Marine Forecasts

Few people are affected more by weather than the mariner. An unexpected change in winds, seas, or visibility can reduce the efficiency of marine operations and threaten the safety of a vessel and its crew. The National Weather Service (NWS), a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides marine warnings and forecasts to serve all mariners who use the waters for livelihood or recreation.

The National Weather Service office in Chicago is responsible for the Lake Michigan forecast and the Nearshore Marine forecast for the Illinois and Indiana shores. We also issue warnings for short-term events like thunderstorms.

Click to see the latest Special Marine Warning or Marine Weather Statement!

Open Lakes Forecasts:  

  • Lake Michigan Forecast  
  • Lake Superior Forecast  
  • Lake Huron Forecast  
  • Lake Erie Forecast  
  • Lake Ontario Forecast

    Click here for more detailed explanation of Open Lakes Forecast.
    • Nearshore Marine Forecast:
    Click here to get the Nearshore forecast for the Illinois and Indiana Waters of Lake Michigan
    Great Lakes Nearshore forecasts
    click on Map to get forecast for all of Great Lakes
    Port Forecast map
    Port Forecasts for Illinois and Indiana

    Official Graphical Wind and Waves Forecasts:

    Click on the picture to get the latest
    Lake Michigan graphical forecast.
    Graphic forecast for Lake Michigan
    Graphical Forecasts for the other Great Lakes:

    Model Data:

    GLERL data
    Winds The winds charts are for 3-hourly intervals out 36 hours.
     Waves The wave charts are for hourly intervals out to 60 hours.

    Observations:  

  • Southern Lake Michigan Observations provided by GLERL
  • Harrison-Dever Crib in Chicago, IL
  • Southern Lake Michigan Water Temperatures
    (Note: On Fridays this link may give Lake Michigan water levels. Lake level and temperature data are both sent out under OMRCHI.)

    Buoy Observations:
     Great Lakes Buoy Observations
  • Western Great Lakes
  • Eastern Great Lakes
  • Dial-A-Buoy

    These links will take you to the National Data Buoy Center. http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov
    		• 45007 buoy

    Coast Guard Observations:  
  • Western Lake Michigan  
  • Eastern Lake Michigan  

    • Items of Interest:  
  • Rip Current Safety information from NOAA  
  • Rip Currents on Lake Michigan
  • Great Lakes Surface temperatures / Ice Analysis from GLERL  
  • Water Levels for the Lakes  
  • Voluntary Ship Observing Program  
  • Ice Forecasts from the National Ice Center    
  • Mariners Weather Log Magazine  

  • Marine Product Dissemination Information
    For marine forecasts for other areas of the country.
     
  • Advancements in Marine Forecasting since the Edmund Fitzgerald.
     Presented by the NWS office in Marquette, MI

    • Marine Educational Links:
  • Safe Boating Weather Tips

    • NOAA's National Weather Service
    • Chicago, IL Weather Forecast Office
    • 333 West University Drive
    • Romeoville, IL 60446
    • 815-834-1435 8am-8pm
    • Page Author: LOT Webmaster
    • Web Master's E-mail: w-lot.webmaster@noaa.gov
    • Page last modified: June 18th 2007 3:42 PM
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