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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Rainbow Lake (Arizona). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Wind Advisory issued October 9 at 12:58PM MST until October 11 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Flagstaff AZ
Today: High 71°F · Low 54°F
Peak gusts: 14 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 32% · Barometer: 29.75 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Rainbow Lake.
Wind Advisory issued October 9 at 12:58PM MST until October 11 at 8:00PM MST by NWS Flagstaff AZ
Very Poor / Avoid for boating (30/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the southwest. Gusts to 16 mph. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Wind Advisory. Wind Advisory is in effect for this lake. Boating scores are capped at 30. 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 (65/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the southwest. 2% 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.
Very Poor / Avoid for kayaking (30/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the southwest. Gusts to 16 mph. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Wind Advisory. Wind Advisory is in effect for this lake. Kayaking scores are capped at 30. 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: 2% chance of precipitation. Wind 8 mph from the southwest. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Wind Advisory. 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 | 71°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 16 mph | 2% | Sunny |
| 6 PM | 67°F | 7 mph | S | ⚡ 13 mph | 2% | Mostly Clear |
| 7 PM | 62°F | 7 mph | S | ⚡ 13 mph | 2% | Mostly Clear |
| 8 PM | 59°F | 7 mph | S | ⚡ 13 mph | 2% | Mostly Clear |
| 9 PM | 58°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 14 mph | 2% | Mostly Clear |
| 10 PM | 57°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 15 mph | 2% | Mostly Clear |
| 11 PM | 56°F | 10 mph | S | ⚡ 16 mph | 4% | Mostly Clear |
| 12 AM | 56°F | 10 mph | S | ⚡ 15 mph | 4% | Mostly Clear |
| 1 AM | 56°F | 10 mph | S | ⚡ 15 mph | 4% | Mostly Clear |
| 2 AM | 55°F | 10 mph | S | ⚡ 16 mph | 4% | Partly Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 55°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 15 mph | 4% | Partly Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 55°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 16 mph | 4% | Partly Cloudy |
| 5 AM | 55°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 16 mph | 7% | Partly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 54°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 17 mph | 7% | Mostly Sunny |
| 7 AM | 54°F | 12 mph | SE | ⚡ 18 mph | 7% | Mostly Sunny |
| 8 AM | 60°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 18 mph | 7% | Mostly Sunny |
| 9 AM | 65°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 22 mph | 7% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 68°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 23 mph | 7% | Sunny |
| 11 AM | 70°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 23 mph | 22% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 12 PM | 71°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 24 mph | 22% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 1 PM | 71°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 24 mph | 22% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 2 PM | 70°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 24 mph | 22% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 3 PM | 69°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 24 mph | 22% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 4 PM | 67°F | 14 mph | S | ⚡ 23 mph | 22% | Slight Chance 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. High near 74, with temperatures falling to around 71 in the afternoon. Southwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 17 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 54. South wind 7 to 12 mph.
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11am and 5pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny. High near 71, with temperatures falling to around 65 in the afternoon. South wind 12 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. South wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. South wind 17 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 11pm, then a chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. South wind 16 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
A chance of rain before 8am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 61. South wind 17 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. South wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
A chance of rain showers before 11am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 59. South wind 17 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 5am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. South wind 6 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunny, with a high near 59. Southwest wind around 8 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 38. Northeast wind around 9 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 62. Northeast wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Northeast wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Rainbow Lake currently reports 72°F with wind velocity near 11 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 Rainbow 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 FGZ) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Rainbow 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 Rainbow Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Rainbow Lake Water Level & Temperature →