Ciclovia Svizzera mare (Locarno – Novara): which way and when to ride
The best month for Ciclovia Svizzera mare (Locarno – Novara) is September: 65% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.0 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Also passes through Switzerland
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8% | 19% | 80 | 4 °C | 0% | 92% | 9.0 † |
| February | 20% | 22% | 87 | 6 °C | 0% | 79% | 10.3 † |
| March | 39% | 27% | 129 | 9 °C | 0% | 55% | 11.8 |
| April | 53% | 35% | 168 | 13 °C | 0% | 28% | 13.5 |
| May | 50% | 48% | 222 | 17 °C | 0% | 9% | 14.9 |
| June | 47% | 48% | 213 | 22 °C | 4% | 0% | 15.7 |
| July | 48% | 43% | 190 | 24 °C | 9% | 0% | 15.4 |
| August | 55% | 38% | 212 | 23 °C | 7% | 0% | 14.1 |
| September | 65% | 35% | 187 | 19 °C | 0% | 2% | 12.5 |
| October | 62% | 30% | 216 | 14 °C | 0% | 18% | 10.8 † |
| November | 31% | 28% | 192 | 8 °C | 0% | 63% | 9.4 † |
| December | 9% | 20% | 91 | 4 °C | 0% | 90% | 8.7 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Locarno → Novara, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Locarno → Novara | Headwind > 15 km/h, Novara → Locarno | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +1.0 | 0% | 0% | either |
| February | +0.1 | 0% | 0% | either |
| March | −0.8 | 0% | 1% | either |
| April | −1.5 | 0% | 0% | either |
| May | −1.6 | 0% | 0% | either |
| June | −1.7 | 0% | 0% | either |
| July | −1.4 | 0% | 0% | either |
| August | −1.1 | 0% | 0% | either |
| September | −1.0 | 0% | 0% | either |
| October | −0.4 | 0% | 0% | either |
| November | +0.8 | 0% | 0% | either |
| December | +1.4 | 0% | 0% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | W | −0.1 |
| 25–50 | W | +0.3 |
| 50–75 | SE | −2.9 |
| 75–100 | S | −0.9 |
| 100–126 | SE | −1.6 |
| 126–151 | SE | −0.6 |
| 151–157 | SE | −0.8 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.