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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Holter 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 81°F · Low 40°F
Peak gusts: 32 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 18% · Barometer: 29.91 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Holter 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 (40/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Red Flag Warning. Gusts to 29 mph. 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 (72/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Sky is partly cloudy (23% 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 (43/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Air temperature 81°F. Working against it: Active severe alert: Red Flag Warning. Gusts to 29 mph. 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: Air temperature 81°F. 0% chance of precipitation. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 PM | 81°F | 21 mph | W | ⚡ 29 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 5 PM | 79°F | 20 mph | W | ⚡ 28 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 6 PM | 75°F | 17 mph | W | ⚡ 24 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 72°F | 15 mph | W | ⚡ 21 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 65°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 16 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 62°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 14 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 60°F | 8 mph | W | ⚡ 15 mph | 0% | Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 58°F | 8 mph | W | ⚡ 14 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 56°F | 8 mph | W | ⚡ 12 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 54°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 52°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 52°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 8 mph | 2% | Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 49°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 8 mph | 2% | Cloudy |
| 5 AM | 48°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 8 mph | 4% | Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 47°F | 6 mph | NW | ⚡ 8 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 7 AM | 45°F | 7 mph | NW | ⚡ 9 mph | 25% | Chance Light Rain |
| 8 AM | 42°F | 8 mph | N | ⚡ 12 mph | 33% | Chance Light Rain |
| 9 AM | 40°F | 9 mph | N | ⚡ 13 mph | 68% | Light Rain Likely |
| 10 AM | 38°F | 10 mph | N | ⚡ 15 mph | 79% | Light Rain |
| 11 AM | 36°F | 13 mph | N | ⚡ 17 mph | 73% | Light Rain Likely |
| 12 PM | 35°F | 14 mph | N | ⚡ 20 mph | 80% | Rain |
| 1 PM | 34°F | 15 mph | N | ⚡ 21 mph | 87% | Rain |
| 2 PM | 34°F | 16 mph | N | ⚡ 23 mph | 97% | Rain |
| 3 PM | 34°F | 16 mph | N | ⚡ 23 mph | 99% | Rain And Snow |
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. High near 82, with temperatures falling to around 79 in the afternoon. West southwest wind around 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Mostly cloudy. Low around 40, with temperatures rising to around 48 overnight. West southwest wind 6 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Rain before 3pm, then rain and snow. Cloudy. High near 43, with temperatures falling to around 33 in the afternoon. North northwest wind 6 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
Snow and areas of blowing snow. Cloudy, with a low around 29. North wind 17 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.
Snow and patchy blowing snow. Cloudy, with a high near 31. North wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
Snow. Cloudy, with a low around 28. North wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
Snow likely before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. North northwest wind 3 to 7 mph. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. South southwest wind 5 to 9 mph.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.
Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.
A slight chance of rain after midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
A slight chance of snow before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 54.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Holter Lake currently reports 78°F with wind velocity near 19 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 Holter 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 Holter 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 Holter Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Holter Lake Water Level & Temperature →