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12 kn+. A kite day has at least 3 hours of 12 to 35 knots between 10:00 and 19:00. How we count.

Sea · County Donegal · Ireland

Rossnowlagh

Kite days peak in October at 34 %. Also windy, but cold (water and air under 12 °C or short days): February.

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.

  1. J28
  2. F50
  3. M37
  4. A28
  5. M18
  6. J25
  7. J15
  8. A29
  9. S28
  10. O34
  11. N24
  12. D32
Kite days by month at Rossnowlagh: Jan 28 %, Feb 50 %, Mar 37 %, Apr 28 %, May 18 %, Jun 25 %, Jul 15 %, Aug 29 %, Sep 28 %, Oct 34 %, Nov 24 %, Dec 32 %
  • 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.

See the best monthsLive forecastShow on map

Month by month

MonthKite days% of days, verdict10 day tripof 10 trips, 5+ kite daysWater°C, what to wear
  • Kite days
    34 % Possibleabout 11 of 31 days
    Too light, kiteable, too strong
    • Too light 65 %
    • Kiteable 34 %
    • Too strong 1 %
    Good years
    2017: 39 % kite days2018: 39 % kite days2019: 32 % kite days2020: 36 % kite days2021: 26 % kite days2022: 42 % kite days2023: 26 % kite days2024: 29 % kite days2025: 39 % kite days0 of 9 years reached 50 % kite days
    10 day trip
    2 in 10 trips got at least 5 kite days, about 3.1 expected
    Best hours
    12:00 to 16:00when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots
    Daylight
    10.6 h
    Water
    14 °C, 5/4
    Air
    13 °Cdaily maximum, 13 °C during kite hours
    Rain
    20 of 31with 1 mm or more
    In one sentence

    In October, Rossnowlagh averaged 11 kite days out of 31 (34 %). Water 14 °C, 5/4. 2 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October 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: ERA5 reanalysis 31 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 Rossnowlagh

How often a trip of your length got at least half its days with kite wind, 2017 to 2025, capped at 9 in 10.

  1. January3 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.2 expected
  2. February5 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 4.8 expected
  3. March3 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.8 expected
  4. April2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.5 expected
  5. May1 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 1.8 expected
  6. June2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.6 expected
  7. Julyunder 1 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 1.4 expected
  8. August3 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.0 expected
  9. September2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.1 expected
  10. October (now)2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.1 expected
  11. November1 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 2.5 expected
  12. December2 in 10 trips of 10 days got at least 5 kite days, about 3.3 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.

Open in the trip planner

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

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

Trip odds by start week in Rossnowlagh: W1 2 in 10, W2 2 in 10, W3 2 in 10, W4 4 in 10, W5 4 in 10, W6 5 in 10, W7 7 in 10, W8 5 in 10, W9 4 in 10, W10 5 in 10, W11 4 in 10, W12 2 in 10, W13 2 in 10, W14 3 in 10, W15 2 in 10, W16 1 in 10, W17 1 in 10, W18 under 1 in 10, W19 1 in 10, W20 1 in 10, W21 1 in 10, W22 1 in 10, W23 2 in 10, W24 1 in 10, W25 2 in 10, W26 3 in 10, W27 under 1 in 10, W28 under 1 in 10, W29 1 in 10, W30 under 1 in 10, W31 2 in 10, W32 2 in 10, W33 4 in 10, W34 2 in 10, W35 3 in 10, W36 3 in 10, W37 1 in 10, W38 2 in 10, W39 4 in 10, W40 5 in 10, W41 1 in 10, W42 2 in 10, W43 1 in 10, W44 1 in 10, W45 1 in 10, W46 2 in 10, W47 1 in 10, W48 1 in 10, W49 2 in 10, W50 3 in 10, W51 2 in 10, W52 3 in 10

1 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: 1 in 10

about 2.9 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 February, the windiest month

  • Too light 47 %
  • Kiteable 50 %
  • Too strong 3 %

Too light on 47 %, kiteable on 50 %, too strong on 3 % of days.

Best hours: 11:00 to 16:00, when the wind is most often 12 to 35 knots.

NESW

Share of kite days by wind direction, 16 sectors

Wind mostly from SW (225°), fairly steady direction.

Kitesurfing at Rossnowlagh: quick answers

When is the best time to kitesurf at Rossnowlagh?

No month reaches 50 % kite days. The windiest month is February, when 50 % of days were kite days from 2017 to 2025.

Is Rossnowlagh windy in October?

Sometimes. 34 % of days in October were kite days from 2017 to 2025, about 11 days in a typical October. 2 in 10 trips of 10 days starting in October got at least 5 kite days, 2017 to 2025.

What is the water temperature at Rossnowlagh?

The water ranges from 8 °C in February to 17 °C in July. In October it is about 14 °C (wetsuit: 5/4).

How many kite days does Rossnowlagh get in a year?

About 106 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 Rossnowlagh 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
County Donegal
Country
Ireland
Water body
Sea, from Natural Earth map data
Nearest airport
Donegal Airport (CFN), 55 km straight line. Flights are not sold here; this is for planning only.
Time zone
UTC+01:00 in October
Coordinates
54.5590, -8.2119
Model
ERA5 reanalysis 31 km via Open-Meteo, hourly
Satellite view of Rossnowlagh

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 County Donegal

Kite days in October, % of days

  1. Portnoo

    Ireland · 31 points more kite days than Rossnowlagh in October

    65 %
    January: 59 % kite days (Good)February: 78 % kite days (Prime)March: 59 % kite days (Good)April: 50 % kite days (Good)May: 38 % kite days (Possible)June: 47 % kite days (Good)July: 42 % kite days (Good)August: 53 % kite days (Good)September: 56 % kite days (Good)October: 65 % kite days (Prime)November: 62 % kite days (Prime)December: 59 % kite days (Good)
    Kite days by month at Portnoo: Jan 59 %, Feb 78 %, Mar 59 %, Apr 50 %, May 38 %, Jun 47 %, Jul 42 %, Aug 53 %, Sep 56 %, Oct 65 %, Nov 62 %, Dec 59 %
  2. Bloody Foreland

    Ireland · 43 points more kite days than Rossnowlagh in October

    77 %
    January: 73 % kite days (Prime)February: 85 % kite days (Prime)March: 67 % kite days (Prime)April: 59 % kite days (Good)May: 48 % kite days (Good)June: 59 % kite days (Good)July: 55 % kite days (Good)August: 61 % kite days (Prime)September: 66 % kite days (Prime)October: 77 % kite days (Prime)November: 70 % kite days (Prime)December: 69 % kite days (Prime)
    Kite days by month at Bloody Foreland: Jan 73 %, Feb 85 %, Mar 67 %, Apr 59 %, May 48 %, Jun 59 %, Jul 55 %, Aug 61 %, Sep 66 %, Oct 77 %, Nov 70 %, Dec 69 %
  3. Magheraroarty

    Ireland · 43 points more kite days than Rossnowlagh in October

    77 %
    January: 73 % kite days (Prime)February: 84 % kite days (Prime)March: 69 % kite days (Prime)April: 62 % kite days (Prime)May: 47 % kite days (Good)June: 59 % kite days (Good)July: 56 % kite days (Good)August: 62 % kite days (Prime)September: 67 % kite days (Prime)October: 77 % kite days (Prime)November: 72 % kite days (Prime)December: 68 % kite days (Prime)
    Kite days by month at Magheraroarty: Jan 73 %, Feb 84 %, Mar 69 %, Apr 62 %, May 47 %, Jun 59 %, Jul 56 %, Aug 62 %, Sep 67 %, Oct 77 %, Nov 72 %, Dec 68 %

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kiteCOMPASS · method k3h-10to19-v1 · 2017 to 2025

Model wind: ERA5 reanalysis 31 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, 34 % of days at Rossnowlagh 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 (ERA5 reanalysis 31 km via Open-Meteo, hourly, 2017 to 2025). https://kitecompass.app/spot/rossnowlagh

Numbers on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: name kiteCOMPASS and link to this page.