Santa Maria
📍 Grisons , Moesa District · Nearest city: Santa Maria in Calanca (1 km)
55 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 1210 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
46.26720, 9.13777Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-04-19 16:13 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Día muy favorable para XC, base de cúmulos ~1236 m, viento 12 km/h.
base ~1236m · wind 12 km/hDía muy favorable para XC, base de cúmulos ~1473 m, viento 10 km/h.
base ~1473m · wind 10 km/hDía muy favorable para XC, base de cúmulos ~1036 m, viento 11 km/h.
base ~1036m · wind 11 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 73 at 17h
- Cloud suck alto (62/100) — base bajo freezing con CU
⏰ Useful window: 16:00 – 18:00
| 08 30 | 09 50 ☁️⚠️ | 10 50 | 11 50 ☁️⚠️ | 12 55 ☁️⚠️ | 13 55 ☁️⚠️ | 14 55 ☁️⚠️ | 15 50 ☁️⚠️ | 16 63 ☁️⚠️ | 17 73 ☁️⚠️ | 18 73 ☁️⚠️ | 19 73 | 20 65 |
Peak 17h: CAPE 230 J/kg · LI -0.6 · BL top 960 m · w* 8.0 m/s · cloud base 2322 m · 0°C at 2630 m · Pro score 63/100 · sun 17° over slope
2026-04-21⚠️ Marginal · peak 73 at 19h
- Cloud suck alto (80/100) — base bajo freezing con CU
⏰ Useful window: 17:00 – 18:00
| 08 30 | 09 30 ☁️⚠️ | 10 50 ☁️⚠️ | 11 55 ☁️⚠️ | 12 55 ☁️⚠️ | 13 50 ☁️⚠️ | 14 58 ☁️⚠️ | 15 63 ☁️⚠️ | 16 63 ☁️⚠️ | 17 63 ☁️⚠️ | 18 63 ☁️⚠️ | 19 73 ☁️⚠️ | 20 65 |
Peak 19h: CAPE 100 J/kg · LI -1.1 · BL top 65 m · w* 0.0 m/s · cloud base 2260 m · 0°C at 2410 m · Pro score 57/100
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: 17:00 (peak of the day)
Surface T: 13.8°C · Td: 4.9°C
LCL (cloud base): 1112 m
BL top: 960 m
0°C level: 2630 m
Approximate profile from surface variables + synoptic levels. Red lines = temperature, dashed blue = dew point. Orange bands = detected inversions.
Takeoff orientations
Green = good orientation · Yellow = possible · Gray = not suitable
Why this site has thermal potential
| Factor | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot density (5 km) | 4 | Medium |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.74 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.61 | Slope faces south in northern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Upcoming competitions in this country
- PWCA Italy Gemona 2026 · 2026-07-25 – 2026-08-01 · PWCA
Copa del Mundo en Gemona del Friuli, Italia
Takeoff description
Please respect the grass limit. Please avoid driving up. Take the bus at the Stop Bivio Calanca to Santa Maria village, then hike up 20min.
Rules and notes
https://www.shv-fsvl.ch/fileadmin/files/redakteure/Allgemein/Sicherheit/SHVInfotafeln/Santa_Maria.pdf
Pilot comments
Santa Maria in Calanca, is a versatile site. In the late morning, you can thermal in front of the take off or you can try to fly direction Mesocco. In the evening, there is always sidewind at the take off, which make it a little bit tricky sometimes. For the best evening flights, head south and try to soar or thermal at the entry of the Calanca valley. If you reach 1600-1700m you can try to fly over Roveredo and continue thermalling over the Torre di Bogiàn site, then back again over Santa Maria. :)
Nearby sites
Piz di Renten (Cima Croce) (58) · Bogiàn (51) · Bochèta de Vegeina (54) · Piz de Molinera (56) · El Pizzèt (58) · Corno di Gesero (53)