Arctic Blast Set to Arrive on Thanksgiving; Dangerous Wind Chills, Lake Effect Snow, Severe Thunderstorms

A significant arctic outbreak will arrive in the northern Rockies and northern Plains on Thanksgiving into Friday and advance farther south and east through much of the Plains and Midwest this weekend. Dangerous wind chill temperatures are expected with a significant long duration lake effect snow event possible downwind of the Great Lakes. Severe thunderstorms may be possible in the Southeast. Read More >

Lake Erie

The reported Lake Erie water temperature is taken at the Buffalo Water Treatment Plant located on Lake Erie at the entrance to the Niagara River. The reading is taken at a depth of 30 feet. This data is unofficial.

Lake Ontario

The reported Lake Ontario water temperature is taken at the Monroe County Water Treatment Plant near Greece, N.Y. The temperatures is measured at the intake pipes about 1500 feet offshore at a approximate depth of 35 feet. The Lake Ontario temperature occasionally may not be representative of the surface temperature due to upwelling. This process, more common during the summer months, brings colder water from the deeper parts of the lake toward the surface near the temperature sensor. The surface water may be significantly warmer. This data is unofficial.

Latest Lake Temperatures

1106 AM EST Tue Nov 26 2024 The water temperature off Buffalo is 51 degrees.

1106 AM EST Tue Nov 26 2024

Monthly Lake Erie Temperatures
January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December

Historical Lake Erie Temperatures (Unofficial Normals and Extremes)

The daily lake temperatures for Lake Erie off Buffalo and for Lake Ontario off Rochester are included in the Nearshore Marine Forecast.

Click the link for previous versions of the Nearshore Marine Forecast.

NearShore Marine Forecast

948
FZUS51 KBUF 261606
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1106 AM EST Tue Nov 26 2024

For waters within five nautical miles of shore

Waves are the significant wave height - the average of the highest
1/3 of the wave spectrum. Occasional wave height is the average of
the highest 1/10 of the wave spectrum.

LEZ020-262215-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
1106 AM EST Tue Nov 26 2024

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...

.THIS AFTERNOON...West winds to 30 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.TONIGHT...West winds 15 to 25 knots. Becoming mainly clear.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. Mostly sunny in the
morning, then becoming partly sunny.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...West winds less than 10 knots. A chance of
rain and snow in the evening, then snow and rain overnight.
.THURSDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Rain and
snow likely.
.FRIDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of snow and rain
showers.
.SATURDAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots. Lake effect snow showers
likely.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 51 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-262215-
Lower Niagara River-
1106 AM EST Tue Nov 26 2024

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING...

.THIS AFTERNOON...West winds 20 to 25 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.TONIGHT...West winds 15 to 25 knots. Partly cloudy.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. Partly to mostly sunny.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less becoming east. A
chance of rain and snow in the evening, then snow and rain likely
overnight.
.THURSDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Rain and
snow likely.
.FRIDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of snow and rain
showers.
.SATURDAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots. Lake effect snow showers
likely.

$$

LEZ040-041-262215-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
1106 AM EST Tue Nov 26 2024

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING...

.THIS AFTERNOON...West gales to 35 knots. Lake effect showers
likely. Waves 9 to 13 feet. Waves occasionally around 16 feet.
.TONIGHT...West gales to 35 knots diminishing to 30 knots. A
chance of rain showers in the evening. Waves 9 to 13 feet
subsiding to 6 to 9 feet. Waves occasionally around 16 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots becoming southwest and
diminishing to 10 to 15 knots. A chance of rain showers. Waves
5 to 8 feet subsiding to 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around
10 feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming
southeast. Rain. Waves subsiding to 2 feet or less.
.THURSDAY...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west 15 to
20 knots. Rain during the day, then lake effect rain showers
Thursday night. Waves building to 2 to 4 feet.
.FRIDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots. Lake effect rain and snow
showers. Waves 5 to 8 feet. Waves occasionally around 10 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots. Lake effect snow showers.
Waves 5 to 8 feet. Waves occasionally around 10 feet.

$$

LOZ042-262215-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
1106 AM EST Tue Nov 26 2024

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

.THIS AFTERNOON...West gales to 35 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 7
to 11 feet. Waves occasionally around 14 feet.
.TONIGHT...West gales to 35 knots diminishing to 30 knots. Mostly
cloudy. Waves 8 to 12 feet. Waves occasionally around 15 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds to 30 knots diminishing to 15 to
25 knots. Partly to mostly sunny. Waves 6 to 9 feet subsiding to
3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around 11 feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming south. A
chance of rain in the evening, then rain and snow likely
overnight. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west 15 to
20 knots. Rain likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 3 to 5 feet.
Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.FRIDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots. A chance of rain and snow
showers. Waves 4 to 7 feet. Waves occasionally around 9 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots. Lake effect snow and rain
showers likely. Waves 4 to 7 feet. Waves occasionally around 9
feet.

$$

LOZ043-044-262215-
Hamlin Beach to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
1106 AM EST Tue Nov 26 2024

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

.THIS AFTERNOON...West gales to 35 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 8
to 11 feet building to 11 to 15 feet. Waves occasionally around 19
feet.
.TONIGHT...West gales to 35 knots diminishing to 30 knots. A
chance of rain showers. Waves 12 to 16 feet. Waves occasionally
around 20 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds to 30 knots diminishing to 15 to
25 knots. A chance of rain showers in the morning. Waves 10 to
14 feet subsiding to 4 to 7 feet. Waves occasionally around
18 feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming south.
A chance of rain in the evening, then rain with snow likely
overnight. Waves 3 to 5 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet. Waves
occasionally around 6 feet.
.THURSDAY...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west 15 to
20 knots. Rain during the day, then lake effect rain showers
likely Thursday night. Waves building to 3 to 5 feet. Waves
occasionally around 6 feet.
.FRIDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots. Lake effect rain showers
likely with lake effect snow showers. Waves 5 to 8 feet. Waves
occasionally around 10 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots. Lake effect snow showers.
Waves 5 to 9 feet. Waves occasionally around 11 feet.

The water temperature off both Rochester and at the central Lake
Ontario buoy is 51 degrees.

$$

LOZ045-262215-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
1106 AM EST Tue Nov 26 2024

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...

.THIS AFTERNOON...Southwest winds to 30 knots becoming west and
increasing to 35 knot gales. Lake effect showers likely. Waves
8 to 11 feet building to 10 to 14 feet. Waves occasionally around
18 feet.
.TONIGHT...West gales to 35 knots. Lake effect rain showers
likely. Waves 10 to 15 feet. Waves occasionally around 19 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds to 30 knots becoming southwest 15 to
25 knots. Rain showers likely in the morning, then just a chance
of rain showers in the afternoon. Waves 10 to 13 feet subsiding to
4 to 7 feet. Waves occasionally around 16 feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds diminishing to 10 to 15 knots.
A chance of rain in the evening, then rain and snow likely
overnight. Waves subsiding to 1 to 3 feet. Waves occasionally
around 7 feet.
.THURSDAY...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west 15 to
20 knots. Rain during the day, then rain showers with snow
showers likely Thursday night. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 3 to
5 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.FRIDAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots. Lake effect rain and snow
showers. Waves 4 to 7 feet. Waves occasionally around 9 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots. Lake effect snow and rain
showers. Waves 5 to 9 feet. Waves occasionally around 11 feet.

$$

Radar