Heavy Rain From the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic; Heat Wave Begins This Weekend

Strong to severe thunderstorms and heavy rain will impact portions of the central Plains into the Upper Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic through the weekend. A stretch of unusually hot and humid weather is expected across portions of the central U.S. and the Southeast beginning this weekend and continuing through next week. The heat may reach dangerous levels, particularly mid to late next week. Read More >

Lake Erie

The reported Lake Erie water temperature is taken at the Buffalo Water Treatment Plant located on Lake Erie at the entrance to the Niagara River. The reading is taken at a depth of 30 feet. This data is unofficial.

Lake Ontario

The reported Lake Ontario water temperature is taken at the Monroe County Water Treatment Plant near Greece, N.Y. The temperatures is measured at the intake pipes about 1500 feet offshore at a approximate depth of 35 feet. The Lake Ontario temperature occasionally may not be representative of the surface temperature due to upwelling. This process, more common during the summer months, brings colder water from the deeper parts of the lake toward the surface near the temperature sensor. The surface water may be significantly warmer. This data is unofficial.

Latest Lake Temperatures

1003 AM EDT Sun Jul 20 2025 The water temperature off Buffalo is 78 degrees.

1003 AM EDT Sun Jul 20 2025 The water temperature off Rochester is 59 degrees.

Monthly Lake Erie Temperatures
January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December

Historical Lake Erie Temperatures (Unofficial Normals and Extremes)

The daily lake temperatures for Lake Erie off Buffalo and for Lake Ontario off Rochester are included in the Nearshore Marine Forecast.

Click the link for previous versions of the Nearshore Marine Forecast.

NearShore Marine Forecast

955
FZUS51 KBUF 201404
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1003 AM EDT Sun Jul 20 2025

For waters within five nautical miles of shore

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.

LEZ020-202100-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
1003 AM EDT Sun Jul 20 2025

.THIS AFTERNOON...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. A chance of
showers.
.TONIGHT...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming north.
Mainly clear.
.MONDAY...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming north. Sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds less than 10 knots. Mainly clear.
.TUESDAY...Light and variable winds. Mainly clear.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest.
Partly cloudy.
.THURSDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of showers
during the day, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms
Thursday night.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 78 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-202100-
Lower Niagara River-
1003 AM EDT Sun Jul 20 2025

.THIS AFTERNOON...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly to mostly
sunny.
.TONIGHT...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming north. Mainly
clear.
.MONDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming north. Sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds less than 10 knots becoming east.
Mainly clear.
.TUESDAY...East winds less than 10 knots becoming southeast.
Mainly clear.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest.
Partly cloudy.
.THURSDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of showers
during the day, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms
Thursday night.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

LEZ040-041-202100-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
1003 AM EDT Sun Jul 20 2025

.THIS AFTERNOON...West winds 5 to 10 knots. A chance of showers
and thunderstorms. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.TONIGHT...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northeast.
Becoming mainly clear. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 15 knots becoming north. Sunny.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming
southeast. Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...East winds 10 knots or less becoming southeast. Mainly
clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves
1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of showers
during the day, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms
Thursday night. Waves 2 feet or less.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

LOZ042-202100-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
1003 AM EDT Sun Jul 20 2025

.THIS AFTERNOON...Northwest winds around 10 knots becoming west.
Partly to mostly sunny. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.TONIGHT...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming north. Mainly
clear. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY...Northeast winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest.
Sunny. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southeast. Mainly
clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest. Partly
cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of showers
during the day, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms
Thursday night. Waves 2 feet or less.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

LOZ043-044-202100-
Hamlin Beach to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
1003 AM EDT Sun Jul 20 2025

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

.THIS AFTERNOON...Northwest winds around 10 knots. Showers likely
with a chance of thunderstorms. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TONIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming north. Partly
cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 3 to 5 feet, then subsiding
to 2 to 4 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.MONDAY...North winds 15 to 20 knots becoming northwest 5 to
15 knots. Sunny. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...East winds 10 knots or less becoming south. Mainly
clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly to mostly cloudy.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. A chance of showers
during the day, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms
Thursday night. Waves 2 feet or less.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

The water temperature off Rochester is 59 degrees.

$$

LOZ045-202100-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
1003 AM EDT Sun Jul 20 2025

.THIS AFTERNOON...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west.
Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms. Waves 1 foot or
less.
.TONIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming north 10 to
15 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less building to 1 to
3 feet.
.MONDAY...North winds 5 to 15 knots. Sunny. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east. Mainly
clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming southeast.
Mainly clear. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots. Partly to mostly cloudy.
Waves 1 foot or less building to 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest. A
chance of showers during the day, then a chance of showers and
thunderstorms Thursday night. Waves 1 to 3 feet.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

Radar