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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Lake Sakakawea (North Dakota). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 79°F · Low 46°F
Peak gusts: 17 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 74% · Barometer: 29.93 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Lake Sakakawea.
Good for boating (86/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the south. 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 (90/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the south. Morning hours (08:00 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.
Good for kayaking (84/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the south. No active official alerts for this lake. 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 46°F. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 AM | 46°F | 8 mph | S | ⚡ 18 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 9 AM | 48°F | 8 mph | S | ⚡ 20 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 51°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 21 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 11 AM | 57°F | 13 mph | S | ⚡ 23 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 12 PM | 65°F | 16 mph | S | ⚡ 27 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 1 PM | 70°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 2 PM | 74°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 29 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 3 PM | 77°F | 18 mph | S | ⚡ 30 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 4 PM | 79°F | 18 mph | S | ⚡ 30 mph | 0% | Partly Sunny |
| 5 PM | 79°F | 17 mph | S | ⚡ 29 mph | 0% | Partly Sunny |
| 6 PM | 77°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 75°F | 14 mph | S | ⚡ 25 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 71°F | 14 mph | S | ⚡ 24 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 66°F | 14 mph | S | ⚡ 24 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 65°F | 13 mph | S | ⚡ 21 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 63°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 18 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 62°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 15 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 1 AM | 60°F | 8 mph | S | ⚡ 13 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 2 AM | 58°F | 6 mph | S | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 3 AM | 56°F | 6 mph | SE | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 4 AM | 54°F | 6 mph | SE | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 5 AM | 53°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 6 AM | 53°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 7 AM | 51°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | 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.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind 8 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Partly cloudy. Low around 51, with temperatures rising to around 53 overnight. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Mostly sunny. High near 76, with temperatures falling to around 74 in the afternoon. Northwest wind 3 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
A slight chance of rain showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. North wind 9 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Rain showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 51. North wind 16 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Rain showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 36. Northeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. Northeast wind 8 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
A chance of rain showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. North wind 5 to 8 mph.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
A chance of rain showers after 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. Southeast wind 8 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Northeast wind 9 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Northwest wind 20 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph.
A chance of rain showers before 4am, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Lake Sakakawea currently reports 45°F with wind velocity near 11 mph from the S. 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 Sakakawea 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 BIS) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Lake Sakakawea 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 Sakakawea Water Level & Temperature page.
View Lake Sakakawea Water Level & Temperature →