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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Shadow Mountain Lake (Colorado). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 66°F · Low 46°F
Peak gusts: 3 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 54% · Barometer: 29.73 inHg
Live hydrological sensor reading for Shadow Mountain Lake.
Fair for boating (74/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the south-southeast. Gusts to 4 mph. 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 (61/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the south-southeast. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Working against it: Air temperature 40°F. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (82%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for kayaking (56/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 2 mph from the south-southeast. Gusts to 4 mph. Working against it: Air temperature 40°F. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Combined air and water temperature is 96°F (below the 120°F safety guideline). Thermal protection recommended for paddle craft. Confidence is high (90%).
Very Poor / Avoid for swimming (18/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Measured water temperature 56°F from a representative gauge 2.5 mi away. Provisional data. Cold water hazard: thermal protection recommended below 60°F. Air temperature 40°F. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Water temperature is 56°F (below 60°F). Immersion requires thermal protection. Confidence is high (87%).
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 46°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 2 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 51°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 11 AM | 56°F | 5 mph | SW | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 62°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 13 mph | 15% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 1 PM | 64°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 16 mph | 15% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 2 PM | 65°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 18 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 3 PM | 66°F | 13 mph | W | ⚡ 21 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 4 PM | 65°F | 13 mph | W | ⚡ 21 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 5 PM | 64°F | 13 mph | W | ⚡ 21 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 6 PM | 62°F | 9 mph | W | ⚡ 15 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 7 PM | 57°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 13 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 8 PM | 54°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 14 mph | 14% | Partly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 52°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 14 mph | 5% | Partly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 50°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 13 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 11 PM | 50°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 12 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 12 AM | 48°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 1 AM | 47°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 2 AM | 46°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 12 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 3 AM | 45°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 12 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 4 AM | 43°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 5 AM | 43°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 6 AM | 42°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 7 AM | 42°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 8 AM | 42°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | 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 showers after noon. Mostly sunny. High near 66, with temperatures falling to around 64 in the afternoon. Southwest wind 1 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A slight chance of rain showers before 8pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny. High near 63, with temperatures falling to around 61 in the afternoon. Southwest wind 6 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. South southwest wind 3 to 7 mph.
A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunny, with a high near 63.
A slight chance of rain showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.
A chance of rain showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
Rain showers likely before 9pm, then rain and snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Snow showers likely before 9am, then rain and snow showers likely between 9am and noon, then a slight chance of thunderstorms and rain and snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
Rain and snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. New snow accumulation of around one inch possible.
A chance of snow showers before 3pm, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 47. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Shadow Mountain Lake currently reports 39°F with wind velocity near 3 mph from the NE. 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 Shadow Mountain 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 BOU) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Shadow Mountain 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 Shadow Mountain Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Shadow Mountain Lake Water Level & Temperature →