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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.
Today: High 70°F · Low 43°F
Peak gusts: 5 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 25% · Barometer: 29.93 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Lake McDonald.
Excellent for boating (99/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the south. Gusts to 7 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.
Excellent for fishing (92/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the south. Dawn hours (07:00 local). 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 (96/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the south. Gusts to 7 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. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Air temperature 43°F. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 AM | 43°F | 1 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 8 AM | 44°F | 1 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 9 AM | 45°F | 5 mph | SW | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 52°F | 5 mph | SW | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 11 AM | 58°F | 5 mph | SW | ⚡ 15 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 63°F | 13 mph | SW | ⚡ 20 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 1 PM | 66°F | 13 mph | SW | ⚡ 23 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 2 PM | 68°F | 13 mph | SW | ⚡ 25 mph | 2% | Sunny |
| 3 PM | 70°F | 14 mph | SW | ⚡ 25 mph | 2% | Mostly Sunny |
| 4 PM | 69°F | 13 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 5% | Mostly Sunny |
| 5 PM | 65°F | 13 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 8% | Partly Sunny |
| 6 PM | 62°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 27 mph | 26% | Chance Light Rain |
| 7 PM | 57°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 27 mph | 41% | Chance Light Rain |
| 8 PM | 54°F | 12 mph | SW | ⚡ 27 mph | 22% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 9 PM | 52°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 25 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 10 PM | 51°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 24 mph | 16% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 11 PM | 49°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 18 mph | 16% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 12 AM | 49°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 13 mph | 19% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 1 AM | 47°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 10 mph | 16% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 2 AM | 46°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 8 mph | 15% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 3 AM | 45°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 6 mph | 14% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 44°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 14% | Partly Cloudy |
| 5 AM | 42°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 12% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 41°F | 17 mph | NE | ⚡ 18 mph | 29% | Chance Light Rain |
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 70, with temperatures falling to around 65 in the afternoon. South southwest wind 1 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
A chance of rain before 3am. Mostly cloudy. Low around 37, with temperatures rising to around 42 overnight. South southwest wind 0 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
A chance of rain before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 49. Northeast wind 5 to 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Northeast wind 7 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
A chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Northeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Mostly clear, with a low around 31.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 54.
A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.
A slight chance of rain before 9am, then a slight chance of rain and snow between 9am and noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 55.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Lake McDonald currently reports 55°F with wind velocity near 2 mph from the NW. 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 →