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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Canyon Ferry Lake (Montana). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Red Flag Warning issued October 9 at 11:53AM MDT until October 9 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
Today: High 82°F · Low 46°F
Peak gusts: 23 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 21% · Barometer: 29.82 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Canyon Ferry Lake.
Red Flag Warning issued October 9 at 11:53AM MDT until October 9 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
Poor for boating (50/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Red Flag Warning. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for fishing (74/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Sky is partly cloudy (15% cloud cover). Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Poor for kayaking (53/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Air temperature 75°F. Working against it: Active severe alert: Red Flag Warning. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Air temperature 75°F. Working against it: Active severe alert: Red Flag Warning. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 PM | 75°F | 16 mph | SW | ⚡ 25 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 2 PM | 79°F | 18 mph | W | ⚡ 28 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 3 PM | 81°F | 20 mph | W | ⚡ 31 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 4 PM | 82°F | 18 mph | W | ⚡ 33 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 5 PM | 80°F | 15 mph | NW | ⚡ 30 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 6 PM | 77°F | 13 mph | NW | ⚡ 27 mph | 1% | Partly Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 72°F | 12 mph | NW | ⚡ 22 mph | 1% | Partly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 65°F | 10 mph | NW | ⚡ 18 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 62°F | 9 mph | NW | ⚡ 15 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 59°F | 9 mph | NW | ⚡ 16 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 57°F | 10 mph | NW | ⚡ 17 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 54°F | 10 mph | NW | ⚡ 17 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 52°F | 9 mph | NW | ⚡ 16 mph | 1% | Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 51°F | 8 mph | NW | ⚡ 14 mph | 3% | Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 48°F | 7 mph | N | ⚡ 12 mph | 2% | Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 47°F | 7 mph | N | ⚡ 12 mph | 5% | Cloudy |
| 5 AM | 46°F | 7 mph | NW | ⚡ 10 mph | 5% | Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 46°F | 7 mph | NW | ⚡ 10 mph | 15% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 7 AM | 46°F | 7 mph | NW | ⚡ 12 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 8 AM | 47°F | 7 mph | NW | ⚡ 12 mph | 26% | Chance Light Rain |
| 9 AM | 47°F | 8 mph | NW | ⚡ 14 mph | 47% | Chance Light Rain |
| 10 AM | 47°F | 9 mph | NW | ⚡ 17 mph | 48% | Chance Light Rain |
| 11 AM | 46°F | 10 mph | N | ⚡ 20 mph | 45% | Chance Light Rain |
| 12 PM | 45°F | 12 mph | N | ⚡ 20 mph | 42% | Light Rain Likely |
Mirror-like to gentle rippled water. Optimal conditions for paddleboarding, kayaking, swimming, and beginner water skiing or wakeboarding.
Pleasant breeze with small wavelets. Great for sailing, pleasure cruising, pontoon boats, and trolling for trout and bass.
Moderate waves with whitecaps likely. Requires skilled boat handling; kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards should stay close to sheltered bays.
Steep waves, cold spray, and hazardous open water. Avoid small craft voyages. Always check official National Weather Service lake wind advisories.
Sunny, with a high near 82. West southwest wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. Northwest wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Rain. Cloudy. High near 56, with temperatures falling to around 36 in the afternoon. North northwest wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Rain and snow. Cloudy, with a low around 28. North northwest wind 15 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Snow before 3pm, then rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 35. North wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Rain and snow. Cloudy, with a low around 27. North northwest wind 8 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. West southwest wind 2 to 6 mph.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. South wind around 5 mph.
Partly sunny, with a high near 53.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.
A slight chance of rain after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 57.
A chance of rain before 3am, then a chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.
A chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 54.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.
Canyon Ferry Lake currently reports 76°F with wind velocity near 12 mph from the W. Atmospheric forecasts and 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines are updated hourly from the National Weather Service gridpoint matching the lake's coordinates.
At Canyon Ferry Lake and surrounding mountain valleys, diurnal heating of the surrounding terrain causes strong thermal pressure differentials known locally as afternoon breezes (such as the Washoe Zephyr at Lake Tahoe). Wind speeds typically peak between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM before calming near sunset.
For stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), canoeing, and light kayaks, winds under 7 mph (light breeze) offer the safest, glassiest surface conditions. Between 8–14 mph, small wavelets develop, suitable for sailboats and powerboats. Winds exceeding 15 mph create steep whitecaps and rapid drift; winds over 21 mph warrant small craft warnings.
All weather and wind telemetry is fetched directly from the National Weather Service (NOAA - WFO TFX) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Canyon Ferry Lake without artificial smoothing or third-party estimates.
Yes. Live hydrological sensor readings, 30-day elevation histories, full-pool benchmarks, and USGS station provenance are available on our dedicated Canyon Ferry Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Canyon Ferry Lake Water Level & Temperature →