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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Sanford Lake (Michigan). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 67°F · Low 52°F
Peak gusts: 18 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 33% · Barometer: 29.98 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Sanford Lake.
Excellent for boating (99/100), from 3 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the west. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: gusts, visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for fishing (94/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 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.
Excellent for kayaking (99/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the west. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: gusts. Confidence is moderate (78%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
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. 1% chance of precipitation. 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 | 67°F | 2 mph | W | — | 1% | Clear |
| 7 PM | 63°F | 2 mph | E | — | 1% | Clear |
| 8 PM | 58°F | 2 mph | E | — | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 9 PM | 56°F | 2 mph | E | — | 0% | Clear |
| 10 PM | 54°F | 3 mph | E | — | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 11 PM | 54°F | 3 mph | E | — | 11% | Clear |
| 12 AM | 53°F | 3 mph | E | — | 15% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 1 AM | 52°F | 3 mph | SE | — | 15% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 2 AM | 52°F | 3 mph | SE | — | 15% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 3 AM | 52°F | 3 mph | SE | — | 15% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 4 AM | 53°F | 5 mph | SE | — | 15% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 5 AM | 54°F | 5 mph | SE | — | 11% | Partly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 54°F | 5 mph | SE | — | 9% | Partly Sunny |
| 7 AM | 54°F | 6 mph | SE | — | 7% | Partly Sunny |
| 8 AM | 54°F | 6 mph | SE | — | 4% | Mostly Sunny |
| 9 AM | 58°F | 7 mph | SE | — | 3% | Partly Sunny |
| 10 AM | 62°F | 8 mph | S | — | 3% | Partly Sunny |
| 11 AM | 66°F | 8 mph | S | — | 2% | Partly Sunny |
| 12 PM | 70°F | 9 mph | S | — | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 1 PM | 74°F | 10 mph | S | — | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 2 PM | 76°F | 10 mph | S | — | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 3 PM | 77°F | 12 mph | S | — | 1% | Partly Sunny |
| 4 PM | 78°F | 10 mph | S | — | 1% | Partly Sunny |
| 5 PM | 77°F | 10 mph | S | — | 1% | Partly 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.
A slight chance of rain between midnight and 5am. Mostly clear. Low around 51, with temperatures rising to around 54 overnight. East southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Partly sunny, with a high near 78. South southeast wind 5 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Mostly cloudy. Low around 56, with temperatures rising to around 59 overnight. South southeast wind 3 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Southeast wind around 6 mph.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. South wind 0 to 3 mph.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
A chance of thunderstorms and a chance of rain between 8pm and 2am, then a chance of rain and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55.
A chance of rain and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 66.
A slight chance of rain before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.
A slight chance of rain after 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 42.
A chance of rain before 2pm, then a chance of rain and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 64.
A chance of rain and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46.
A chance of rain and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 61.
Sanford Lake currently reports 68°F with wind velocity near 6 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 Sanford 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 DTX) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Sanford 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 Sanford Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Sanford Lake Water Level & Temperature →