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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Fontana Lake (North Carolina). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 71°F · Low 57°F
Peak gusts: 26 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 94% · Barometer: 29.95 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Fontana Lake.
Good for boating (84/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the west. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: 73% chance of precipitation is likely. 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 (83/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the west. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Working against it: 73% chance of precipitation is likely. 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 (85/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the west. Gusts to 13 mph. Working against it: 73% chance of precipitation is likely. 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 6 mph from the west. Working against it: 73% chance of precipitation is likely. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 PM | 64°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 13 mph | 73% | Rain Showers Likely |
| 8 PM | 63°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 20 mph | 59% | Light Rain Likely |
| 9 PM | 62°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 18 mph | 57% | Light Rain Likely |
| 10 PM | 62°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 17 mph | 42% | Chance Light Rain |
| 11 PM | 61°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 16 mph | 41% | Chance Light Rain |
| 12 AM | 61°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 16 mph | 38% | Chance Light Rain |
| 1 AM | 60°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 15 mph | 31% | Chance Light Rain |
| 2 AM | 60°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 15 mph | 22% | Patchy Fog |
| 3 AM | 60°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 14 mph | 17% | Patchy Fog |
| 4 AM | 59°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 14 mph | 12% | Patchy Fog |
| 5 AM | 59°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 13 mph | 7% | Patchy Fog |
| 6 AM | 58°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 13 mph | 5% | Patchy Fog |
| 7 AM | 57°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 10 mph | 3% | Patchy Fog |
| 8 AM | 57°F | 3 mph | W | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Patchy Fog |
| 9 AM | 58°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 10 AM | 61°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 10 mph | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 11 AM | 64°F | 5 mph | NW | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 12 PM | 71°F | 5 mph | NW | ⚡ 13 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 1 PM | 75°F | 6 mph | NW | ⚡ 14 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 2 PM | 78°F | 6 mph | NW | ⚡ 15 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 3 PM | 79°F | 5 mph | NW | ⚡ 14 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 4 PM | 79°F | 5 mph | NW | ⚡ 13 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 5 PM | 78°F | 2 mph | NW | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 6 PM | 76°F | 1 mph | W | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | 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.
Rain showers likely and patchy fog before 8pm, then rain likely and patchy fog between 8pm and 2am, then patchy fog and a slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. West wind around 7 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Patchy fog before 9am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. West northwest wind 2 to 6 mph. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Mostly clear, with a low around 56. West southwest wind around 2 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 85. South wind around 2 mph.
Clear, with a low around 57. South wind around 1 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 86.
Mostly clear, with a low around 60.
Sunny, with a high near 87.
Mostly clear, with a low around 60.
A chance of rain showers after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
A slight chance of rain showers before 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Mostly clear, with a low around 36.
Sunny, with a high near 68.
Fontana Lake currently reports 62°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 Fontana 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 GSP) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Fontana 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 Fontana Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Fontana Lake Water Level & Temperature →