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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Placid Lake (Montana). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Winter Weather Advisory issued October 9 at 11:35AM MDT until October 12 at 6:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Today: High 72°F · Low 34°F
Peak gusts: 29 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 24% · Barometer: 29.58 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Placid Lake.
Winter Weather Advisory issued October 9 at 11:35AM MDT until October 12 at 6:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Fair for boating (60/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the west-southwest. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. Gusts to 28 mph. 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 (83/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the west-southwest. 0% chance of precipitation. 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 (62/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the west-southwest. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Gusts to 28 mph. Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. 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: 0% chance of precipitation. Wind 10 mph from the west-southwest. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 PM | 70°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 28 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 3 PM | 71°F | 13 mph | W | ⚡ 31 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 4 PM | 72°F | 14 mph | W | ⚡ 31 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 5 PM | 69°F | 13 mph | W | ⚡ 31 mph | 0% | Partly Sunny |
| 6 PM | 66°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 30 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 62°F | 9 mph | NW | ⚡ 30 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 53°F | 9 mph | NW | ⚡ 30 mph | 2% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 50°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 24 mph | 3% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 47°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 5% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 45°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 24 mph | 12% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 43°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 22 mph | 29% | Chance Light Rain |
| 1 AM | 41°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 17 mph | 38% | Chance Light Rain |
| 2 AM | 39°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 13 mph | 46% | Chance Light Rain |
| 3 AM | 38°F | 2 mph | NW | ⚡ 10 mph | 37% | Chance Light Rain |
| 4 AM | 37°F | 2 mph | NW | ⚡ 8 mph | 34% | Chance Light Rain |
| 5 AM | 36°F | 2 mph | NW | ⚡ 7 mph | 39% | Chance Light Rain |
| 6 AM | 35°F | 2 mph | N | ⚡ 7 mph | 56% | Light Rain Likely |
| 7 AM | 34°F | 2 mph | N | ⚡ 6 mph | 66% | Light Rain Likely |
| 8 AM | 33°F | 2 mph | N | ⚡ 6 mph | 65% | Light Rain Likely |
| 9 AM | 35°F | 2 mph | NW | ⚡ 7 mph | 55% | Light Rain Likely |
| 10 AM | 39°F | 2 mph | NW | ⚡ 7 mph | 59% | Light Rain Likely |
| 11 AM | 41°F | 2 mph | NW | ⚡ 7 mph | 64% | Light Rain Likely |
| 12 PM | 44°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 10 mph | 55% | Light Rain Likely |
| 1 PM | 46°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 10 mph | 57% | Light Rain Likely |
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.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. West wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.
A chance of rain after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. West northwest wind 2 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. North wind 2 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Rain before 7pm, then rain and snow. Cloudy, with a low around 22. East northeast wind 5 to 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Snow likely before 3pm, then a chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 40. East northeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
A slight chance of snow before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.
A slight chance of rain after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.
A slight chance of rain before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 20.
Placid Lake currently reports 69°F with wind velocity near 13 mph from the W. 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 Placid 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 MSO) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Placid 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 Placid Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Placid Lake Water Level & Temperature →