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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 37°F
Peak gusts: 18 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 17% · Barometer: 29.80 inHg
Live hydrological sensor reading for Shadow Mountain Lake.
Fair for boating (72/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the south-southwest. Gusts to 7 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 (58/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the south-southwest. Measured water temperature 56°F from a representative gauge 1.6 mi away. Provisional data. 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 5 mph from the south-southwest. Gusts to 7 mph. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Combined air and water temperature is 110°F (below the 120°F safety guideline). Thermal protection recommended for paddle craft. Confidence is high (90%).
Very Poor / Avoid for swimming (22/100), 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 1.6 mi away. Provisional data. Cold water hazard: thermal protection recommended below 60°F. Air temperature 54°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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 PM | 65°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 20 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 4 PM | 66°F | 13 mph | W | ⚡ 20 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 5 PM | 64°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 18 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 6 PM | 63°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 16 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 7 PM | 59°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 15 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 8 PM | 55°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 14 mph | 13% | Partly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 52°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 13 mph | 4% | Partly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 49°F | 7 mph | SW | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 11 PM | 47°F | 6 mph | S | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 12 AM | 45°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 1 AM | 44°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 2 AM | 42°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 3 AM | 40°F | 5 mph | S | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 4 AM | 39°F | 5 mph | SW | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 5 AM | 38°F | 5 mph | SW | ⚡ 7 mph | 0% | Mostly Clear |
| 6 AM | 37°F | 3 mph | SW | ⚡ 6 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 7 AM | 37°F | 3 mph | SW | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 8 AM | 39°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 9 AM | 45°F | 3 mph | SW | ⚡ 6 mph | 4% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 50°F | 6 mph | SW | ⚡ 9 mph | 4% | Sunny |
| 11 AM | 56°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 15 mph | 4% | Mostly Sunny |
| 12 PM | 59°F | 13 mph | SW | ⚡ 20 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 1 PM | 61°F | 14 mph | SW | ⚡ 23 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 2 PM | 62°F | 15 mph | SW | ⚡ 24 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
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 2pm. Mostly sunny. High near 67, with temperatures falling to around 64 in the afternoon. Southwest wind 5 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A slight chance of rain showers. Mostly sunny. High near 67, with temperatures falling to around 64 in the afternoon. Southwest wind around 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A slight chance of rain showers before 8pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 37. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A slight chance of rain showers between noon and 3pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny. High near 63, with temperatures falling to around 61 in the afternoon. Southwest wind 2 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Southwest wind 3 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
A slight chance of rain showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. South southwest wind 2 to 8 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A chance of rain showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunny, with a high near 61.
Mostly clear, with a low around 32.
A chance of rain showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 3am, then rain and snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29.
Rain and snow showers likely before noon, then snow showers likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms between noon and 3pm, then a slight chance of thunderstorms and rain and snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49.
Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.
A chance of snow showers before 9am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 50.
Shadow Mountain Lake currently reports 67°F with wind velocity near 13 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 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 →