Lago di Pilato weather (high altitude)
Lago di Pilato weather should be read as high-mountain weather. Lago di Pilato (Lake Pilato) lies at an elevation of 1,941 m, in a narrow glacial valley below Monte Vettore, in the municipality of Montemonaco (Ascoli Piceno), less than a kilometer from the border with Umbria. The weather also decides how the lake looks. The basin fills with melting snow and rain. When there is plenty of water, the two pools join to form the "lago con gli occhiali" (the lake with glasses).
Snow and summer heat are also decisive for the chirocefalo del Marchesoni (Marchesoni's fairy shrimp). It is a small red crustacean, adapted to low temperatures, that lives only in these waters.
Today in Lago di Pilato weather (high altitude): cloudy, high 9 °C and low 5 °C, wind up to 18 km/h.
Updated: November 11, 2026 at 12:21 PM
The coming days
| Day | Sky | High / low | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today 11 Nov | Cloudy | 9° / 5° | 0.0 mm | 18 km/h SW |
| Thursday 12 Nov | Light rain | 10° / 5° | 5.8 mm | 24 km/h SW |
| Friday 13 Nov | Heavy rain | 7° / 3° | 25.4 mm | 27 km/h SW |
| Saturday 14 Nov | Sleet | 3° / 0° | 5.6 mm | 7 km/h SW |
| Sunday 15 Nov | Rain | 6° / 2° | 5.4 mm | 9 km/h SW |
| Monday 16 Nov | Showers | 6° / 2° | 20.6 mm | 19 km/h SW |
| Tuesday 17 Nov | Partly cloudy | 7° / 1° | 1.2 mm | 17 km/h SW |
| Wednesday 18 Nov | Partly cloudy | 5° / 2° | 15.0 mm | 18 km/h SW |
| Thursday 19 Nov | Rain | 6° / 1° | 8.6 mm | 25 km/h SW |
| Friday 20 Nov | Partly cloudy | 5° / 0° | 1.0 mm | 27 km/h SW |
Forecast by MET Norway, updated automatically · license CC BY 4.0
Sunrise and sunset
- Sunrise
- 06:53
- Sunset
- 16:48
Calculated for this page's coordinates, Italian time.
The next 24 hours
- 139°0.0 mm16 SW
- 149°0.0 mm17 SW
- 159°0.0 mm18 SW
- 168°0.0 mm17 SW
- 177°0.0 mm14 SW
- 186°0.0 mm13 SW
- 196°0.0 mm14 SW
- 205°0.0 mm14 SW
- 215°0.0 mm14 SW
- 225°0.0 mm14 SW
- 235°0.0 mm15 SW
- 005°0.0 mm15 SW
- 015°0.0 mm15 SW
- 025°0.0 mm15 SW
- 036°0.0 mm15 SW
- 045°0.0 mm12 SW
- 055°0.0 mm12 SW
- 065°0.5 mm11 SW
- 075°0.2 mm9 SW
- 085°0.0 mm11 SW
- 097°0.0 mm12 SW
- 108°0.1 mm12 SW
- 1110°0.2 mm13 SW
- 1210°0.2 mm16 SW
Lago di Pilato weather (high altitude): forecast for the coming days
The forecast for Lago di Pilato concerns a high-altitude basin, not the villages where hikes start. The lake can be reached only on foot: from Foce di Montemonaco, from Forca di Presta (Arquata del Tronto) or from the Castelluccio side by way of Forca Viola. For this reason it is worth comparing conditions at altitude with the weather in Foce di Montemonaco, in Arquata del Tronto and in Castelluccio di Norcia.
The items to watch most carefully are wind, recent snow and frost. On January 27, 2026 the strong wind forecast for midday picked up right on time around 11:00 and lifted columns of snow from the ridges. In spring, at around 2,000 m, the ground can stay frozen in the early morning hours.
Lago di Pilato weather (high altitude): the climate month by month
The year at Lago di Pilato follows the snow cycle. Snow covers the lake for much of the year, until early summer. The thaw usually comes between May and June and reveals two small separate lakes. The lake is at its largest between June and July, while some snowfields in the area last until August.
In midsummer the level drops, and in recent years the lake has dried up several times. The University of Perugia has been tracking climate data since 1952 and records less abundant winter snowfall and hotter summers. Since the 2016 earthquake, moreover, the lake's water seeps into the ground more quickly. 2026 was an exception: thanks to snowfall in May, the lake still had water in September.
In summer, once the trail leaves the woods, it is exposed to the sun. A hat, sunscreen and a good supply of water are needed.
Lago di Pilato weather (high altitude): snow and conditions
In winter the Lago di Pilato valley is suitable only for experienced hikers with winter gear. In April 2025 two avalanches trapped eight people at the Rifugio Zilioli, a mountain hut on Monte Vettore; the avalanche danger was "considerable", level 3 on a scale of 5. The Meteomont service of the Carabinieri forestali (forestry police) advises reading the bulletin every day and carrying an avalanche transceiver (ARTVA), shovel and probe. The Sibillini avalanche bulletin should be checked before every outing on snow.
Snow can cover the trails until late June. In May 2025, descending toward the lake from the north side of the Zilioli, there was bare ice, to be tackled with ice axe and crampons.
In every season, keep away from the shores. If the lake has dried up, do not walk on the bed, where the fairy shrimp eggs lie. Since the 2016 earthquake some trails in the area have been subject to ordinances and closures that change over time: check them with the Park, the CAI (Italian Alpine Club) and the Municipality of Montemonaco before setting out. An overview of the Sibillini Mountains area is on the Sibillini Mountains Weather page.