Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Butler, WI

UPDATE
Issued 510 AM CDT Wed Jul 29 2026

Forecast is on track this morning. High pressure is centered over the eastern half of the state, leading to clear skies and light/calm surface winds. Given the sky-wind conditions, continue to monitor for pockets of fog development over the next 1-2 hours. Very shallow moisture depth in the boundary layer has & will continue to impede more widespread development from taking place, so expecting any fog that can materialize to remain confined to areas near agricultural fields, lakes, river valleys, or other low-lying spots. Headlines won't be needed to cover any of this potential. Slow down & use low beam headlights if encountering localized pockets of fog early this morning.

Mostly sunny skies prevail this afternoon. Expecting some light concentrations of wildfire smoke from the Pacific Northwest, which could give sunshine a more filtered appearance from time to time. Per latest forecasts from the Wisconsin DNR, substantial air quality impacts are not anticipated at this time.

Quigley

SHORT TERM
Issued 1122 PM CDT Tue Jul 28 2026

Current Overnight through Thursday:

Quiet tonight as high pressure builds over the region. Some fog can't be ruled out in and around the Wisconsin River Valley.
High pressure then lingers Wednesday into Thursday keeping dew points more manageable in the upper 50s to mid 60s. Daytime highs on Wednesday will be in the low to mid 80s, with warmer highs on Thursday in the upper 80s as southwesterly winds return and modest WAA boosts temps.

Winds will continue to taper over the lake early this morning, and dangerous waves are expected to wane before dawn. A Beach Hazard Statement remains in effect until 4AM.

CMiller

LONG TERM
Issued 1128 PM CDT Tue Jul 28 2026

Thursday Night through Tuesday:

Thursday night into Friday, low to mid level warm advection is expected ahead of an approaching elongated trough (GFS and NAM)
or closed sfc wave (ECMWF) over the western Corn Belt. Showers and storms are expected on the leading edge of this warm advection.

Tonight, deterministic runs of the ECMWF and GFS show a bit better agreement in the track of the trough and storms for the day on Friday and into Friday night. NBM PoPs have responded in kind, and have increased since last night, favoring 60 to 80% PoPs Friday into early Saturday. However one thing to note is the presence of dry air at the surface ahead of the wave, lingering from the preceding high pressure and dry surface conditions. This dry air shows up well in the RRFS. Dryness may linger at the surface preceding the rain and cause the atmosphere to take a while to saturate. While this may be a high probability of precipitation event once rains gets started, it may be low QPF, and hardly a drought buster.

A sfc ridge will then build in behind the exiting trough, promoting dry conditions for Sunday through Tuesday.
Temperatures Friday through Monday will remain seasonable with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s. By the end of the extended period, it looks like another ridge from the plains leans east into Wisconsin, bringing warmer temperatures in the mid 80s on Tuesday.

CMiller

AVIATION
Issued 510 AM CDT Wed Jul 29 2026

VFR flight categories prevail this morning with high pressure centered over Wisconsin. With light winds and clear skies, continue to monitor for isolated pockets of FG through sunrise, with the expectation for VIS reductions to remain confined to the Wisconsin River Valley and Kettle Moraine. Have thus kept any mentions of FG out of the forecast in the 09 and 12Z updates. Light and variable winds continue through the period with high pressure lingering in the vicinity. Will be monitoring for light areas of smoke this afternoon, though forecast confidence remains too low for any TEMPO/prevailing mentions at this time. Amendments will be made should trends call for through today.

Quigley

MARINE
Issued 1108 PM CDT Tue Jul 28 2026

Winds will diminish tonight into Wednesday as high pressure builds into the Great lakes Region from Ontario. Locally, Small Craft Advisory winds have largely diminished, and lingering high waves will ease over the next few hours. Light southwest wind will develop Thursday through Friday as the high pressure moves east toward the Mid Atlantic States.

CMiller

MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WI...None.
LM...None.