Vilnius - LT/LV border: which way and when to ride
The best month for Vilnius - LT/LV border is September: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Vilnius → near Daugavpils meant an average tailwind of 2.6 km/h (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0% | 22% | 50 | -2 °C | 0% | 100% | 7.7 † |
| February | 0% | 19% | 37 | -1 °C | 0% | 100% | 9.6 † |
| March | 14% | 20% | 37 | 5 °C | 0% | 85% | 11.7 |
| April | 53% | 22% | 44 | 12 °C | 0% | 39% | 14.1 |
| May | 67% | 30% | 67 | 17 °C | 0% | 6% | 16.1 |
| June | 70% | 28% | 70 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 17.4 |
| July | 64% | 33% | 98 | 23 °C | 4% | 0% | 16.9 |
| August | 69% | 28% | 84 | 22 °C | 4% | 0% | 15.0 |
| September | 77% | 20% | 49 | 17 °C | 0% | 4% | 12.6 |
| October | 41% | 23% | 61 | 10 °C | 0% | 50% | 10.3 † |
| November | 5% | 20% | 51 | 4 °C | 0% | 94% | 8.2 † |
| December | 0% | 19% | 48 | 1 °C | 0% | 100% | 7.2 † |
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 Vilnius → near Daugavpils, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Vilnius → near Daugavpils | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Daugavpils → Vilnius | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +4.6 | 4% | 18% | Vilnius → near Daugavpils |
| February | +3.8 | 3% | 16% | Vilnius → near Daugavpils |
| March | +2.8 | 6% | 13% | Vilnius → near Daugavpils |
| April | +1.5 | 7% | 12% | either |
| May | +0.1 | 7% | 7% | either |
| June | +1.7 | 4% | 9% | either |
| July | +1.9 | 3% | 7% | either |
| August | +2.8 | 2% | 9% | Vilnius → near Daugavpils |
| September | +2.6 | 4% | 12% | Vilnius → near Daugavpils |
| October | +4.8 | 4% | 18% | Vilnius → near Daugavpils |
| November | +5.7 | 2% | 17% | Vilnius → near Daugavpils |
| December | +6.0 | 3% | 19% | Vilnius → near Daugavpils |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | NE | +2.9 |
| 25–51 | NW | +0.5 |
| 51–76 | NE | +3.0 |
| 76–101 | NE | +3.3 |
| 101–127 | NE | +3.2 |
| 127–153 | E | +2.2 |
| 153–178 | NE | +3.2 |
| 178–203 | N | +2.2 |
| 203–221 | NE | +3.2 |
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.