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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Donner Lake (California). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 57°F · Low 28°F
Peak gusts: 18 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 48% · Barometer: 29.98 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Donner Lake.
Good for boating (78/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 10 mph from the southwest. 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.
Good for fishing (82/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the southwest. Sky is partly cloudy (27% 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.
Good for kayaking (77/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the southwest. No active official alerts for this lake. 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: No active official alerts for this lake. 13% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Air temperature 57°F. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 PM | 57°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 24 mph | 13% | Mostly Sunny |
| 4 PM | 54°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 24 mph | 13% | Mostly Sunny |
| 5 PM | 53°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 20 mph | 4% | Sunny |
| 6 PM | 51°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 20 mph | 4% | Mostly Clear |
| 7 PM | 46°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 20 mph | 4% | Mostly Clear |
| 8 PM | 43°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 5% | Partly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 40°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 5% | Partly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 38°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 5% | Partly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 36°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 24% | Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| 12 AM | 34°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 24% | Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| 1 AM | 34°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 24% | Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| 2 AM | 32°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 23% | Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| 3 AM | 31°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 23% | Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| 4 AM | 30°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 23% | Slight Chance Snow Showers |
| 5 AM | 29°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 4 mph | 16% | Slight Chance Snow Showers |
| 6 AM | 29°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 4 mph | 16% | Slight Chance Snow Showers |
| 7 AM | 28°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 4 mph | 16% | Slight Chance Snow Showers |
| 8 AM | 29°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 6 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Snow Showers |
| 9 AM | 32°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 6 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| 10 AM | 36°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 6 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers |
| 11 AM | 41°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 10 mph | 22% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 12 PM | 44°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 10 mph | 22% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 1 PM | 45°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 10 mph | 22% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 2 PM | 46°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 13 mph | 50% | Chance Rain Showers |
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.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Southwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
A slight chance of rain and snow showers after 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. West wind 0 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A slight chance of snow showers before 9am, then rain and snow showers likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 47. West wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Rain showers likely before 7pm, then rain and snow showers likely between 7pm and 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. North wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunny, with a high near 57. Northeast wind 0 to 5 mph.
Clear, with a low around 29. Northeast wind 0 to 5 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 64.
Clear, with a low around 33.
Sunny, with a high near 65.
Clear, with a low around 34.
Sunny, with a high near 71.
Clear, with a low around 37.
Sunny, with a high near 70.
Mostly clear, with a low around 37.
Donner Lake currently reports 54°F with wind velocity near 11 mph from the SW. 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 Donner 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 REV) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Donner 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 Donner Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Donner Lake Water Level & Temperature →