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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Swan Lake (Montana). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
Winter Weather Advisory issued October 9 at 11:35AM MDT until October 12 at 6:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Today: High 60°F · Low 45°F
Peak gusts: 9 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 39% · Barometer: 30.06 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Swan Lake.
Winter Weather Advisory issued October 9 at 11:35AM MDT until October 12 at 6:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Fair for boating (62/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 12 mph from the southwest. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. 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.
Good for fishing (79/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 12 mph from the southwest. 0% chance of precipitation. 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 (62/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 12 mph from the southwest. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. 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: 0% chance of precipitation. Wind 12 mph from the southwest. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. Air temperature 54°F. 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 | 54°F | 12 mph | SW | ⚡ 24 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 12 PM | 57°F | 20 mph | SW | ⚡ 28 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 1 PM | 58°F | 20 mph | SW | ⚡ 29 mph | 0% | Sunny |
| 2 PM | 58°F | 20 mph | SW | ⚡ 31 mph | 0% | Mostly Sunny |
| 3 PM | 60°F | 17 mph | W | ⚡ 35 mph | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 4 PM | 59°F | 18 mph | W | ⚡ 35 mph | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 5 PM | 58°F | 20 mph | W | ⚡ 35 mph | 1% | Mostly Sunny |
| 6 PM | 55°F | 17 mph | W | ⚡ 37 mph | 24% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 7 PM | 53°F | 18 mph | W | ⚡ 37 mph | 64% | Light Rain Likely |
| 8 PM | 51°F | 17 mph | W | ⚡ 37 mph | 58% | Light Rain Likely |
| 9 PM | 50°F | 14 mph | W | ⚡ 31 mph | 46% | Chance Light Rain |
| 10 PM | 49°F | 14 mph | W | ⚡ 30 mph | 39% | Chance Light Rain |
| 11 PM | 48°F | 14 mph | W | ⚡ 25 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 12 AM | 48°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 22 mph | 31% | Chance Light Rain |
| 1 AM | 48°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 17 mph | 33% | Chance Light Rain |
| 2 AM | 47°F | 10 mph | W | ⚡ 14 mph | 31% | Chance Light Rain |
| 3 AM | 46°F | 3 mph | W | ⚡ 10 mph | 33% | Chance Light Rain |
| 4 AM | 45°F | 2 mph | SW | ⚡ 7 mph | 18% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 5 AM | 44°F | 1 mph | SW | ⚡ 6 mph | 17% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| 6 AM | 42°F | 8 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 9% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 AM | 41°F | 8 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 10% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 8 AM | 40°F | 8 mph | NE | ⚡ 9 mph | 31% | Chance Rain And Snow |
| 9 AM | 38°F | 5 mph | N | ⚡ 21 mph | 39% | Chance Light Snow |
| 10 AM | 39°F | 5 mph | N | ⚡ 21 mph | 48% | Chance Light Snow |
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 60. Southwest wind 12 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
Rain likely. Mostly cloudy. Low around 37, with temperatures rising to around 44 overnight. West southwest wind 1 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Rain and snow likely after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. North northeast wind 5 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Northeast wind 17 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of around one inch possible.
A chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. East northeast wind 12 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 40.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 44.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
A slight chance of rain before 9am, then a chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42.
Rain likely before 9pm, then rain and snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.
A slight chance of snow before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 44.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Swan Lake currently reports 48°F with wind velocity near 7 mph from the S. 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 Swan 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 MSO) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Swan 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 Swan Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Swan Lake Water Level & Temperature →