Rain in Venice

If I understand correctly, the high water in Venice has to do with tides, not rain. And, you can buy cheap rain boots if it does happen.

You''re going to be there a week from now. Venice is seeing 60 to 65 degree days and nights around 50 degrees.

They're expecting rain Monday and Wednesday and again on next Friday and Saturday.

But you know how reliable weather forecasts are any longer than 3 days from now--they're not.

I once went to Venice the end of January, and we about froze our tails off. And the water was lapping up on St. Marks Square to where they had wooden sidewalks everywhere.

Inbsig is right, it's a tide and tides depend on moon not on rain.

Venice' tides are at their peak in autumn when the moon is full and the strong winds from the sea have been blowing north for some time.

Rain doesn't help, but it's not enough to raise the level of the Adriatic sea.

Dont worry the locals walk around in knee high rubber boots, but they put out elevated ramps for the tourists to walk on. Tons of them all over Venice, its fun to be in Venice when the town is flooded. J

I was in Venice in September and the high water is tracked and planned for with wooden walkways in the square and even getting into St Marks. By the time we left the cathedral we walked out on ground level that was under water when we went in and the walkways were set aside.

Only the lower areas of the city are really affected by the water and all locals track the high water times and can tell you when it is and where you won't be affected. If you get stormy weather the Grand Canal can get choppier and it may sway your decision to take a tronchetto or a gondola but I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Across Northern Italy we were threatened by forecasts of torrential rain and it rained a little bit off and on for a couple of different days. When we asked the locals about the forecasts they kind of shrugged and said not to pay too much attention to them.

Have a great time, Venice is amazing,
=Tod

Full moon is Nov. 24. Acqua alta is most likely at new and full moon phases. You can check the tide tables for Nov 23-25. If there are average or lower than average tides, the likelihood is low. Unless there are extreme conditions, flooding only lasts for a few hours at high tide times. I was in Venice once during acqua alta; my B&B had wellies and umbrellas near the door for guests. It didn't interrere very much with my visit and I was pleased to be there and witness it in person. They say the Mose seawall is pretty effective at preventing acqua alta. Google 'acqua alta venice forecast" for more info.

There are several factors, several of which must concur simultaneously in order for Acqua Alta to occur. High tide alone is not enough, otherwise they would have flooding every 12 hours.
These factors are:
1. High tide
2. Strong Scirocco wind (Scirocco is the wind that blows from the south East to the North West) which pushes the Adriatic waters toward Venice causing a sea surge.
3. Extensive rainy periods which causes the rivers flowing into the lagoon to pour larger amounts of water
4. Low barometric pressure in the atmosphere, which permits the sea surge. When there is high barometric pressure in the atmosphere that works like a lid on the sea water. On the contrary with low pressure sea waters swell. You can see the same phenomena in Florida when there are hurricanes (therefore extreme low pressure).

Early November is indeed a period when several of these factors may occur.

The situation has been getting worse in this past century, not so much because of rising Ocean levels due to global warming (which contributes only for a couple of millimeters a year) but because of land subsidence (lowering of the continental platform) due to natural causes (weight of sediments in the lagoon which is millions of years old) and anthropogenic induced by groundwater withdrawal from the aquifers. But there is hope. There is the technology today to cause the continental platform to rise up again through the injection of massive amounts of water into the underground aquifers under the lagoon.

Our PBS station in late September aired NOVA “Saving Venice”

thanks all, super helpful...I saw the PBS show. Cannot wait for Venice. We arrive the 22nd in time for the full moon...

We saw an updated forecast indicating "distruptions" due to high wind and flooding. Will trains run ok and more so, vaporettos? Our arrival coincides with the peak of the storm. We are arriving on a train from Bologna and can modify if we must. TY

We arrived by train from Florence to Venice on a day when disruption from heavy rain was predicted in late July of 2019. Train travel wasn’t affected at all. Fortunately we were able to walk to our accommodations in the Cannaregio district without any big problems. St Mark Square did flood that evening and the elevated walks weren’t out. Water was up more than 1’ especially in the lowest/heaviest place in front of the Basilica. The granddaughters gondola rowing lesion was cancelled that afternoon but everything was back to normal when the major storm passed.

"Disruptions" is just the Italian way of saying there will be a storm. It's pretty routine.

I arrived in Venice during an Acqua Alta. It was announced on the train just before we pulled into the station. There were hawkers with plastic "booties" and if it had been raining they'd have sold umbrellas and cheap rain ponchos too. The train station is relatively high ground and was dry. Vaporettos were running as usual. When I got to my stop in the Dorsoduro (one of the lowest areas of the city), the wooden walkways allowed me to get to pavement I could roll my suitcase on. I got as far as the campo some 200 m. from my hotel. The rest of the street was under water - just enough to make it impassable with the bag. I sat in a cafe for an hour or so and waited for the water to recede, then made my way to my room. There was one more Acqua Alta, very late at night.

We arrived to drenching rain and wind. The Mose is working well as there are no floods or high water but so many puddles. The wind is relentless. We made it to The Bienalle for a half day. More tomorrow. Found a great lunch spot en route. Will do a proper trip report soon. I have never been so cold and wet, being exposed to the elements but it is wonderful.

Article on the MOSE system saving Venice 11/22. https://lavocedinewyork.com/en/news/2022/11/22/mose-barriers-save-venice-from-record-acqua-alta/
On 11/23 I'm reading the aqua alta reached a depth of 93 cm. - 3 feet - on the Piazza San Marco.

@Caribchakita would love a trip report upon your return home.

@rena just posted one under trip reports.