Loading page content…
Loading page content…
Loading lake conditions…
Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Richard B. Russell Lake (Georgia). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Flood Watch issued October 10 at 10:47PM EDT until October 11 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Today: High 72°F · Low 66°F
Peak gusts: 18 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 93% · Barometer: 30.08 inHg
Live hydrological sensor reading for Richard B. Russell Lake.
Flood Watch issued October 10 at 10:47PM EDT until October 11 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Fair for boating (59/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the southeast. Gusts to 16 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. 71% chance of precipitation is likely. 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 (79/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 73°F. Provisional data. Wind 8 mph from the southeast. Working against it: 71% chance of precipitation is likely. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (73%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for kayaking (63/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the southeast. Gusts to 16 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. 71% chance of precipitation is likely. Confidence is high (90%).
Poor for swimming (49/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 73°F. Provisional data. Wind 8 mph from the southeast. Working against it: Active severe alert: Flood Watch. 71% chance of precipitation is likely. Confidence is moderate (77%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 AM | 69°F | 8 mph | SE | ⚡ 16 mph | 71% | Patchy Fog |
| 2 AM | 69°F | 7 mph | SE | ⚡ 17 mph | 69% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 3 AM | 67°F | 7 mph | S | ⚡ 17 mph | 68% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 4 AM | 69°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 17 mph | 65% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 5 AM | 68°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 17 mph | 65% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 6 AM | 67°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 16 mph | 41% | Scattered Rain Showers |
| 7 AM | 66°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 16 mph | 10% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 8 AM | 66°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 18 mph | 10% | Partly Sunny |
| 9 AM | 66°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 18 mph | 5% | Partly Sunny |
| 10 AM | 66°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 18 mph | 4% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 11 AM | 66°F | 12 mph | SW | ⚡ 20 mph | 3% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 12 PM | 68°F | 12 mph | SW | ⚡ 21 mph | 13% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 1 PM | 69°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 21 mph | 6% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 2 PM | 70°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 21 mph | 3% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 3 PM | 72°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 22 mph | 3% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 4 PM | 72°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 22 mph | 8% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 5 PM | 72°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 21 mph | 8% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 6 PM | 71°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 21 mph | 2% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 68°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 20 mph | 4% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 66°F | 9 mph | W | ⚡ 17 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 65°F | 9 mph | W | ⚡ 17 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 65°F | 9 mph | W | ⚡ 17 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 64°F | 9 mph | W | ⚡ 18 mph | 0% | Partly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 64°F | 9 mph | W | ⚡ 17 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
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.
Patchy fog and widespread showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 8 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Scattered rain showers before 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Southwest wind 8 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. West wind around 12 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 84. West northwest wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Northwest wind 1 to 5 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 87.
Clear, with a low around 59.
Sunny, with a high near 90.
Clear, with a low around 62.
Sunny, with a high near 88.
Mostly clear, with a low around 62.
Sunny, with a high near 84.
Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
A slight chance of rain showers after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.
Richard B. Russell Lake currently reports 73°F with wind velocity near 10 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 Richard B. Russell 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 GSP) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Richard B. Russell 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 Richard B. Russell Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Richard B. Russell Lake Water Level & Temperature →