Lake Temperatures

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

1002 AM EDT Tue May 20 2025 The water temperature off Buffalo is 53 degrees.

1002 AM EDT Tue May 20 2025 The water temperature off Rochester is 47 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

192
FZUS51 KBUF 202002
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
402 PM EDT Tue May 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.

LEZ020-210300-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
402 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

.TONIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots. A chance of showers late.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds 10 to 15 knots. Rain in the morning, then
showers in the afternoon.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southeast.
Showers in the evening, then periods of rain overnight.
.THURSDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots. Periods of rain.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest.
Periods of rain.
.FRIDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Rain likely.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming west. A
chance of showers.
.SUNDAY...West winds less than 10 knots. Partly cloudy.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 53 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-210300-
Lower Niagara River-
402 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

.TONIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. Rain.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southeast
10 to 15 knots. Showers in the evening, then periods of rain
overnight.
.THURSDAY...Southeast winds around 10 knots becoming south.
Periods of rain.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Rain
likely.
.FRIDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Rain likely.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. Partly to mostly cloudy.
.SUNDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest. Partly
cloudy.

$$

LEZ040-210300-
Ripley to Dunkirk along Lake Erie-
402 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

.TONIGHT...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of showers
after midnight. Showers late. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming east.
Showers. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming south.
Showers in the evening, then periods of rain overnight. Waves
2 feet or less.
.THURSDAY...Southwest winds around 10 knots. Periods of rain.
Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots. Rain likely in the
evening, then a chance of rain overnight. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. Rain likely during the day,
then a chance of rain Friday night. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of showers during
the day. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming north. Partly cloudy.
Waves around 1 foot.

$$

LEZ041-210300-
Dunkirk to Buffalo along Lake Erie-
402 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

.TONIGHT...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east. Rain
likely late. Waves 2 feet or less.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds 10 to 15 knots. Showers. Waves 2 feet or
less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 to 15 knots becoming south.
Showers in the evening, then periods of rain overnight. Waves
2 feet or less.
.THURSDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest. Periods
of rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west.
Periods of rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots. Rain likely. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of showers. Waves
2 feet or less.
.SUNDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. Partly cloudy. Waves
1 foot or less.

$$

LOZ042-210300-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
402 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

.TONIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet
or less.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. Rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 3 to 5 feet. Waves
occasionally around 6 feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 15 to 25 knots. Showers in the
evening, then periods of rain overnight. Waves 3 to 5 feet. Waves
occasionally around 6 feet.
.THURSDAY...East winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southeast 10 to
15 knots. Periods of rain. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to
3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Periods of
rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west. Rain
likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of showers. Waves
1 to 2 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds around 10 knots becoming northwest. Partly
cloudy. Waves 1 to 2 feet.

$$

LOZ043-210300-
Hamlin Beach to Sodus Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
402 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

.TONIGHT...East winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy. Waves
1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southeast 15 to
20 knots. A chance of showers in the morning, then rain in the
afternoon. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southeast.
Showers in the evening, then periods of rain overnight. Waves
2 to 4 feet.
.THURSDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. Periods of rain. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to
3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Periods of
rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...East winds around 10 knots becoming west. Rain likely.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of showers. Waves
1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 1 to
2 feet.

The water temperature off Rochester is 47 degrees.

$$

LOZ044-210300-
Sodus Bay to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario-
402 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

.TONIGHT...North winds 10 knots or less becoming east. Mostly
cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southeast. A
chance of showers in the morning, then rain in the afternoon.
Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...East winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southeast
15 to 20 knots. Periods of rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. Periods of rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Periods of
rain. Waves 2 feet or less.
.FRIDAY...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest. Rain
likely. Waves 2 feet or less.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west. A
chance of rain during the day, then a chance of showers Saturday
night. Waves 2 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 1 to
3 feet.

$$

LOZ045-210300-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
402 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

.TONIGHT...Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east. Partly
cloudy this evening, then becoming mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or
less.
.WEDNESDAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southeast. Rain
likely in the afternoon. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming east
15 to 20 knots. Periods of rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. Periods of rain. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots. Rain likely. Waves
2 feet or less.
.FRIDAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. Rain
likely. Waves 2 feet or less.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. A chance
of rain during the day, then a chance of showers Saturday night.
Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest. A chance
of showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.

$$