628
FZUS63 KMKX 081449
GLFLM
OPEN LAKE FORECAST FOR LAKE MICHIGAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
849 AM CST THU JAN 8 2026
FOR WATERS BEYOND FIVE NAUTICAL MILES OF SHORE ON LAKE MICHIGAN.
WAVES ARE PROVIDED AS A RANGE OF SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTS, WHICH
IS THE AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST 1/3 OF THE WAVE, ALONG WITH THE
AVERAGE HEIGHT OF THE HIGHEST 10% OF THE WAVES WHICH WILL
OCCASIONALLY BE ENCOUNTERED.
SYNOPSIS
LOW PRESSURE AROUND 29.4 INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL GREAT PLAINS
TODAY WILL TRACK NORTHEAST AND STRENGTHEN TO AROUND 29.3 INCHES
AS IT CROSSES LAKE MICHIGAN BY TONIGHT. GUSTY SOUTH TO
SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL OCCUR OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF LAKE
MICHIGAN THIS EVENING AS THE LOW APPROACHES, VEERING SOUTHWEST
LATE. LIGHTER EAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NORTH HALF OF THE
LAKE. AS THE LOW DEPARTS TO THE NORTHEAST EARLY FRIDAY MORNING,
IT SWINGS A COLD FRONT SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE LAKE. GUSTY NORTH TO
NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND IT, WHICH WILL PERSIST THROUGH
EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. BOTH OF THESE PERIODS OF GUSTY WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO PREVAIL BELOW GALE FORCE BUT WE CANNOT RULE OUT A FEW
BRIEF GALE FORCE GUSTS. THEN WEAK HIGH PRESSURE CROSSES THE LAKE
FRIDAY NIGHT, WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS SHIFTING EAST. ANOTHER
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKING NORTHEAST FROM ARKANSAS/LOUISIANA
WILL PASS SOUTH OF LAKE MICHIGAN ON SATURDAY. THE WEST TO
NORTHWEST WINDS BEHIND THIS SYSTEM FOR SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY
MAY REACH GALE FORCE OVER LAKE MICHIGAN, BUT CONTINUE TO SEE
MODELS VARY ON THE STRENGTH OF THIS LOW PRESSURE FOR THE WEEKEND.
LMZ261-362-364-366-563-565-567-868-082215-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SEUL CHOIX POINT TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN SOUTH OF A LINE FROM SEUL CHOIX POINT TO THE
MACKINAC BRIDGE AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM CHARLEVOIX MI TO SOUTH
FOX ISLAND 5 NM OFFSHORE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM CHARLEVOIX TO POINT BETSIE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM POINT BETSIE TO MANISTEE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE TO STURGEON BAY WI-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM STURGEON BAY TO TWO RIVERS WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM TWO RIVERS TO SHEBOYGAN WI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM PENTWATER TO MANISTEE MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
849 AM CST THU JAN 8 2026
SHEBOYGAN WI TO PENTWATER MI NORTH...
REST OF TODAY
SOUTH WINDS 15 TO 25 KT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN
THIS AFTERNOON. WAVES 4 TO 6 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 8 FT.
TONIGHT
SOUTHEAST WINDS TO 30 KT BACKING TO NORTHWEST. RAIN IN
THE EVENING, THEN RAIN AND SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS
OVERNIGHT. WAVES 4 TO 6 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 8 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO
9 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 12 FT.
FRIDAY
NORTH WINDS TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 25 KT. CHANCE
OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE MORNING. WAVES 6 TO 9 FT OCCASIONALLY TO
12 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 9 FT.
FRIDAY NIGHT
NORTH WINDS 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING EAST 10 TO
15 KT. WAVES 3 TO 5 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT.
SATURDAY
EAST WINDS 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING NORTHEAST 15 TO
25 KT. CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE MORNING, THEN SNOW LIKELY IN THE
AFTERNOON. WAVES 1 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT.
SATURDAY NIGHT
NORTH WINDS TO 30 KT INCREASING TO GALES TO
35 KT. SNOW LIKELY. WAVES 5 TO 8 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 10 FT
BUILDING TO 7 TO 10 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 13 FT.
SUNDAY
NORTH GALES TO 35 KT BECOMING NORTHWEST TO 30 KT. WAVES
8 TO 11 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 14 FT SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 10 FT
OCCASIONALLY TO 13 FT.
MONDAY
SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT. WAVES 4 TO 7 FT OCCASIONALLY
TO 9 FT.
LMZ080-669-671-673-675-777-779-870-872-874-876-878-082215-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM MICHIGAN CITY IN TO ST. JOSEPH MI 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SHEBOYGAN TO PORT WASHINGTON WI 5 NM OFFSHORE
TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM PORT WASHINGTON TO NORTH POINT LIGHT WI 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM NORTH POINT LIGHT TO WIND POINT WI 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WIND POINT WI TO WINTHROP HARBOR IL 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WINTHROP HARBOR TO WILMETTE HARBOR IL 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WILMETTE HARBOR IL TO MICHIGAN CITY IN 5 NM
OFFSHORE TO MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO MID
LAKE-
LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ST. JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN MI 5 NM OFFSHORE TO
MID LAKE-
849 AM CST THU JAN 8 2026
SHEBOYGAN WI TO PENTWATER MI SOUTH...
REST OF TODAY
SOUTH WINDS 15 TO 25 KT. RAIN THIS AFTERNOON.
WAVES 4 TO 6 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 8 FT.
TONIGHT
SOUTHEAST WINDS TO 30 KT VEERING TO SOUTHWEST. RAIN
AND SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING, THEN CHANCE OF
RAIN AND SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. WAVES 4 TO
7 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 9 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT OCCASIONALLY TO
12 FT.
FRIDAY
WEST WINDS TO 30 KT BECOMING NORTHWEST LATE IN THE
MORNING, THEN BECOMING NORTHWEST TO 30 KT EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON
BECOMING NORTH 10 TO 20 KT LATE. CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING.
WAVES 6 TO 9 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 12 FT.
FRIDAY NIGHT
NORTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING EAST. WAVES
4 TO 7 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT.
SATURDAY
EAST WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BACKING TO NORTHWEST 15 TO
25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN AND SNOW LIKELY IN THE MORNING, THEN
SNOW LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. WAVES 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO
6 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 8 FT.
SATURDAY NIGHT
WEST WINDS TO 30 KT INCREASING TO GALES TO
35 KT. SNOW LIKELY. WAVES 6 TO 9 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 12 FT
BUILDING TO 8 TO 11 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 14 FT.
SUNDAY
NORTHWEST GALES TO 35 KT. CHANCE OF SNOW. WAVES 10 TO
14 FT OCCASIONALLY TO 18 FT.
MONDAY
SOUTHWEST WINDS TO 30 KT. WAVES 6 TO 9 FT OCCASIONALLY
TO 12 FT.
LMZ761-082215-
MAFOR 0817/
MICHIGAN NORTH 11430 11436 11336 11346 11246 12746 11740. A
CHANCE OF SNOW FRIDAY MORNING. WAVES 3 TO 5 FEET THIS AFTERNOON.
WAVES 3 TO 6 FEET BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FEET TONIGHT. WAVES 5 TO 8
FEET FRIDAY MORNING.
MICHIGAN SOUTH 11430 11436 11336 11446 11440 11540 11640 11730.
WAVES 3 TO 5 FEET THIS AFTERNOON. WAVES 3 TO 6 FEET BUILDING TO 5
TO 8 FEET TONIGHT. WAVES 5 TO 8 FEET FRIDAY MORNING.
WAGNER
EXPERIMENTAL MODERNIZED OPEN LAKE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT
WEATHER.GOV/MKX/GLFTABLE
GRAPHICAL MARINE FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:
WEATHER.GOV/GREATLAKES
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