of consistence development have given Puerto Vallarta a very strong construction sector which employs nearly 10% of the Puerto Vallarta workforce.
The commercial sector comprises nearly 17% of the work force, including shipping, trucking, wholesale and retail operations (though the retail sector is provably understated because of the large underground economy in the sector).
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