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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Lake James (North Carolina). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Flood Watch issued October 9 at 2:00PM EDT until October 11 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Today: High 74°F · Low 55°F
Peak gusts: 9 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 39% · Barometer: 29.94 inHg
Live hydrological sensor reading for Lake James.
Flood Watch issued October 9 at 2:00PM EDT until October 11 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Good for boating (77/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the east-northeast. Gusts to 8 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. 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 (88/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 70°F from a representative gauge 3.0 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 2 mph from the east-northeast. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (82%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for kayaking (80/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the east-northeast. Gusts to 8 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. Confidence is high (90%).
Fair for swimming (56/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 70°F from a representative gauge 3.0 mi away. Provisional data. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. Confidence is high (87%).
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 PM | 74°F | 2 mph | E | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Cloudy |
| 5 PM | 72°F | 1 mph | E | ⚡ 6 mph | 0% | Cloudy |
| 6 PM | 72°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 68°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 64°F | 1 mph | NE | ⚡ 6 mph | 4% | Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 62°F | 1 mph | NE | ⚡ 7 mph | 3% | Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 61°F | 1 mph | NE | ⚡ 7 mph | 4% | Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 61°F | 1 mph | NE | ⚡ 8 mph | 4% | Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 60°F | 2 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 4% | Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 60°F | 2 mph | NE | ⚡ 10 mph | 3% | Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 59°F | 2 mph | NE | ⚡ 12 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 3 AM | 59°F | 2 mph | NE | ⚡ 13 mph | 24% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 4 AM | 57°F | 3 mph | NE | ⚡ 16 mph | 40% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 5 AM | 56°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 20 mph | 52% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 6 AM | 55°F | 6 mph | NE | ⚡ 22 mph | 51% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 7 AM | 55°F | 7 mph | NE | ⚡ 24 mph | 60% | Rain Showers Likely |
| 8 AM | 55°F | 7 mph | NE | ⚡ 23 mph | 55% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 9 AM | 56°F | 8 mph | NE | ⚡ 25 mph | 50% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 10 AM | 57°F | 9 mph | NE | ⚡ 25 mph | 45% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 11 AM | 58°F | 9 mph | NE | ⚡ 25 mph | 53% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 12 PM | 59°F | 10 mph | NE | ⚡ 24 mph | 71% | Rain Showers Likely |
| 1 PM | 60°F | 10 mph | E | ⚡ 24 mph | 82% | Rain Showers |
| 2 PM | 61°F | 10 mph | NE | ⚡ 24 mph | 91% | Rain Showers |
| 3 PM | 62°F | 12 mph | NE | ⚡ 25 mph | 93% | Rain Showers |
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 cloudy, with a high near 75. Northeast wind around 2 mph.
Cloudy, with a high near 75. East northeast wind around 2 mph.
A chance of rain showers after 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 55. Northeast wind 0 to 5 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Rain showers likely before 8am, then rain showers and patchy fog between 8am and 5pm, then patchy fog and showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 63. Northeast wind 6 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Patchy fog and showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then patchy fog and showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 59. East northeast wind 7 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 2 and 3 inches possible.
Showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. East wind around 7 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
A chance of rain showers before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunny, with a high near 79.
Clear, with a low around 56.
Sunny, with a high near 85.
Mostly clear, with a low around 59.
Sunny, with a high near 82.
Mostly clear, with a low around 56.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
Lake James currently reports 75°F with wind velocity near 6 mph from the E. 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 James 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 James 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 James Water Level & Temperature page.
View Lake James Water Level & Temperature →