Lake Garda » Information » Weather at Lake Garda

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and due to its extraordinary location it has a special weather. The northern part is surrounded by up to 2.000 meters high mountains and the southern part is already in the Po valley. This location makes for the Mediterranean climate.

Lake Garda works like a heat reservoir. This causes mild and dry winters without or with very little snow. Temperature of about 30°C in May are not an exception and are the beginning of a long season with hot summer days and lukewarm nights.

The northern lakeside gets hit by intense thunderstorm with heavy rain. This is a result of the coincidence of masses of warm air and masses of cold air and wet rising air currents from Lake Garda. The southern part of Lake Garda is much dryer, sunnier and much warmer.

The weather at Lake Garda is also characterized by numerous wind systems. Most of the winds are regionally limited. Two amongst surfers well-known winds are the Ora and Vento, also called Pelér, Suer or north wind. The wind Ora arises when the rocks in the northern part of Lake Garda heat up and the hot air masses rise. This south wind is fortified by the mountains and reaches wind forces up to 5 or 6. But in southern direction it dies down. After relatively windless periods in the evening the downslope wind Vento springs up at about midnight. He reaches his maximum at sunrise and offers perfect surfing conditions for early bird surfers.

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