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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Elephant Butte Reservoir (New Mexico). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 85°F · Low 61°F
Peak gusts: 11 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 48% · Barometer: 29.80 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Elephant Butte Reservoir.
Fair for boating (72/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the south. Gusts to 6 mph. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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 (63/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the south. 9% chance of precipitation. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Fair for kayaking (72/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the south. Gusts to 6 mph. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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. Wind 3 mph from the south. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 AM | 63°F | 3 mph | S | ⚡ 6 mph | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| 5 AM | 62°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 6 mph | 7% | Mostly Clear |
| 6 AM | 61°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 5% | Sunny |
| 7 AM | 61°F | 6 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 5% | Sunny |
| 8 AM | 65°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 4% | Sunny |
| 9 AM | 70°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 4% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 74°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 16 mph | 5% | Sunny |
| 11 AM | 78°F | 20 mph | S | ⚡ 25 mph | 5% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 81°F | 22 mph | SW | ⚡ 30 mph | 6% | Sunny |
| 1 PM | 83°F | 25 mph | SW | ⚡ 33 mph | 10% | Sunny |
| 2 PM | 84°F | 26 mph | SW | ⚡ 35 mph | 13% | Sunny |
| 3 PM | 85°F | 28 mph | SW | ⚡ 36 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 4 PM | 84°F | 26 mph | SW | ⚡ 37 mph | 16% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 5 PM | 83°F | 24 mph | SW | ⚡ 36 mph | 14% | Mostly Sunny |
| 6 PM | 77°F | 20 mph | SW | ⚡ 30 mph | 13% | Mostly Clear |
| 7 PM | 72°F | 16 mph | SW | ⚡ 28 mph | 10% | Partly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 70°F | 13 mph | S | ⚡ 22 mph | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| 9 PM | 68°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 16 mph | 5% | Mostly Clear |
| 10 PM | 67°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 14 mph | 4% | Mostly Clear |
| 11 PM | 66°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 12 mph | 7% | Mostly Clear |
| 12 AM | 64°F | 6 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 2% | Mostly Clear |
| 1 AM | 63°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 2% | Mostly Clear |
| 2 AM | 63°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 2% | Mostly Clear |
| 3 AM | 62°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 2% | Mostly Clear |
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 clear, with a low around 61. South southeast wind around 5 mph.
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 3pm and 5pm. Sunny, with a high near 85. South southwest wind 5 to 28 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Mostly clear, with a low around 59. South southwest wind 5 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 81. South southwest wind 6 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 57. South southwest wind 6 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 81. South southwest wind 6 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph.
Clear, with a low around 54. Southwest wind 3 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 77. Southwest wind 3 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Clear, with a low around 52. West wind 6 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 76.
A slight chance of rain showers after midnight. Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A slight chance of rain showers before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
Elephant Butte Reservoir currently reports 72°F with wind velocity near 1 mph from the NW. 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 Elephant Butte Reservoir 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 EPZ) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Elephant Butte Reservoir 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 Elephant Butte Reservoir Water Level & Temperature page.
View Elephant Butte Reservoir Water Level & Temperature →