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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Lake Whatcom (Washington). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 55°F · Low 48°F
Peak gusts: 30 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 89% · Barometer: 30.06 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Lake Whatcom.
Fair for boating (70/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the south. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: 99% chance of precipitation is likely. 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 (70/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the south. Dawn hours (05:00 local). Working against it: 99% chance of precipitation is likely. 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 (71/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the south. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: 99% chance of precipitation is likely. 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. Wind 8 mph from the south. Working against it: 99% chance of precipitation is likely. Air temperature 54°F. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 AM | 54°F | 8 mph | S | ⚡ 23 mph | 99% | Rain |
| 6 AM | 54°F | 12 mph | SW | ⚡ 29 mph | 79% | Rain |
| 7 AM | 52°F | 12 mph | SW | ⚡ 31 mph | 47% | Chance Light Rain |
| 8 AM | 53°F | 12 mph | SW | ⚡ 31 mph | 20% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 9 AM | 52°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 30 mph | 13% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 10 AM | 52°F | 8 mph | W | ⚡ 22 mph | 8% | Partly Sunny |
| 11 AM | 53°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 18 mph | 19% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 12 PM | 53°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 17 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 1 PM | 53°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 14 mph | 14% | Partly Sunny |
| 2 PM | 55°F | 5 mph | W | ⚡ 12 mph | 9% | Mostly Sunny |
| 3 PM | 54°F | 3 mph | W | ⚡ 9 mph | 7% | Mostly Sunny |
| 4 PM | 54°F | 3 mph | W | ⚡ 8 mph | 9% | Mostly Sunny |
| 5 PM | 53°F | 2 mph | W | ⚡ 7 mph | 14% | Partly Sunny |
| 6 PM | 51°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 7 mph | 12% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 50°F | 2 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 11% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 49°F | 3 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 19% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 9 PM | 49°F | 3 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 28% | Chance Light Rain |
| 10 PM | 48°F | 2 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 29% | Chance Light Rain |
| 11 PM | 48°F | 2 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 34% | Chance Light Rain |
| 12 AM | 47°F | 2 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 36% | Chance Light Rain |
| 1 AM | 47°F | 1 mph | S | ⚡ 5 mph | 41% | Chance Light Rain |
| 2 AM | 47°F | 1 mph | S | ⚡ 4 mph | 50% | Chance Light Rain |
| 3 AM | 47°F | 1 mph | S | ⚡ 4 mph | 22% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 4 AM | 47°F | 1 mph | S | ⚡ 4 mph | 43% | 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.
Rain. Cloudy. Low around 51, with temperatures rising to around 54 overnight. South wind around 8 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Rain. Cloudy. Low around 51, with temperatures rising to around 54 overnight. South wind around 8 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Rain before 1pm. Partly sunny. High near 56, with temperatures falling to around 53 in the afternoon. West southwest wind 2 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
A chance of rain after 8pm. Mostly cloudy. Low around 45, with temperatures rising to around 47 overnight. South wind 0 to 3 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
A chance of rain between 8am and 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. North wind 0 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Clear, with a low around 42. North northeast wind 3 to 7 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 58.
Clear, with a low around 40.
Sunny, with a high near 58.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
A chance of rain after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56.
Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.
A chance of rain before 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
Lake Whatcom currently reports 55°F with wind velocity near 11 mph from the SW. 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 Whatcom 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 SEW) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Lake Whatcom 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 Whatcom Water Level & Temperature page.
View Lake Whatcom Water Level & Temperature →