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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Nelson Reservoir (Montana). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 42°F · Low 31°F
Peak gusts: 19 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 88% · Barometer: 29.75 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Nelson Reservoir.
Fair for boating (70/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 13 mph from the northeast. Working against it: 74% 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 (60/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 13 mph from the northeast. Sky is overcast (93% cloud cover). Working against it: 74% chance of precipitation is likely. Air temperature 39°F. 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 (68/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 13 mph from the northeast. Working against it: 74% chance of precipitation is likely. Air temperature 39°F. 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 13 mph from the northeast. Working against it: Air temperature 39°F. 74% chance of precipitation is likely. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 AM | 39°F | 13 mph | NE | ⚡ 21 mph | 74% | Light Rain Likely |
| 12 PM | 40°F | 13 mph | NE | ⚡ 21 mph | 81% | Light Rain |
| 1 PM | 40°F | 14 mph | NE | ⚡ 21 mph | 94% | Light Rain |
| 2 PM | 41°F | 14 mph | NE | ⚡ 22 mph | 100% | Light Rain |
| 3 PM | 42°F | 14 mph | NE | ⚡ 21 mph | 88% | Light Rain |
| 4 PM | 41°F | 13 mph | NE | ⚡ 21 mph | 85% | Light Rain |
| 5 PM | 41°F | 13 mph | NE | ⚡ 21 mph | 70% | Light Rain Likely |
| 6 PM | 40°F | 13 mph | NE | ⚡ 20 mph | 74% | Light Rain Likely |
| 7 PM | 37°F | 13 mph | NE | ⚡ 20 mph | 63% | Light Rain Likely |
| 8 PM | 36°F | 13 mph | NE | ⚡ 20 mph | 64% | Light Rain Likely |
| 9 PM | 36°F | 13 mph | NE | ⚡ 18 mph | 63% | Rain And Snow Likely |
| 10 PM | 35°F | 12 mph | NE | ⚡ 17 mph | 85% | Rain And Snow |
| 11 PM | 34°F | 12 mph | NE | ⚡ 16 mph | 98% | Rain And Snow |
| 12 AM | 34°F | 10 mph | NE | ⚡ 16 mph | 98% | Rain And Snow |
| 1 AM | 34°F | 12 mph | NE | ⚡ 16 mph | 98% | Rain And Snow |
| 2 AM | 34°F | 12 mph | NE | ⚡ 16 mph | 89% | Rain And Snow |
| 3 AM | 33°F | 10 mph | NE | ⚡ 16 mph | 87% | Rain And Snow |
| 4 AM | 31°F | 10 mph | NE | ⚡ 15 mph | 83% | Light Snow |
| 5 AM | 31°F | 9 mph | NE | ⚡ 15 mph | 90% | Light Snow |
| 6 AM | 31°F | 8 mph | NE | ⚡ 14 mph | 82% | Light Snow |
| 7 AM | 28°F | 8 mph | NE | ⚡ 14 mph | 81% | Light Snow |
| 8 AM | 31°F | 8 mph | NE | ⚡ 14 mph | 60% | Light Snow Likely |
| 9 AM | 32°F | 6 mph | NE | ⚡ 12 mph | 93% | Light Snow |
| 10 AM | 36°F | 6 mph | NE | ⚡ 12 mph | 82% | Rain And Snow |
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 and patchy fog. Cloudy, with a high near 43. Northeast wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Rain likely and patchy fog before 9pm, then rain and snow. Cloudy. Low around 26, with temperatures rising to around 31 overnight. Northeast wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Snow before 10am, then rain and snow between 10am and 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 41. North northeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Southwest wind around 2 mph.
Partly sunny, with a high near 51. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. West southwest wind around 3 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 57. South wind 1 to 8 mph.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. West wind around 6 mph.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. Northwest wind 8 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. Northwest wind 3 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 56. East wind 3 to 8 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 29.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
Nelson Reservoir currently reports 38°F with wind velocity near 11 mph from the NE. 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 Nelson 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 GGW) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Nelson 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 Nelson Reservoir Water Level & Temperature page.
View Nelson Reservoir Water Level & Temperature →