Col de la Madeleine
📍 Rhone-Alpes , Departement de la Savoie · Nearest city: La Chambre (10 km)
61 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 2500 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
45.44410, 6.35990Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-04-19 16:06 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Día volable, condiciones decentes, base de cúmulos ~773 m, viento 14 km/h.
base ~773m · wind 14 km/hDía volable, condiciones decentes, base de cúmulos ~811 m, viento 12 km/h.
base ~811m · wind 12 km/hDía volable, condiciones decentes, base de cúmulos ~1375 m, viento 12 km/h.
base ~1375m · wind 12 km/hComposite flyability score (CAPE + LI + wind + precip + low clouds). Cross-check with local pilots before flying.
Detailed hourly weather
2026-04-20⚠️ Marginal · peak 55 at 12h
- Cloud suck alto (92/100) — base bajo freezing con CU
| 08 30 ☁️⚠️ | 09 30 ☁️⚠️ | 10 30 ☁️⚠️ | 11 30 ☁️⚠️ | 12 55 ☁️⚠️ | 13 50 ☁️⚠️ | 14 50 ☁️⚠️ | 15 45 ☁️⚠️ | 16 45 ☁️⚠️ | 17 40 ☁️⚠️ | 18 50 ☁️⚠️ | 19 55 ☁️⚠️ | 20 50 ☁️⚠️ |
Peak 12h: CAPE 0 J/kg · LI 3.8 · BL top 920 m · w* 0.0 m/s · cloud base 2825 m · 0°C at 2560 m · Pro score 73/100 · sun 41° over slope
2026-04-21❌ Not recommended · peak 60 at 17h
- Día muy estable (CAPE<50, LI>2) — sin térmicas
- Cloud suck alto (80/100) — base bajo freezing con CU
| 08 30 ☁️⚠️ | 09 30 ☁️⚠️ | 10 30 ☁️⚠️ | 11 30 ☁️⚠️ | 12 50 ☁️⚠️ | 13 35 ☁️⚠️ | 14 35 ☁️⚠️ | 15 35 ☁️⚠️ | 16 50 ☁️⚠️ | 17 60 ☁️⚠️ | 18 55 ☁️⚠️ | 19 55 ☁️⚠️ | 20 50 ☁️⚠️ |
Peak 17h: CAPE 10 J/kg · LI 3.0 · BL top 1410 m · w* 0.0 m/s · cloud base 3375 m · 0°C at 2550 m · Pro score 67/100 · sun 17° over slope
Hourly flyability (0–100). ⛈️ = storm risk · ☁️⚠️ = cloud suck · 🏔️ = active ridge lift. CAPE = convective energy, LI = stability, BL top = thermal ceiling, w* = estimated dry thermal velocity. Source: Open-Meteo (ECMWF/GFS/ICON blend model).
Estimated vertical profile (Sounding)
Reference time: 12:00 (peak of the day)
Surface T: 1.5°C · Td: -1.1°C
LCL (cloud base): 325 m
BL top: 920 m
0°C level: 2560 m
Approximate profile from surface variables + synoptic levels. Red lines = temperature, dashed blue = dew point. Orange bands = detected inversions.
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 — 2026-04-20
| Date | Morning 08-12h | Midday 12-16h | Evening 16-20h | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-20 | 8 km/h W | gust 23 | 13 km/h NW | gust 31 | 14 km/h NW | gust 35 |
| 2026-04-21 | 2 km/h NW | gust 23 | 8 km/h NW | gust 24 | 9 km/h NW | gust 26 |
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) | 8 | High |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.79 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.44 | Slope faces south in northern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Takeoff description
After Télésiege of Lauzière, at the top (2500m), you can take off from South East (morning), or North East (if valley wind).
Nearby sites
Montgellafrey (60) · L'ebaudiaz (49) · St jean de maurienne (10) · Chamoux (48) · Val Pelouse (56) · Allevard-les Plagnes (63)