Sea · Massachusetts · United States
Nobska Lighthouse
Best for kiting from May to October, with 52 to 60 % kite days. Water 13 to 23 °C. Also windy, but cold (water and air under 12 °C or short days): November to April.
A kite day has at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 knots (gusts up to 45) between 10:00 and 19:00, in daylight. Percentages are the share of such days in each month, counted over 9 years.
- Prime 60 % and more
- Good 40 to 59 %
- Possible 20 to 39 %
- Off under 20 %
- No data hatched
- Ringed: this month
Prime also needs a good month in at least 7 of the 9 years, so one freak year cannot make a month Prime. A month with 60 %+ but fewer good years shows as Good.
Confidence highHourly model data, 2017 to 2025, checked against the season shape of a nearby weather station, a regional model or a documented season. Shares its model grid cell with 1 nearby spot, so the numbers describe the area, not one beach.
Month by month
- Kite days
- 60 % Primeabout 18 of 31 days
- Too light, kiteable, too strong
- Too light 40 %
- Kiteable 60 %
- Too strong 0 %
- Good years
- 9 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
- 10 day trip
- 8 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 6.0 expected
- Best hours
- 10:00 to 17:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
- Daylight
- 11.1 h
- Water
- 17 °C, 5/4
- Air
- 17 °Cdaily maximum, 16 °C during kite hours
- Rain
- 11 of 31with 1 mm or more
- In one sentence
In October, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (60 %). Water 17 °C, 5/4. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
| Kite days% of days | 60 | 59 | 72 | 70 | 60 | 59 | 53 | 52 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 55 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdictshare plus good years | cold | cold | cold | cold | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | cold | cold |
| 10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite days | 8 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 6 in 10 | 8 in 10 | 9 in 10 | 7 in 10 |
| Good yearsof 9, reached 50 % | 8 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 8 of 9 | 7 of 9 | 5 of 9 | 5 of 9 | 6 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 6 of 9 |
| Best hourshour of day, most often 12 to 35 kn | 10 to 16 | 10 to 16 | 10 to 18 | 13 to 18 | 12 to 19 | 14 to 19 | 14 to 19 | 14 to 18 | 12 to 18 | 10 to 17 | 10 to 15 | 10 to 15 |
| Daylighth | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.9 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.5 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.2 |
| Water°C at the surface | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 12 | 6 |
| Air°C, daily maximum | 4 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 7 |
| Rain days1 mm or more | 12 of 31 | 11 of 28 | 10 of 31 | 12 of 30 | 12 of 31 | 10 of 30 | 9 of 31 | 10 of 31 | 10 of 30 | 11 of 31 | 9 of 30 | 11 of 31 |
| Wetsuitfor that water and the air on kite days, + boots and gloves | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 6/5+ | 5/4 | 3/2 | spring | spring | 3/2 | 5/4 | 6/5+ | 6/5+ |
- In January, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (60 %). Water 4 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in January got at least 5 kite days.
- In February, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 16 kite days out of 28 (59 %). Water 3 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in February got at least 5 kite days.
- In March, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 22 kite days out of 31 (72 %). Water 5 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in March got at least 5 kite days.
- In April, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 21 kite days out of 30 (70 %). Water 8 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in April got at least 5 kite days.
- In May, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 19 kite days out of 31 (60 %). Water 13 °C, 5/4. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in May got at least 5 kite days.
- In June, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 18 kite days out of 30 (59 %). Water 18 °C, 3/2. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in June got at least 5 kite days.
- In July, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (53 %). Water 23 °C, spring suit. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in July got at least 5 kite days.
- In August, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 16 kite days out of 31 (52 %). Water 22 °C, spring suit. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in August got at least 5 kite days.
- In September, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 16 kite days out of 30 (53 %). Water 20 °C, 3/2. 6 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in September got at least 5 kite days.
- In October, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 18 kite days out of 31 (60 %). Water 17 °C, 5/4. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days.
- In November, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 19 kite days out of 30 (63 %). Water 12 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 9 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in November got at least 5 kite days.
- In December, Nobska Lighthouse averaged 17 kite days out of 31 (55 %). Water 6 °C, 6/5 with boots and gloves. 7 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in December got at least 5 kite days.
Good year: at least half the days of that month were kite days. x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that month between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise. Best hours: the hours from 10:00 on when the wind most often reaches 12 to 35 knots. Rain day: 1 mm or more of rain.
Source: ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly model wind, 2017 to 2025; water temperature 2023 to 2025. How we count kite days and trip odds
Trip odds at Nobska Lighthouse
How often a trip of your length got at least half its days with kite wind, 2017 to 2025, capped at 9 in 10.
- January8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.9 expected
- February8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.1 expected
- March9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 7.1 expected
- April9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.8 expected
- May8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.9 expected
- June8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.7 expected
- July6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.3 expected
- August6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.1 expected
- September6 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.4 expected
- October (now)8 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.0 expected
- November9 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 6.3 expected
- December7 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 5.6 expected
x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that month between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise.
Trip odds by start week
Pick your start week and trip length. Each cell: of all trips of that length that started in that week between 2017 and 2025, how many in 10 got at least half their days with kite wind.
Trip odds by start week, 10 day trips, 2017 to 2025
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Colours as in the kite year: 6 in 10 and more like Prime · 4 to 5 in 10 like Good · 2 to 3 in 10 like Possible · under 2 in 10 like Off · No data hatched (fewer than 30 trips) · Ringed: this week · Raised: your start week
x in 10 reads: of all 10 day trips that started in that week between 2017 and 2025, x in 10 got at least 5 kite days. We cap the figure at 9 in 10 because wind is never a promise.
Source: hourly wind from the ECMWF IFS model via Open-Meteo, 2017 to 2025, kiteCOMPASS method v1. How we count
9 in 10
trips of 10 days starting in week 45 (e.g. 5 to 11 November) got at least 5 kite days in 2017 to 2025 (63 trips).
Zero wind trips: fewer than 1 in 20
about 6.4 kite days expected out of 10
Kite days per trip, 63 trips
Bars right of the line are good trips (5 kite days or more).
How the wind behaves
In March, the windiest month
- Too light 27 %
- Kiteable 72 %
- Too strong 1 %
Too light on 27 %, kiteable on 72 %, too strong on 1 % of days.
Best hours: 10:00 to 18:00, when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots.
Share of kite days by wind direction, 16 sectors
Wind direction varies, most often SW (225°).
Kitesurfing at Nobska Lighthouse: quick answers
When is the best time to kitesurf at Nobska Lighthouse?
The best months are May to October: from 2017 to 2025, 52 to 60 % of days in those months were kite days.
Is Nobska Lighthouse windy in October?
Yes, very. 60 % of days in October were kite days from 2017 to 2025, about 18 days in a typical October. 8 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days, 2017 to 2025.
What is the water temperature at Nobska Lighthouse?
The water ranges from 3 °C in February to 23 °C in July. In October it is about 17 °C (wetsuit: 5/4).
How many kite days does Nobska Lighthouse get in a year?
About 217 days a year were kite days from 2017 to 2025, out of 365. A kite day has at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn.
Live forecast
The numbers above are long term averages. The forecast shows the next days.
Live forecast from Windy
The forecast map for Nobska Lighthouse comes from windy.com (Windyty SE, Prague, Czech Republic) and opens right here on this page. Once you load it, your browser contacts Windy, which receives your IP address and may set its own cookies. Nothing is loaded before you click.
Spot facts
- Region
- Massachusetts
- Country
- United States
- Water body
- Sea, from Natural Earth map data
- Nearest airport
- New Bedford Regional Airport (EWB), 30 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
- Time zone
- UTC-04:00 in October
- Coordinates
- 41.5173, -70.6593
- Model
- ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly
Conditions, checked against kite guides
Water state, flat areas, waves and whether schools teach here, from kite sources, not from satellite images.
Not yet checked against kite guides. We research spot conditions one by one and show only what a kite source says.
Nearby kite spots in Massachusetts
Kite days in October, % of days
- Trunk River
United States · same kite days as Nobska Lighthouse in October
60 %Kite days by month at Trunk River: Jan 60 %, Feb 59 %, Mar 72 %, Apr 70 %, May 60 %, Jun 59 %, Jul 53 %, Aug 52 %, Sep 53 %, Oct 60 %, Nov 63 %, Dec 55 % - Old Silver
United States · 3 points fewer kite days than Nobska Lighthouse in October
57 %Kite days by month at Old Silver: Jan 56 %, Feb 55 %, Mar 70 %, Apr 66 %, May 56 %, Jun 55 %, Jul 52 %, Aug 48 %, Sep 48 %, Oct 57 %, Nov 56 %, Dec 48 % - Cape Pogue Bay
United States · 2 points fewer kite days than Nobska Lighthouse in October
58 %Kite days by month at Cape Pogue Bay: Jan 58 %, Feb 59 %, Mar 71 %, Apr 66 %, May 58 %, Jun 49 %, Jul 44 %, Aug 41 %, Sep 52 %, Oct 58 %, Nov 64 %, Dec 53 % - Craigville Beach
United States · 17 points fewer kite days than Nobska Lighthouse in October
43 %Kite days by month at Craigville Beach: Jan 46 %, Feb 45 %, Mar 59 %, Apr 53 %, May 41 %, Jun 33 %, Jul 30 %, Aug 31 %, Sep 36 %, Oct 43 %, Nov 47 %, Dec 42 % - Kalmus Beach
United States · 6 points fewer kite days than Nobska Lighthouse in October
54 %Kite days by month at Kalmus Beach: Jan 54 %, Feb 56 %, Mar 66 %, Apr 63 %, May 53 %, Jun 49 %, Jul 44 %, Aug 43 %, Sep 49 %, Oct 54 %, Nov 57 %, Dec 48 % - West Dennis Beach
United States · 1 point more kite days than Nobska Lighthouse in October
61 %Kite days by month at West Dennis Beach: Jan 62 %, Feb 66 %, Mar 70 %, Apr 69 %, May 63 %, Jun 56 %, Jul 52 %, Aug 50 %, Sep 54 %, Oct 61 %, Nov 63 %, Dec 55 % - Mayflower Beach
United States · 11 points fewer kite days than Nobska Lighthouse in October
49 %Kite days by month at Mayflower Beach: Jan 58 %, Feb 59 %, Mar 63 %, Apr 55 %, May 47 %, Jun 36 %, Jul 33 %, Aug 29 %, Sep 39 %, Oct 49 %, Nov 53 %, Dec 53 % - Nantucket Island
United States · 11 points more kite days than Nobska Lighthouse in October
71 %Kite days by month at Nantucket Island: Jan 71 %, Feb 74 %, Mar 77 %, Apr 74 %, May 69 %, Jun 59 %, Jul 52 %, Aug 51 %, Sep 58 %, Oct 71 %, Nov 74 %, Dec 70 %
Plan your trip
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kiteCOMPASS · method k3h-10to19-v1 · 2017 to 2025
Model wind: ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly, 2017 to 2025. Water temperature: 2023 to 2025. Kite day: at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn. Shares its model grid cell with 1 nearby spot, so the numbers describe the area, not one beach. Confidence: high.
Cite this
In October, 60 % of days at Nobska Lighthouse met the kiteCOMPASS kite day rule: at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 kn model wind between 10:00 and 19:00 in daylight, with gusts up to 45 kn (ECMWF IFS 9 km via Open-Meteo, hourly, 2017 to 2025). https://kitecompass.app/spot/nobska-lighthouse
Numbers on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: name kiteCOMPASS and link to this page.