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Bregenz - San Bernardino - Locarno

We make a journey from Lake Constance (Bodensee) over the San Bernardino pass to the Lago Maggiore. The places on this journey are Bregenz, Sargans, Chur, Thusis, Splügen, San Bernardino pass, Lostallo, Bellinzona and Locarno. The elevation profile of the journey is shown in Figure 1, in m asl (meters above sea level).

Bregenz-San Bernardino EN
Figure 1: Bregenz - San Bernardino - Locarno

Bregenz (427 m asl)

We start our little climate journey in Bregenz (Austria) at the Southeast rim of Lake Constance. Since we are in the temperate climate, the weather changes depending on seasons and current large-scale weather.
meteogram
meteogram:
Bregenz (47.51°N / 9.75°E)

Sargans (480 m asl)

The Swiss municipality Sargans is located approx. 60 km south of Bregenz and only slightly higher with 480 meters above sea level. Therefore, the actual weather conditions are here usually very similar to Bregenz.
meteogram
meteogram:
Sargans (47.05°N / 9.43°E)

Chur (593 m asl)

Chur is located approx. 25 km south of and 100 m higher than Sargans - the temperatures are therefore often slightly lower.
meteogram
meteogram:
Chur (46.86°N / 9.52°E)

Thusis (720 m asl)

Thusis is located further 130 meters above Chur and about 20 kilometers south. Here one can already see clearly the temperature difference to Bregenz - our starting point.
meteogram
meteogram:
Thusis (46.70°N / 9.43°E)

Splügen (1475 m asl)

Splügen is located only approx. 20 km south of Thusis, but the elevation is doubled now. Therefore, the temperatures decrease significantly.
meteogram
meteogram:
Splügen (46.55°N / 9.32°E)

San Bernardino (2065 m asl)

We have reached now San Bernardino pass, with 2'065 meters elevation the highest and also coldest point of our small climate journey. We travelled further 20 km from Splügen and are very clearly visible the drop of temperature is very clear. From Sargans  we travelled approx. 85 kilometers us, and tripled the altitude. Although the places are located not so far from each other and within the same climate zone,  the variations in temperature can be large (see mountain-valley).
meteogram
meteogram:
San Bernardino Passo (46.50°N / 9.17°E)

Lostallo (439 m asl)

Lostallo is located approximately 30 km south of the San Bernardino pass at an elevation of only 439 meters. If there are no singificant differences of Cloud cover or wind, the weather there is similar to Sargans  - since both places are at similar altitude and in the same climate zone.
meteogram
meteogram:
Lostallo (46.30°N / 9.18°E)

Bellinzona (226 m asl)

Bellinzona is located approximately 20 km southwest of Lostallo, at 226 meters above sea level. Thus, Bellinzona is so far the lowest place on our journey and has therefore the highest temperatures (except if there is a dense cloud cover or a cold downhill wind from the Gotthard mountains).
meteogram
meteogram:
Bellinzona (46.19°N / 9.03°E)

Locarno (195 m asl)

The popular resort Locarno is located besides the Lago Maggiore on 195 meters above sea level, 20 meters below Bellinzona. With the sunhine  exposure and no wind, as well as in yearly average temperature, it is the warmest place of our journey.
meteogram
meteogram:
Locarno (46.17°N / 8.80°E)