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Official National Weather Service (NWS) point forecast and real-time wind conditions for Watauga Lake (Tennessee). 24-hour hour-by-hour wind timelines, peak gusts, watercraft recreation safety thresholds, and 7-day marine outlook.
High Wind Watch issued October 9 at 12:08AM EDT until October 11 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Morristown TN
Today: High 75°F · Low 51°F
Peak gusts: 5 mph · Lake surface chop expected
Humidity: 66% · Barometer: 29.95 inHg
USGS water monitoring available for Watauga Lake.
High Wind Watch issued October 9 at 12:08AM EDT until October 11 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Morristown TN
Good for boating (78/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the north. Gusts to 4 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: High Wind Watch. 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 (86/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the north. 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.
Good for kayaking (80/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the north. Gusts to 4 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: High Wind Watch. 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: Wind 0 mph from the north. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: High Wind Watch. Air temperature 52°F. Not available from a verified source for this lake: water temperature.
| Time | Air Temp | Wind (mph) | Direction | Peak Gusts | Rain Chance | Sky & Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 AM | 52°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 6 AM | 52°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 AM | 51°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 4 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 8 AM | 53°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 9 AM | 59°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 10 AM | 65°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 11 AM | 70°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 5 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 12 PM | 72°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 8 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 1 PM | 73°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 2 PM | 75°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 3 PM | 73°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 9 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 4 PM | 73°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 5 PM | 71°F | 5 mph | SE | ⚡ 10 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 6 PM | 66°F | 5 mph | SE | ⚡ 12 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 7 PM | 64°F | 5 mph | SE | ⚡ 14 mph | 0% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 8 PM | 62°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 14 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 9 PM | 61°F | 5 mph | SE | ⚡ 15 mph | 1% | Mostly Cloudy |
| 10 PM | 60°F | 0 mph | — | ⚡ 14 mph | 1% | Cloudy |
| 11 PM | 60°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 17 mph | 1% | Cloudy |
| 12 AM | 60°F | 5 mph | E | ⚡ 20 mph | 2% | Cloudy |
| 1 AM | 59°F | 10 mph | E | ⚡ 22 mph | 2% | Cloudy |
| 2 AM | 58°F | 10 mph | E | ⚡ 23 mph | 4% | Cloudy |
| 3 AM | 58°F | 10 mph | E | ⚡ 25 mph | 8% | Cloudy |
| 4 AM | 57°F | 15 mph | E | ⚡ 28 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.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Wind around 0 mph.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. East wind 0 to 5 mph.
A slight chance of rain showers after 5am. Mostly cloudy. Low around 51, with temperatures rising to around 57 overnight. East wind 0 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. East wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Rain showers before 5am, then showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Rain showers before 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Sunny, with a high near 78.
Mostly clear, with a low around 55.
Sunny, with a high near 77.
Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
Sunny, with a high near 78.
Watauga Lake currently reports 49°F with wind velocity near 5 mph from the N. 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 Watauga 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 MRX) high-resolution numerical point-forecast API. LakeRadar uses the official gridpoint for Watauga 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 Watauga Lake Water Level & Temperature page.
View Watauga Lake Water Level & Temperature →