Questions about the wind at Lago di Santa Croce
Answers based on the meteokite station data (2024–2026), on the Lago Morto station and on the literature about valley winds. Updated: September 2026.
What time does the wind come in at Lago di Santa Croce?
On thermal days the south-westerly wind picks up between 11:00 and 14:00, peaks between 13:00 and 16:00 and dies down between 19:00 and 20:00. In the shore station data (2024–2026) the peak falls between 13:00 and 16:00 on 74 % of the usable days; in the morning, until 09:00–10:00, the lake is almost always calm. The Lago Morto station, in the Fadalto gorge, gives 30–90 minutes of warning: when it veers south there, the wind is about to come in.
Which direction does the wind blow from on the lake?
From the south-south-west: between 210° and 240°, with a mode at 220°. It is the flow that climbs the Val Lapisina and crosses the Fadalto saddle, so it reaches the lake from its southern end and fans out towards the north. North-easterly (Bora) or north-westerly winds are rare at the shore station.
How many knots does it blow at Lago di Santa Croce?
At the shore station a good thermal day measures 7–12 knots of hourly average with gusts of 12–20; the best days 15–20 knots average with gusts of 20–29 (6 April 2024, 2025 and 2026 were among the strongest of the three years). The hourly record is 26.9 knots, on 11 January 2025, during a synoptic event. On the water the perceived wind is stronger than the one measured on shore: a day with 7 knots average at the station is already a good day for kiting and racing.
When is the windy season at Santa Croce?
From February to August, with April and May the best months. Hours with an hourly average ≥ 8 knots in the 2024–2026 data: February 232, March 213, April 404, May 329, June 336, July 158, August 172, September 33, October 86, November 1. From September to January the usable days are few.
Why does the Lago di Santa Croce thermal form?
It is a daytime valley wind: the Veneto plain and the slopes warm up more than the air of the Alpago basin, which stays cool over the lake; a pressure difference builds along the Val Lapisina and the air climbs from the plain towards the lake through the Fadalto saddle, which channels and accelerates it (literature: Whiteman 2000; Zardi and Whiteman 2013). It needs sun on the plain and on the slopes.
What kills the thermal?
Widespread cloud from the morning on, rain, and an opposing northerly flow aloft that «plugs» the gorge. An overcast morning delays the onset by two or three hours: if the sky opens at midday, the wind comes in during the early afternoon. In midsummer, with muggy air, the thermal is often weaker.
What happens at night?
The cold air of the Alpago drains south through the saddle: at Lago Morto a north-easterly wind of 10–19 knots is measured between 03:00 and 09:00, while the lake is calm. It is the night-time twin of the daytime thermal and confirms that the Fadalto gorge works in both directions.
Are there other winds besides the thermal?
Yes: the Bora from the north-east in synoptic situations with high pressure to the north-east (classic indicator: pressure at Maribor lower than at Trieste by more than 4 hPa); synoptic north-westerly flows after fronts; and south-south-westerly flows aloft that enter the gorge at any hour, even at night or in the rain (5 October 2025: 19.7 knots average from 216° with 18 mm of rain).
How many windy days are there in a year?
In 2024–2026, 57 % of the days with data had at least two consecutive hours with an hourly average ≥ 8 knots at the station (368 days out of 646); between April and August 2025 it was 70 % (93 out of 133).
What kite or wing size do you need at Santa Croce?
Guidance for a 75–85 kg rider, based on the expected gust: below 13 knots a wing or a 12–15 m kite; 13–19 knots a 9–12 m kite; above 19 knots a 7–9 m kite. The schools on the lake (Scuola Kite VKC and others) remain the reference for beginners.
How reliable are the forecasts?
Meteo Santa Croce publishes its own verification: every night the forecasts are compared with the station, and the results (share of good days caught, false alarms, mean error) are on the Reliability page. Verification started on 4 September 2026; the numbers become meaningful over the weeks. Generic 13 km forecasts (GFS) do not resolve the thermal of a 7 km² basin; 1–2 km models (ICON-D2, AROME) see it in part.
Where are the stations and the webcams?
Lake station: a Davis Vantage Vue run by meteokitesantacroce.altervista.org, also relayed by vetercek.com; the Lago Morto station (vetercek.com), in the Fadalto gorge; webcams from meteokite and from Lega Navale Belluno. The links are on the Data and sources page.