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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Lake McDonald (Montana). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Winter Weather Advisory issued October 10 at 11:42AM MDT until October 12 at 6:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Today: High 38°F · Low 30°F
Peak gusts: 17 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 51% · Barometer: 30.01 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Lake McDonald.
Winter Weather Advisory issued October 10 at 11:42AM MDT until October 12 at 6:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Fair for boating (71/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the northeast. Gusts to 17 mph. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. 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 (77/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the northeast. 23% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Air temperature 37°F. 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 (70/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the northeast. Gusts to 17 mph. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. Air temperature 37°F. 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: Wind 6 mph from the northeast. 23% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Air temperature 37°F. Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 PM | 37°F | 6 mph | NE | ⚡ 17 mph | 23% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| 3 PM | 38°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 15 mph | 19% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| 4 PM | 38°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 15 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| 5 PM | 38°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 15 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| 6 PM | 36°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 15 mph | 19% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| 7 PM | 35°F | 3 mph | NE | ⚡ 14 mph | 24% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| 8 PM | 34°F | 3 mph | NE | ⚡ 10 mph | 29% | Chance Light Snow |
| 9 PM | 34°F | 3 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 28% | Chance Light Snow |
| 10 PM | 34°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 8 mph | 23% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| 11 PM | 34°F | 6 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 19% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| 12 AM | 34°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 8 mph | 14% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 34°F | 3 mph | E | ⚡ 7 mph | 13% | Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 33°F | 2 mph | E | ⚡ 6 mph | 12% | Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 33°F | 2 mph | E | ⚡ 5 mph | 8% | Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 33°F | 2 mph | SE | ⚡ 6 mph | 7% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 5 AM | 31°F | 1 mph | SE | ⚡ 4 mph | 5% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 31°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 2 mph | 2% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 AM | 30°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 2 mph | 2% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 8 AM | 29°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 2 mph | 3% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 9 AM | 29°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 2 mph | 4% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 10 AM | 32°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 2 mph | 2% | Partly Sunny |
| 11 AM | 36°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 2 mph | 2% | Mostly Sunny |
| 12 PM | 38°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 4 mph | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 1 PM | 41°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 1% | Mostly 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.
A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 38. Northeast wind around 6 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 38. Northeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
A chance of snow before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. East northeast wind 1 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Southwest wind around 1 mph.
Patchy fog after 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 29. Wind around 0 mph.
Areas of fog before 10am. Sunny, with a high near 53. West northwest wind around 1 mph.
Patchy fog between 9pm and midnight. Mostly clear, with a low around 32.
Patchy fog between 9am and 10am. Sunny, with a high near 55.
Mostly clear, with a low around 36.
Sunny, with a high near 58.
Mostly clear, with a low around 38.
Sunny, with a high near 61.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Lake McDonald currently reports 39°F with wind velocity near 7 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 McDonald 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 MSO) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Lake McDonald 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 McDonald Water Level & Temperature page.
View Lake McDonald Water Level & Temperature →