Loading page content…
Loading page content…
Loading lake conditions…
Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for McPhee Reservoir (Colorado). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Hydrologic Outlook issued October 9 at 10:53AM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Today: High 69°F · Low 50°F
Peak gusts: 17 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 18% · Barometer: 29.80 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for McPhee Reservoir.
Hydrologic Outlook issued October 9 at 10:53AM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Fair for boating (55/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the south-southwest. Gusts to 16 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 (67/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the south-southwest. 1% chance of precipitation. 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 (56/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the south-southwest. Gusts to 16 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: 1% chance of precipitation. Wind 5 mph from the south-southwest. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 PM | 69°F | 5 mph | SW | ⚡ 16 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 6 PM | 68°F | 5 mph | SW | ⚡ 18 mph | 2% | Mostly Clear |
| 7 PM | 62°F | 5 mph | SW | ⚡ 15 mph | 3% | Mostly Clear |
| 8 PM | 59°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 16 mph | 3% | Mostly Clear |
| 9 PM | 57°F | 10 mph | E | ⚡ 17 mph | 3% | Mostly Clear |
| 10 PM | 55°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 16 mph | 5% | Mostly Clear |
| 11 PM | 54°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 14 mph | 5% | Partly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 54°F | 5 mph | SE | ⚡ 13 mph | 9% | Partly Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 54°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 12 mph | 10% | Partly Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 53°F | 5 mph | SE | ⚡ 12 mph | 16% | Isolated Rain Showers |
| 3 AM | 53°F | 5 mph | SE | ⚡ 12 mph | 17% | Isolated Rain Showers |
| 4 AM | 52°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 13 mph | 17% | Isolated Rain Showers |
| 5 AM | 51°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 14 mph | 27% | Scattered Rain Showers |
| 6 AM | 51°F | 5 mph | SE | ⚡ 14 mph | 37% | Scattered Rain Showers |
| 7 AM | 50°F | 10 mph | SE | ⚡ 16 mph | 36% | Scattered Rain Showers |
| 8 AM | 51°F | 10 mph | SE | ⚡ 18 mph | 20% | Isolated Rain Showers |
| 9 AM | 56°F | 10 mph | SE | ⚡ 21 mph | 13% | Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 10 AM | 61°F | 10 mph | S | ⚡ 25 mph | 13% | Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 11 AM | 63°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 30 mph | 17% | Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 12 PM | 63°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 33 mph | 32% | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 1 PM | 64°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 33 mph | 31% | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 2 PM | 64°F | 15 mph | SW | ⚡ 33 mph | 33% | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 3 PM | 64°F | 15 mph | SW | ⚡ 32 mph | 45% | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 4 PM | 63°F | 15 mph | SW | ⚡ 32 mph | 53% | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms |
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, with a high near 72. South southwest wind around 5 mph.
Scattered rain showers after 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Scattered rain showers before 9am, then isolated showers and thunderstorms between 9am and noon, then scattered showers and thunderstorms between noon and 3pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 64. South southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 49. South southeast wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 60. South southeast wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 58.
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55.
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.
A chance of rain showers before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 52.
A slight chance of rain showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
A slight chance of rain showers after noon. Sunny, with a high near 57.
Clear, with a low around 38.
McPhee Reservoir currently reports 72°F with wind velocity near 13 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 McPhee Reservoir 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 GJT) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for McPhee Reservoir 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 McPhee Reservoir Water Level & Temperature page.
View McPhee Reservoir Water Level & Temperature →