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Marine Weather and Tides
Version 3.4 |
8/26/2020 The 7 day forecast is taking about 5 seconds to load but it will eventually load. NOAA is still working on it. 8/18/2020 NOAA continues to have trouble. Wind guest will occasionally be left off graphs. I am working with NOAA to resolve the issue. 12/16/2019 NOAA is having trouble with requests that include wind gusts. I am posting graphs without wind gusts until it gets fixed. 10/9/2019 Updated the Marine Zones. 9/4/2019 Fixed the weather maps due to NOAA moving them. 7/25/2019 New feature in the Airports section gives a link to 5 minute updates for data reports. |
Sunrise 7:14AM | Sunset 4:50PM | Saturday January 23, 2021 11:05 AM CST (17:05 UTC) | Moonrise 1:23PM | Moonset 3:45AM | Illumination 78% | ![]() |
LMZ346 Manistee To Point Betsie Mi- 313 Am Est Sat Jan 23 2021
Today..Southwest wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots. Isolated snow showers early in the morning. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
Tonight..South wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots. Snow likely. Waves 2 feet or less.
Sunday..South wind 15 to 20 knots. Snow showers. Waves 2 feet or less.
Sunday night..East wind 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less. SEe the open lakes forecast for days 3 through 5.
Today..Southwest wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots. Isolated snow showers early in the morning. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
Tonight..South wind 10 to 15 knots with gusts to around 20 knots. Snow likely. Waves 2 feet or less.
Sunday..South wind 15 to 20 knots. Snow showers. Waves 2 feet or less.
Sunday night..East wind 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less. SEe the open lakes forecast for days 3 through 5.
LMZ346 Expires:202101231615;;348766
FZUS53 KAPX 230813
NSHAPX
Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Gaylord MI
313 AM EST Sat Jan 23 2021
For waters within five nautical miles of shore on Lakes Huron...
Michigan and Superior.
Waves are the significant wave height - the average of the highest
1/3 of the wave spectrum. Occasional wave height is the average of
the highest 1/10 of the wave spectrum.
LMZ346-231615-
7 Day Forecast for Marine Location Near Elberta, MI
Hourly EDIT Help
location: 44.63, -86.26 debug
Area Discussion for - Gaylord, MI
  (on/off)  Help NOTE: mouseover dotted underlined text for definitionFXUS63 KAPX 231606 AFDAPX
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Gaylord MI 1106 AM EST Sat Jan 23 2021
UPDATE. Issued at 1049 AM EST Sat Jan 23 2021
Light snow, with somewhat loosely organized bands, are beginning to push to the NE as the winds are switching to the southwest flow that the models have been hinting at. There looks to be a patch of dry air as well, that is expected to move through the region, pushing the snow bands out of NW Lower and into the Straits Region before the SW flow begins to produce a band, ear Mackinac county, and then the clipper snow begins. The forecast, so far looks to be on track, so will leave it as is for the moment. Maybe do some minor adjustments.
NEAR TERM. (Today through Tonight) Issued at 247 AM EST Sat Jan 23 2021
Impactful weather: Minimal.
Pattern synopsis and forecast:
A shortwave was crossing nrn Michigan early this morning with cold (H8 temps -16C to -18C) in fairly unidirectional flow, continuing to result in lake effect snow in the typical snowbelts. The intensity has dropped off considerably, as inversion heights were under 4kft. Looking just upstream, there was shallow mid level ridging working in from the west, along with associated sfc higher pressure. Even further upstream, a closed off upper low and associated sfc low were spinning in nrn Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with yet another upper low over CA and sfc low in the srn/central Rockies.
The aforementioned mid level ridging and sfc high pressure will cross nrn Michigan today into this evening. 1000-850mb winds will become more anticyclonic, westerly and weaker with time. Inversion heights will also fall further to under 3kft. The exception may be with snow shower activity this morning across eastern Lake Superior, where a minor shortwave ejected from the closed low in Canada, may result in a little bit of enhancement there. Otherwise, less organized and weaker lake effect is expected with time, impacting primarily Whitefish Point and NW lower. Amounts will be minimal and under an inch through today in those westerly flow regimes.
As the mid level ridging exits east of the region after midnight tonight, both upper lows and associated lower sfc pressure will be pushing eastward, resulting in increasing DPVA across the mid/upper Mississippi valley and Great Lakes. Also, the development of a 30- 35kt LLJ will increasingly be tapping Gulf of Mexico moisture/higher theta-e air and feeding it northward. This will bring about increasing chances for seeing system snow breaking out, with back low level flow out of the south potentially enhancing snow in western Mackinac county (but this may hold off for more so Sunday). Due to the late arrival of the snow, amounts will again be minimal, under an inch, and saved for mainly western Chip/Mack counties and the GTV Bay region.
Highs today will generally be in upper teens to lower 20s. Lows tonight will mostly be in the single digits above zero to teens.
SHORT TERM. (Sunday through Monday) Issued at 247 AM EST Sat Jan 23 2021
. Snow Showers Sunday .
High impact weather: Perhaps a few slick spots on Sunday?
Primary forecast concerns/challenges: Pops and snow accumulations Sunday.
A weakening Alberta Clipper tracks slowly by to our north Sunday. This system has a ribbon of weak isentropically forced lift as well as a bit of moisture extending southward across the region. This setup is expected to bring periods of light snow Sunday (especially in the morning). Accumulations are still expected to be in the inch or less range. However, will have to watch out for the possibility of some sneaky southerly flow lake enhancement developing across western Mackinac county which could push local accumulations into the few inch range.
Lingering moisture pushes out of the region by Sunday evening with drier air moving in for Sunday night into Monday. At this point the airmass is expected to have modified enough leaving only marginal over lake instability which may only be sufficient to produce clouds.
Highs both days in the milder upper 20s and low 30s. Lows Sunday night in the mid teens to around 20.
LONG TERM. (Monday night through Friday) Issued at 247 AM EST Sat Jan 23 2021
. Minimal Weather Concerns with Milder Temperatures .
High impact weather: None is expected.
Northern Michigan will be in between a nearly cutoff upper level low across central Canada and an active southern jet stream centered across the Ohio Valley. It does not appear that there will be much going on in between across our neck of the woods. In addition, there will likely be a persistent and dry northeasterly flow coming around strong high pressure to our north. This setup should lead to a rather uneventful stretch of weather (with the exception of perhaps some brisk winds at times). Temperatures will be near to slightly above normal for late January.
AVIATION. (For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Sunday morning) Issued at 550 AM EST Sat Jan 23 2021
Winds continue to weaken and back out of the W/WSW through today as sfc higher pressure and a looser pressure gradient crosses nrn Michigan. Cold air will continue to result in scattered light lake effect snow showers or flurries for mainly PLN, as well as MVFR CIGS at all airports into this morning, before lower end VFR enters the mix at times later this morning and afternoon. The MVFR will impact PLN much more, with mbL likely going VFR sooner today. Weak low pressure approaches late tonight, with the expectation of MVFR CIGS and potential restrictions to VSBYS due to system snow very late in the TAF period at mbL/TVC.
MARINE. Issued at 247 AM EST Sat Jan 23 2021
Winds continue to drop off through the night, as sfc higher pressure and a looser pressure gradient moves into the region. The gradient relaxes further heading through today, before winds kick up again out of the south Sunday. This will be in advance of an area of low pressure, that will bring a good chance for more advisory speeds, along with some light snow.
APX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES. MI . NONE. LH . NONE. LM . NONE. LS . NONE.
UPDATE . JL NEAR TERM . SMD SHORT TERM . AS LONG TERM . AS AVIATION . SMD MARINE . SMD
Weather Reporting Stations
EDIT (on/off)  Help NOTE: Click on distance to see the station location on a mapStations | Dist | Age | Wind | Air Temp | Water Temp | Waves | Pressure | DewPt |
MEEM4 - Manistee Harbor, MI | 27 mi | 25 min | WSW 12 G 15 | 24°F | 1027.8 hPa | |||
BSBM4 - Big Sable Point, MI | 42 mi | 85 min | WSW 11 G 16 | 23°F | 1027.8 hPa | |||
LDTM4 - 9087023 - Ludington, MI | 48 mi | 53 min | W 7 G 12 | 24°F | 8°F |
Wind History for Ludington, MI
(wind in knots) EDIT (on/off)  Help12 PM | 1 PM | 2 PM | 3 PM | 4 PM | 5 PM | 6 PM | 7 PM | 8 PM | 9 PM | 10 PM | 11 PM | 12 AM | 1 AM | 2 AM | 3 AM | 4 AM | 5 AM | 6 AM | 7 AM | 8 AM | 9 AM | 10 AM | 11 AM | |
Last 24hr | NW G17 | NW G13 | NW G14 | NW G14 | NW G10 | NW G9 | NW G9 | N G11 | NW G9 | N G10 | NW G10 | NW G9 | NW G11 | NW G6 | NW G6 | NW G7 | N | N | W | W G9 | W G11 | W G11 | W G13 | W G13 |
1 day ago | W G20 | W G23 | W G26 | W G22 | NW G21 | W G18 | W G17 | W G20 | W G21 | W G21 | NW G13 | NW G20 | NW G16 | NW G17 | NW G17 | NW G18 | NW G15 | NW G16 | N G17 | NW G12 | NW G16 | N G11 | N G15 | N G15 |
2 days ago | SW G19 | S G20 | SW G22 | S G24 | S G26 | S G25 | S G27 | S G35 | SW G31 | SW G31 | SW G34 | SW G24 | W G26 | W G24 | W G22 | W G23 | W G22 | W G18 | W G18 | W G19 | W G20 | W G19 | W G19 | W G20 |
Airport Reports
EDIT (on/off)  Help Click EDIT to display multiple airports. Follow links for more data.Airport | Dist | Age | Wind kt | Visibility | Sky/Weather | Temp | DewPt | Humidity | Pressure |
Frankfort, Frankfort Dow Memorial Field Airport, MI | 3 mi | 10 min | WSW 7 | 10.00 mi | Mostly Cloudy | 23°F | 11°F | 59% | 1027.1 hPa |
Manistee County - Blacker Airport, MI | 24 mi | 9 min | W 12 G 15 | 10.00 mi | Fair | 24°F | 11°F | 57% | 1028.3 hPa |
Link to 5 minute data for KFKS
Wind History from FKS (wind in knots)
1 PM | 2 PM | 3 PM | 4 PM | 5 PM | 6 PM | 7 PM | 8 PM | 9 PM | 10 PM | 11 PM | 12 AM | 1 AM | 2 AM | 3 AM | 4 AM | 5 AM | 6 AM | 7 AM | 8 AM | 9 AM | 10 AM | 11 AM | 12 PM | |
Last 24hr | NW G15 | NW G19 | NW G18 | NW G18 | N G14 | NW | N | NW G15 | NW | NW | NW | NW | Calm | NW | NW | NW | NW | NW | Calm | Calm | Calm | W | W | W |
1 day ago | W G22 | W G22 | NW G24 | W G24 | NW G23 | NW G24 | W G22 | W G25 | NW G21 | NW G23 | NW | N G16 | N G20 | NW G17 | NW G19 | NW G19 | NW G20 | NW G19 | N G16 | NW G20 | NW G19 | NW G16 | NW G18 | NW G15 |
2 days ago | SW G18 | SW G18 | S G19 | S G23 | S G27 | S G21 | S G24 | SW G31 | SW G30 | SW G28 | SW G27 | SW G23 | W G19 | W G24 | W G18 | W G18 | W G18 | W G18 | W G17 | W G18 | W G18 | W G17 | W G15 | W G17 |
Tide / Current Tables for
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GEOS Local Image of EDIT
NOTE: East coast views moved to GEOS-16. They are experimental and not well supported by NOAA so they may not be correct so be warned. This change required redoing a large amount of the GOES code. If the image you are expecting is not showing, please let me know. You may need to use the EDIT function to update your location.
Link to Loop

Other links: Northern Pacific Contential US Full GOES-East
Ground Weather Radar Station
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