Santa Maria in Valle Vigezzo
📍 Piedmont , Provincia Verbano-Cusio-Ossola · Nearest city: Toceno (2 km)
74 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 1772 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
46.16270, 8.47543Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-04-21 01:12 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Very favorable day for XC, cloud base ~725 m, wind 8 km/h.
base ~725m · wind 8 km/hFlyable day, decent conditions, cloud base ~337 m, wind 6 km/h.
base ~337m · wind 6 km/hVery favorable day for XC, cloud base ~1790 m, wind 4 km/h.
base ~1790m · wind 4 km/hComposite flyability score (CAPE + LI + wind + precip + low clouds). Cross-check with local pilots before flying.
Wind chart — altitude × time
Color: green < 20 km/h · yellow 20-30 · red >40. Arrows point to where the wind is blowing. Each column = 1 hour. 4 altitudes: 10m surface, 80m first thermal, 1500m (850 hPa) thermal cruise, 3000m (700 hPa) top.
Wind next days (Open-Meteo model)
Wind rose 10m — 2026-04-21
| Date | Morning 08-12h | Midday 12-16h | Evening 16-20h | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-21 | 3 km/h S | gust 11 | 8 km/h S | gust 26 | 5 km/h E | gust 26 |
| 2026-04-22 | 6 km/h SW | gust 16 | 5 km/h S | gust 13 | 5 km/h S | gust 18 |
| 2026-04-23 | 4 km/h NW | gust 19 | 2 km/h S | gust 22 | 2 km/h NE | gust 19 |
Colors: green < 15 km/h (optimal) · orange 15-25 · red >25 (flying not recommended). ⚠️ = shear >25 km/h between 10m and 850 hPa (potentially broken thermals).
Takeoff orientations
Green = good orientation · Yellow = possible · Gray = not suitable
Why this site has thermal potential
| Factor | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot density (5 km) | 11 | High |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.89 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.78 | Slope faces south in northern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Upcoming competitions in this country
- PWCA Italy Gemona 2026 · 2026-07-25 – 2026-08-01 · PWCA
Copa del Mundo en Gemona del Friuli, Italia
Takeoff description
HG: - at the gondola station (2 winsocks) PG: 1) Cima 2: 15-20mins walk along the ridge to the west on the highest point. With binoculars, the windsock can be seen from the valley; 2) Pizzo Trubbio: access by foot (1hr) or by gondola (in winter or when arranged).
Pilot comments
Specific local feature: the valley breeze West from Santa Maria Maggiore and East mostly blows in two completely different directions. The confluence occurs normally slightly east from the town. You can use it to cross the valley towards south without loosing altitude, even with gaining it.
Nearby sites
Alpe Pala (58) · Alpe Lusentino / Moncucco (40) · Mottarone (53) · Alpe Quaggione (66) · Laveno - Sasso del Ferro (56) · Laveno - Mte.Nudo - Mombello (72)