Boating Chicago

Southern Lake Michigan · Racine 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 Racine Harbor.

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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.

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Sunrise

6:30:28 AM

Sunset

4:38:55 PM

Current conditions

Observed near Racine 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.

Racine, Batten International Airport (KRAC) · Observed 11/5/2026, 3:40:00 AM

Air temp

50°F

Feels like

50°F

Conditions

Cloudy

Wind

8 mph

Wind direction

W

Gusts

Not currently available from source

Humidity

87%

Visibility

10 mi

Lake conditions · Racine 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 Racine Harbor observation.

Active NOAA/NWS alerts

No active alerts returned for Racine 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 Racine Harbor. Watch wind shifts and thunderstorm chances before afternoon lake trips.

4 AM

48°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 30%

5 AM

47°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 30%

6 AM

47°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 30%

7 AM

48°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 30%

8 AM

49°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 30%

9 AM

51°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 30%

10 AM

52°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 30%

11 AM

53°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 30%

12 PM

53°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 30%

1 PM

53°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 30%

2 PM

53°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 32%

3 PM

52°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 5 mph · 60%

4 PM

51°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 10 mph · 61%

5 PM

50°

Scattered Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 41%

6 PM

49°

Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 28%

7 PM

48°

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Wind 15 mph · 20%

8 PM

47°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 9%

9 PM

46°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 9%

10 PM

45°

Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 5%

11 PM

44°

Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 3%

12 AM

43°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 20 mph · 3%

1 AM

43°

Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 4%

2 AM

42°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 3%

3 AM

41°

Mostly Cloudy

Wind 15 mph · 2%

7-day outlook

Overnight

47°F

Scattered Rain Showers

Scattered rain showers. Cloudy, with a low around 47. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wind SW 10 mph · Precip 30%

Thursday

53°F

Chance Rain Showers

A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. West wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wind W 5 to 15 mph · Precip 61%

Thursday Night

39°F

Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy

A chance of rain showers before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wind N 15 to 20 mph · Precip 28%

Friday

49°F

Partly Sunny

Partly sunny, with a high near 49. North wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Wind N 15 to 20 mph · Precip 3%

Friday Night

35°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind NW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 1%

Saturday

51°F

Sunny

Sunny. High near 51, with temperatures falling to around 46 in the afternoon. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind NW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Saturday Night

37°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday

56°F

Sunny

Sunny. High near 56, with temperatures falling to around 50 in the afternoon. West wind around 10 mph.

Wind W 10 mph · Precip 0%

Sunday Night

38°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

Wind W 5 mph · Precip 0%

Monday

60°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 60.

Wind SW 5 to 15 mph · Precip 0%

Monday Night

42°F

Mostly Clear

Mostly clear, with a low around 42.

Wind W 10 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday

58°F

Sunny

Sunny, with a high near 58.

Wind W 5 to 10 mph · Precip 0%

Tuesday Night

41°F

Partly Cloudy

Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Wind NW 5 mph · Precip 1%

Veterans Day

55°F

Mostly Sunny

Mostly sunny. High near 55, with temperatures falling to around 50 in the afternoon.

Wind NW 5 to 10 mph · Precip 6%

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.

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Recent updates

Data sources

Last fetched 11/5/2026, 8:20:36 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.