Silvaplana is a village in the Upper Engadin at 1,815 metres, beside a lake high in the Alps. Its wind is the Maloja: a thermal wind that blows from the south-west on sunny days, normally with no wind in the morning and the breeze arriving around noon. Windsurf Magazine gives its season as June to September.
Engadin tourism calls it constant and reliable, and Swiss Kitesurf says the lake generally has wind on five days in seven.
Of the months it publishes, August is the pick, when about two days in five clear 12 knots for three daylight hours, and September and October are close behind at more than a third.
18% of days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.
In January the wind most often sits under 4 kt (43% of daylight hours). No daylight hour is over 12 kt on at least half the days. The best hour is 2pm, on 16% of days. See both charts in the full report
January on the record
The month's own figures, not the year's average.
Rideable days6 of 31Ten Januaries in the record
Strongest measured gust56 ktJanuary 2015, MeteoSwiss Segl-Maria station, 3.8 km away. Twelve Januaries measured, 2015 to 2026. Station, not the beach.
Wind, rideable hours15 ktMean over daylight hours at 12 kt+
Air-3.9°CMaximum
Take it with you
The full Silvaplana report
Seven sections over six pages, built from the same record as this page. A PDF you can read on the plane.
01Hour-by-hour & month-by-month wind02The month's own records03Full stays, schools & kit04The zone plan and the licence05Cold water, rescue & the thermal06Getting there, packing & best months07Sources, and their limits
WindChaser spot reportSilvaplanaGraubünden, Switzerland · January18% of days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.
When it gets busy
Crowds
Jul · High
Busiest from June to August, the Maloja season and the summer holidays. September keeps the wind with fewer people. Compiled research, not a count.
On the water
What January usually does
January sits outside the best months here. 18% of days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.
Your playground
Launches & safety
Conditions change. Check local rules and conditions before you ride.
Launch
Hazard
Parking
School
Stay
Webcam
Approximate
Local intel
Getting there & on the ground
Nearest airportZurich (ZRH)Zurich, Milan and Innsbruck are the nearest international airports. Zurich to the Engadin is about 200 km, 3 hours by road.
On the groundAugust to OctoberThe windiest months the record publishes. Windsurf Magazine gives the Maloja season as June to September; May to July show no figure.
Getting aroundTrain, bus or carThe Rhaetian Railway runs to St. Moritz; Engadin Bus serves the valley. By road over the Julier or Maloja Pass.
