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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Lake Barkley (Kentucky). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 81°F · Low 61°F
Peak gusts: 12 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 93% · Barometer: 30.04 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Lake Barkley.
Excellent for boating (96/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the west-northwest. No active official alerts for this lake. 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.
Excellent for fishing (91/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the west-northwest. 1% chance of precipitation. 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.
Excellent for kayaking (95/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the west-northwest. Gusts to 12 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: No active official alerts for this lake. 1% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 AM | 66°F | 3 mph | NW | ⚡ 12 mph | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 11 AM | 69°F | 5 mph | NW | ⚡ 12 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 72°F | 6 mph | NW | ⚡ 13 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 1 PM | 76°F | 7 mph | NW | ⚡ 13 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 2 PM | 78°F | 7 mph | NW | ⚡ 14 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 3 PM | 79°F | 7 mph | NW | ⚡ 13 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 4 PM | 81°F | 6 mph | NW | ⚡ 13 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 5 PM | 79°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 6 PM | 76°F | 2 mph | W | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 7 PM | 71°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 8 PM | 66°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 9 PM | 64°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 10 PM | 63°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 11 PM | 63°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 12 AM | 62°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 1 AM | 62°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 2 AM | 61°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 3 AM | 61°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 4 AM | 60°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 5 AM | 60°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 60°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 7 AM | 59°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 8 AM | 63°F | 3 mph | SW | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 9 AM | 68°F | 3 mph | SW | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Sunny |
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. High near 81, with temperatures falling to around 79 in the afternoon. West northwest wind 3 to 7 mph.
Mostly clear. Low around 58, with temperatures rising to around 60 overnight. Southwest wind around 2 mph.
Sunny. High near 88, with temperatures falling to around 86 in the afternoon. Southwest wind 2 to 8 mph.
Clear, with a low around 64. South southwest wind around 5 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 90. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 68. South southwest wind around 5 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Southwest wind around 6 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. East southeast wind around 3 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind around 7 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. South southwest wind around 6 mph.
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. West northwest wind 7 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. North northwest wind 7 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. North wind around 10 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 40. North northeast wind 3 to 7 mph.
Lake Barkley currently reports 62°F with wind velocity near 4 mph from the N. 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 Lake Barkley 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 PAH) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Lake Barkley 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 Lake Barkley Water Level & Temperature page.
View Lake Barkley Water Level & Temperature →