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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Pactola Reservoir (South Dakota). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Red Flag Warning issued October 9 at 11:00AM MDT until October 9 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD
Today: High 82°F · Low 57°F
Peak gusts: 25 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 16% · Barometer: 29.99 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Pactola Reservoir.
Red Flag Warning issued October 9 at 11:00AM MDT until October 9 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD
Fair for boating (64/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the west. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Red Flag Warning. 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.
Excellent for fishing (96/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the west. Dusk hours (18:00 local). 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 (67/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the west. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Red Flag Warning. 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: Air temperature 82°F. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Red Flag Warning. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 PM | 82°F | 6 mph | W | ⚡ 21 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 7 PM | 75°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 18 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 8 PM | 71°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 24 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 9 PM | 68°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 28 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 10 PM | 65°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 28 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 11 PM | 64°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 29 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 12 AM | 63°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 23 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 1 AM | 62°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 22 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 2 AM | 62°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 24 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 3 AM | 61°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 24 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 4 AM | 62°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 5 AM | 61°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 24 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 6 AM | 59°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 24 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 7 AM | 58°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 23 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 8 AM | 57°F | 8 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 9 AM | 59°F | 8 mph | W | ⚡ 27 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 64°F | 8 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 11 AM | 73°F | 9 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 78°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 1 PM | 80°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 2 PM | 80°F | 9 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 3 PM | 82°F | 8 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 4 PM | 80°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 27 mph | 1% | Sunny |
| 5 PM | 80°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 22 mph | 1% | Sunny |
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. High near 84, with temperatures falling to around 82 in the afternoon. Northwest wind around 6 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Mostly clear. Low around 57, with temperatures rising to around 59 overnight. Southwest wind around 7 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Sunny. High near 82, with temperatures falling to around 77 in the afternoon. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
A slight chance of rain showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy. Low around 46, with temperatures rising to around 48 overnight. West wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Mostly cloudy. High near 62, with temperatures falling to around 54 in the afternoon. North wind around 6 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy. Low around 37, with temperatures rising to around 39 overnight. East wind 1 to 5 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
A slight chance of rain before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 60.
A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.
A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 56.
A chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.
Rain likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 56.
Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.
A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 53.
A slight chance of rain and snow. Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Pactola Reservoir currently reports 82°F with wind velocity near 12 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 Pactola 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 UNR) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Pactola 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 Pactola Reservoir Water Level & Temperature page.
View Pactola Reservoir Water Level & Temperature →