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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Smith Mountain Lake (Virginia). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 69°F · Low 65°F
Peak gusts: 14 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 99% · Barometer: 29.94 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Smith Mountain Lake.
Fair for boating (58/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the east. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: 76% chance of precipitation is likely. 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.
Poor for fishing (46/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the east. Air temperature 65°F. Working against it: 76% chance of precipitation is likely. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Fair for kayaking (59/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the east. Gusts to 13 mph. Working against it: 76% chance of precipitation is likely. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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. Wind 7 mph from the east. Working against it: 76% chance of precipitation is likely. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 AM | 65°F | 7 mph | E | ⚡ 13 mph | 76% | Rain |
| 12 PM | 66°F | 9 mph | E | ⚡ 16 mph | 58% | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely |
| 1 PM | 67°F | 9 mph | E | ⚡ 17 mph | 42% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| 2 PM | 67°F | 9 mph | E | ⚡ 16 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 3 PM | 68°F | 8 mph | E | ⚡ 14 mph | 39% | Chance Rain Showers |
| 4 PM | 69°F | 7 mph | W | ⚡ 14 mph | 55% | Rain Showers Likely |
| 5 PM | 69°F | 8 mph | W | ⚡ 15 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| 6 PM | 69°F | 8 mph | W | ⚡ 15 mph | 8% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 67°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 16 mph | 5% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 66°F | 10 mph | SW | ⚡ 18 mph | 8% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 68°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 17 mph | 9% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 66°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 16 mph | 6% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 66°F | 8 mph | SW | ⚡ 15 mph | 6% | Partly Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 66°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 15 mph | 7% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 65°F | 9 mph | SW | ⚡ 15 mph | 10% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 65°F | 9 mph | W | ⚡ 16 mph | 9% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 65°F | 9 mph | W | ⚡ 17 mph | 12% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 65°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 18 mph | 8% | Partly Cloudy |
| 5 AM | 64°F | 12 mph | W | ⚡ 21 mph | 6% | Partly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 65°F | 14 mph | NW | ⚡ 23 mph | 6% | Mostly Sunny |
| 7 AM | 65°F | 14 mph | NW | ⚡ 24 mph | 5% | Mostly Sunny |
| 8 AM | 65°F | 15 mph | NW | ⚡ 25 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 9 AM | 68°F | 16 mph | NW | ⚡ 27 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 70°F | 15 mph | NW | ⚡ 25 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.
Rain showers likely before 11am, then rain between 11am and noon, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 70. North wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. West wind 8 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Sunny, with a high near 77. Northwest wind 12 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Northwest wind 3 to 10 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 82. West wind around 6 mph.
Clear, with a low around 63.
Sunny, with a high near 85.
Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
A slight chance of rain showers between 8pm and 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Smith Mountain Lake currently reports 62°F with wind velocity near 6 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 Smith 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 RNK) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Smith 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 Smith Mountain Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Smith Mountain Lake Water Level & Temperature →