Boating Chicago

Southern Lake Michigan · New Buffalo Harbor

Chicago Boating Weather & Lake Michigan Conditions

Official NOAA/NWS area forecasts and alerts for recreational boaters — plus a plain-language conditions summary. These are area products, not exact harbor- or ramp-mouth observations. Always verify marine products on weather.gov before you cast off. Currently showing the nearest official area forecast for New Buffalo Harbor.

Chicago Boating News →MarinasBoat launchesDestinationsGuidesEvents

Choose a boating area

Chicago LakefrontWaukegan HarborWinthrop Harbor / North Point MarinaGeneva Lake (Lake Geneva, WI)Chain O' LakesKenosha HarborRacine HarborMilwaukee LakefrontMichigan City HarborNew Buffalo Harbor

Forecasts come from the nearest National Weather Service grid and station for each area.

Boating conditions summary

Poor

Poor — Wave height about 4.3 ft.

  • Wave height about 4.3 ft

Boating conditions can change quickly. This rating is informational only and is not a substitute for official NOAA/NWS marine forecasts, local regulations, or the judgment of a qualified captain.

How to read waves, advisories, and nearshore forecasts

  • Waves and wind on this page are area NOAA/NWS products for the selected forecast point — not a sensor at your exact ramp, harbor mouth, or breakwater.
  • Marine alerts (for example Small Craft Advisories) apply to the NWS marine zones covering this area. Read the full alert text and end time on weather.gov before you cast off.
  • Nearshore marine forecast excerpts are coastal waters guidance. Conditions inside protected basins can differ from open nearshore bands; always compare the latest full product.
  • The Good / Caution / Poor card is an informational summary only — not a go/no-go clearance for any vessel or trip.

Explore while you check conditions

Use these resources alongside the official forecast above. They are planning links — not recommendations based on today's rating.

Boating newsMarinasBoat launchesDestinations
Boating guides →Events →Lake Michigan →

Sunrise

6:24:25 AM

Sunset

4:36:42 PM

Current conditions

Observed near New Buffalo Harbor for recreational boaters. On-water conditions can differ from land station readings — always cross-check the nearshore marine forecast before you leave the harbor.

Michigan City Municipal Airport (KMGC) · Observed 11/5/2026, 6:35:00 PM

Air temp

50°F

Feels like

50°F

Conditions

Fog/Mist

Wind

5 mph

Wind direction

SW

Gusts

Not currently available from source

Humidity

87%

Visibility

5 mi

Lake conditions · New Buffalo Harbor

Wave and water readings come from NOAA buoy data when the station reports them. Missing values mean the buoy did not report that field — we never invent lake numbers.

Water temperature

Not currently available from source

Wave height

~4.3 ft

Buoy

45174

NOAA buoy 45174 sits off Chicago — treat these readings as a southern Lake Michigan reference, not a local New Buffalo Harbor observation.

Active NOAA/NWS alerts

No active alerts returned for New Buffalo Harbor from the NOAA/NWS feed right now. Re-check weather.gov before you go — products can change quickly.

Next 24 hours

NWS hourly grid forecast for New Buffalo Harbor. Watch wind shifts and thunderstorm chances before afternoon lake trips.

7 AM

51°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 17%

8 AM

51°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 19%

9 AM

52°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 20%

10 AM

53°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 21%

11 AM

54°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 22%

12 PM

54°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 23%

1 PM

53°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 27%

2 PM

54°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 31%

3 PM

53°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 35%

4 PM

53°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 50%

5 PM

53°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 10 mph · 65%

6 PM

51°

Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 80%

7 PM

50°

Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 75%

8 PM

49°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 15 mph · 70%

9 PM

49°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 15 mph · 65%

10 PM

48°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 15 mph · 62%

11 PM

48°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 15 mph · 60%

12 AM

47°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 15 mph · 57%

1 AM

47°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 47%

2 AM

46°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 36%

3 AM

46°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 15 mph · 65%

4 AM

44°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 15 mph · 64%

5 AM

44°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 15 mph · 64%

6 AM

44°

Rain Showers Likely

Wind 15 mph · 63%

7-day outlook

Today

55°F

Chance Rain Showers

A chance of rain showers. Cloudy, with a high near 55. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Wind SW 10 to 15 mph · Precip 50%

Tonight

42°F

Rain Showers

Rain showers. Cloudy, with a low around 42. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Wind NW 10 to 15 mph · Precip 80%

Friday

51°F

Rain Showers

Rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. Northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Wind NW 15 to 20 mph · Precip 77%

Friday Night

40°F

Chance Rain Showers

A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Northwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wind NW 10 to 20 mph · Precip 49%

Saturday

50°F

Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny

A chance of rain showers before 7am. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wind NW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 31%

Saturday Night

38°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

Wind W 5 mph · Precip 1%

Sunday

55°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 55.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday Night

42°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 42.

Wind W 5 mph · Precip 0%

Monday

59°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 59.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Monday Night

47°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

Wind SW 10 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday

58°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 58.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday Night

45°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 45.

Wind NW 0 to 5 mph · Precip 1%

Veterans Day

56°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 4%

Wednesday Night

44°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 11%

What wind means for recreational boating

Downtown air temperature is not the same as Lake Michigan. Wind over open water builds chop faster than the same breeze feels on land, and thunderstorms can arrive with little room to run for a harbor.

As a conservative rule of thumb for small recreational boats: winds climbing through the teens often mean a tougher ride; mid-20s and higher — especially with gusts or a small craft advisory — are a strong reason to stay docked unless you and your vessel are truly prepared.

This site's Good / Caution / Poor summary is informational only. Official NOAA/NWS marine forecasts and a qualified captain's judgment always come first.

Chicago Boating Brief

A quick read of conditions, official alerts, and recent source-cited updates for Lake Michigan boaters.

Boating conditions summary

Poor

Poor — Wave height about 4.3 ft.

  • Wave height about 4.3 ft

Boating conditions can change quickly. This rating is informational only and is not a substitute for official NOAA/NWS marine forecasts, local regulations, or the judgment of a qualified captain.

Official alert spotlight

No active alerts returned for configured nearshore zones right now — re-check before you go.

Seasonal tip

Afternoon lake breezes can differ sharply from Loop conditions. Check the nearshore marine forecast before you leave the harbor.

Full weather →All news →

Recent updates

Data sources

Last fetched 11/5/2026, 8:20:26 PM (approx. 15-minute cache). Observation timestamps older than 3 hours are treated as stale and shown as caution — never as a fresh “Good” day.