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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Orchard Lake (Michigan). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 65°F · Low 56°F
Peak gusts: 16 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 96% · Barometer: 29.98 inHg
Live hydrological sensor reading for Orchard Lake.
Excellent for boating (91/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the southeast. 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.
Good for fishing (86/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 60°F from a representative gauge 13.9 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 7 mph from the southeast. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (72%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for kayaking (75/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the southeast. No active official alerts for this lake. Combined air and water temperature is 119°F (below the 120°F safety guideline). Thermal protection recommended for paddle craft. Confidence is high (90%).
Fair for swimming (71/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 4% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Measured water temperature 60°F from a representative gauge 13.9 mi away. Provisional data. Confidence is moderate (75%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 57°F | 7 mph | E | ⚡ 14 mph | 35% | Chance Light Rain |
| 10 AM | 59°F | 7 mph | E | ⚡ 14 mph | 32% | Chance Light Rain |
| 11 AM | 60°F | 8 mph | E | ⚡ 15 mph | 35% | Chance Light Rain |
| 12 PM | 61°F | 8 mph | E | ⚡ 15 mph | 28% | Chance Light Rain |
| 1 PM | 63°F | 7 mph | E | ⚡ 14 mph | 29% | Chance Light Rain |
| 2 PM | 63°F | 6 mph | E | ⚡ 13 mph | 9% | Cloudy |
| 3 PM | 64°F | 6 mph | E | ⚡ 12 mph | 8% | Cloudy |
| 4 PM | 65°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 12 mph | 6% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 5 PM | 65°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 10 mph | 5% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 6 PM | 64°F | 3 mph | E | ⚡ 7 mph | 5% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 63°F | 2 mph | E | ⚡ 6 mph | 5% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 61°F | 2 mph | E | ⚡ 5 mph | 4% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 60°F | 1 mph | NE | ⚡ 4 mph | 2% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 59°F | 1 mph | NW | ⚡ 2 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 58°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 2 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 58°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 2 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 57°F | 1 mph | W | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 56°F | 2 mph | W | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Patchy Fog |
| 3 AM | 56°F | 2 mph | W | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Patchy Fog |
| 4 AM | 55°F | 3 mph | W | ⚡ 6 mph | 0% | Patchy Fog |
| 5 AM | 55°F | 3 mph | W | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Patchy Fog |
| 6 AM | 54°F | 3 mph | W | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Patchy Fog |
| 7 AM | 54°F | 3 mph | W | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Patchy Fog |
| 8 AM | 55°F | 3 mph | SW | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Patchy Fog |
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.
A chance of rain before 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. East wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Patchy fog after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. North northwest wind 0 to 3 mph.
Patchy fog before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. Southwest wind 3 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
A chance of thunderstorms and a chance of rain after 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
A chance of rain. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. West southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
A slight chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55.
A slight chance of rain before 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 66.
A slight chance of rain between 8pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49.
A chance of rain after 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 64.
A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49.
A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61.
A slight chance of rain before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Partly sunny, with a high near 51.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.
Orchard Lake currently reports 58°F with wind velocity near 6 mph from the SE. 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 Orchard Lake 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 DTX) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Orchard Lake 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 Orchard Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Orchard Lake Water Level & Temperature →