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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Lake Waccamaw (North Carolina). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 77°F · Low 66°F
Peak gusts: 6 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 93% · Barometer: 29.95 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Lake Waccamaw.
Fair for boating (72/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the north. Gusts to 7 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 (68/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the north. Morning hours (09:00 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 5 mph from the north. Gusts to 7 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. 1% chance of precipitation. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 66°F | 5 mph | N | ⚡ 7 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 10 AM | 68°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 8 mph | 2% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 11 AM | 69°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 2% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 12 PM | 72°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 1 PM | 74°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 2 PM | 75°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 10 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 3 PM | 77°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 10 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 4 PM | 76°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 5 PM | 76°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 8 mph | 2% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 6 PM | 76°F | 5 mph | NE | ⚡ 8 mph | 2% | Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 75°F | 6 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 2% | Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 74°F | 6 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 2% | Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 73°F | 7 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 3% | Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 73°F | 8 mph | NE | ⚡ 12 mph | 3% | Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 72°F | 9 mph | NE | ⚡ 12 mph | 3% | Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 72°F | 10 mph | NE | ⚡ 13 mph | 4% | Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 72°F | 12 mph | NE | ⚡ 13 mph | 6% | Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 71°F | 12 mph | NE | ⚡ 14 mph | 7% | Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 71°F | 13 mph | NE | ⚡ 15 mph | 6% | Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 70°F | 14 mph | NE | ⚡ 15 mph | 8% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 5 AM | 69°F | 15 mph | NE | ⚡ 16 mph | 13% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 70°F | 15 mph | NE | ⚡ 17 mph | 20% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 7 AM | 70°F | 15 mph | NE | ⚡ 18 mph | 26% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 8 AM | 69°F | 15 mph | NE | ⚡ 20 mph | 57% | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely |
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 77. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Cloudy, with a low around 68. Northeast wind 5 to 15 mph. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
A chance of rain showers before 8am, then showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 72. Southeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 2 and 3 inches possible.
Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 80. South wind around 12 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Rain showers likely before 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Sunny, with a high near 79.
Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
Sunny, with a high near 81.
Clear, with a low around 65.
Sunny, with a high near 80.
Clear, with a low around 62.
Sunny, with a high near 77.
Mostly clear, with a low around 61.
Lake Waccamaw currently reports 65°F with wind velocity near 4 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 Waccamaw 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 ILM) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Lake Waccamaw 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 Waccamaw Water Level & Temperature page.
View Lake Waccamaw Water Level & Temperature →