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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Rathbun Lake (Iowa). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 83°F · Low 71°F
Peak gusts: 12 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 80% · Barometer: 30.09 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Rathbun Lake.
Good for boating (81/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 12 mph from the south-southwest. 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 (78/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 12 mph from the south-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.
Good for kayaking (80/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 12 mph from the south-southwest. 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. Air temperature 83°F. 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 | 83°F | 12 mph | SW | ⚡ 20 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 3 PM | 83°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 20 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 4 PM | 83°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 20 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 5 PM | 82°F | 10 mph | S | ⚡ 18 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 6 PM | 80°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 18 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 7 PM | 79°F | 8 mph | S | ⚡ 17 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 76°F | 9 mph | S | ⚡ 20 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 75°F | 10 mph | S | ⚡ 21 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 75°F | 10 mph | S | ⚡ 21 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 74°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 22 mph | 2% | Partly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 74°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 21 mph | 4% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 73°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 21 mph | 4% | Partly Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 73°F | 12 mph | S | ⚡ 22 mph | 3% | Partly Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 73°F | 13 mph | SW | ⚡ 22 mph | 3% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 72°F | 13 mph | SW | ⚡ 23 mph | 4% | Partly Cloudy |
| 5 AM | 72°F | 14 mph | SW | ⚡ 23 mph | 3% | Mostly Clear |
| 6 AM | 72°F | 14 mph | SW | ⚡ 24 mph | 4% | Mostly Sunny |
| 7 AM | 71°F | 14 mph | SW | ⚡ 24 mph | 5% | Sunny |
| 8 AM | 71°F | 15 mph | SW | ⚡ 25 mph | 5% | Sunny |
| 9 AM | 72°F | 15 mph | SW | ⚡ 25 mph | 5% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 75°F | 15 mph | SW | ⚡ 25 mph | 5% | Sunny |
| 11 AM | 78°F | 18 mph | SW | ⚡ 25 mph | 4% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 80°F | 18 mph | SW | ⚡ 25 mph | 3% | Sunny |
| 1 PM | 82°F | 18 mph | SW | ⚡ 25 mph | 3% | 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. South wind around 12 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Partly cloudy. Low around 70, with temperatures rising to around 72 overnight. South wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 86. South southwest wind 14 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Mostly clear. Low around 67, with temperatures rising to around 69 overnight. West southwest wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. West wind 1 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
A chance of rain showers before 7pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 7pm and 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 7pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 7pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.
Sunny, with a high near 57.
Mostly clear, with a low around 40.
Rathbun Lake currently reports 59°F with wind velocity near 10 mph from the S. 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 Rathbun 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 DMX) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Rathbun 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 Rathbun Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Rathbun Lake Water Level & Temperature →