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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Spirit Lake (Iowa). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Today: High 72°F · Low 65°F
Peak gusts: 15 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 57% · Barometer: 30.06 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Spirit Lake.
Good for boating (88/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 10 mph from the south-southeast. 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.
Excellent for fishing (92/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the south-southeast. 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.
Good for kayaking (88/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the south-southeast. No active official alerts for this lake. 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. 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 | 72°F | 10 mph | S | ⚡ 15 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 7 PM | 71°F | 10 mph | SE | ⚡ 14 mph | 1% | Clear |
| 8 PM | 69°F | 10 mph | SE | ⚡ 16 mph | 1% | Mostly Clear |
| 9 PM | 68°F | 15 mph | SE | ⚡ 18 mph | 1% | Clear |
| 10 PM | 66°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 20 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 11 PM | 66°F | 15 mph | S | ⚡ 21 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 12 AM | 66°F | 20 mph | S | ⚡ 23 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 1 AM | 67°F | 20 mph | S | ⚡ 24 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 2 AM | 67°F | 20 mph | S | ⚡ 27 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 3 AM | 68°F | 20 mph | S | ⚡ 28 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 4 AM | 68°F | 20 mph | S | ⚡ 29 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 5 AM | 66°F | 25 mph | S | ⚡ 30 mph | 0% | Clear |
| 6 AM | 65°F | 25 mph | S | ⚡ 31 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 7 AM | 65°F | 20 mph | S | ⚡ 32 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 8 AM | 66°F | 20 mph | SW | ⚡ 33 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 9 AM | 68°F | 20 mph | SW | ⚡ 35 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 10 AM | 70°F | 20 mph | SW | ⚡ 36 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 11 AM | 72°F | 20 mph | SW | ⚡ 38 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 74°F | 25 mph | S | ⚡ 39 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 1 PM | 75°F | 25 mph | S | ⚡ 39 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 2 PM | 76°F | 25 mph | S | ⚡ 40 mph | 0% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| 3 PM | 77°F | 25 mph | S | ⚡ 39 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 4 PM | 80°F | 25 mph | S | ⚡ 38 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 5 PM | 82°F | 25 mph | S | ⚡ 37 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.
Sunny, with a high near 73. South southeast wind around 10 mph.
Clear. Low around 63, with temperatures rising to around 66 overnight. South southeast wind 10 to 25 mph.
Patchy blowing dust between 2pm and 3pm. Sunny. High near 86, with temperatures falling to around 82 in the afternoon. South wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.
Clear. Low around 65, with temperatures rising to around 68 overnight. South wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 84. South wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. West southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.
A slight chance of rain showers after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.
A chance of rain showers before 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Spirit Lake currently reports 76°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 Spirit 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 FSD) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Spirit 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 Spirit Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Spirit Lake Water Level & Temperature →