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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Lake Hickory (North Carolina). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 64°F · Low 56°F
Peak gusts: 9 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 38% · Barometer: 29.98 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Lake Hickory.
Fair for boating (72/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the northeast. Gusts to 9 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 (65/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the northeast. Dusk hours (20:00 local). 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 2 mph from the northeast. Gusts to 9 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 2 mph from the northeast. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 PM | 64°F | 2 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 3% | Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 63°F | 2 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 3% | Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 62°F | 2 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 4% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 61°F | 2 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 4% | Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 60°F | 2 mph | NE | ⚡ 10 mph | 3% | Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 60°F | 3 mph | NE | ⚡ 10 mph | 3% | Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 60°F | 3 mph | NE | ⚡ 12 mph | 12% | Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 60°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 13 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 4 AM | 58°F | 6 mph | NE | ⚡ 15 mph | 21% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 5 AM | 58°F | 7 mph | NE | ⚡ 17 mph | 37% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 6 AM | 57°F | 8 mph | NE | ⚡ 18 mph | 42% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 7 AM | 56°F | 9 mph | NE | ⚡ 21 mph | 47% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 8 AM | 56°F | 9 mph | NE | ⚡ 21 mph | 42% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 9 AM | 56°F | 10 mph | NE | ⚡ 23 mph | 36% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 10 AM | 58°F | 12 mph | NE | ⚡ 24 mph | 31% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 11 AM | 58°F | 12 mph | NE | ⚡ 24 mph | 46% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 12 PM | 59°F | 14 mph | E | ⚡ 27 mph | 59% | Rain Showers Likely |
| 1 PM | 60°F | 15 mph | E | ⚡ 28 mph | 72% | Rain Showers Likely |
| 2 PM | 61°F | 15 mph | E | ⚡ 29 mph | 81% | Rain Showers |
| 3 PM | 61°F | 16 mph | E | ⚡ 31 mph | 89% | Rain Showers |
| 4 PM | 62°F | 16 mph | E | ⚡ 31 mph | 94% | Rain Showers |
| 5 PM | 63°F | 15 mph | E | ⚡ 30 mph | 92% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 6 PM | 62°F | 15 mph | E | ⚡ 29 mph | 97% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 7 PM | 62°F | 15 mph | E | ⚡ 29 mph | 91% | Showers And Thunderstorms |
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.
A chance of rain showers after 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 56. Northeast wind 2 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Rain showers before 5pm, then showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 64. Northeast wind 8 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 59. East northeast wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 7 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
A chance of rain showers before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. West southwest wind 3 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunny, with a high near 79.
Clear, with a low around 56.
Sunny, with a high near 84.
Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Sunny, with a high near 81.
Mostly clear, with a low around 56.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 55.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.
Lake Hickory currently reports 74°F with wind velocity near 6 mph from the NE. 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 Hickory 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 Lake Hickory 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 Hickory Water Level & Temperature page.
View Lake Hickory Water Level & Temperature →