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

403 AM EST Mon Feb 2 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 32 degrees.

403 AM EST Mon Feb 2 2026 The water temperature off Rochester is 34 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

035
FZUS51 KBUF 021503
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1003 AM EST Mon Feb 2 2026

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.

LEZ020-022200-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
1003 AM EST Mon Feb 2 2026

.REST OF TODAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Mostly sunny late
this morning, then becoming partly sunny.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 10 knots or less. Cloudy.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Mostly
cloudy.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy.
.THURSDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest. A chance
of snow showers.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest 15 to
20 knots. Snow during the day, then a chance of snow showers
Friday night.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 32 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-022200-
Lower Niagara River-
1003 AM EST Mon Feb 2 2026

.REST OF TODAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly to mostly
sunny.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Cloudy.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Mostly
cloudy.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. A chance of snow
showers Wednesday night.
.THURSDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest. A chance
of snow showers.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest 15 to
20 knots. Snow likely during the day, then a chance of snow
showers Friday night.

$$

LEZ040-041-022200-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
1003 AM EST Mon Feb 2 2026

.REST OF TODAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Partly to mostly
sunny. The lake is mostly ice covered.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Cloudy.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Mostly
cloudy.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.THURSDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest 15 to
20 knots. A chance of snow showers Thursday night.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest. Snow
during the day, then a chance of snow showers Friday night.

Waves omitted due to the lake being mostly ice covered.

$$

LOZ042-022200-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
1003 AM EST Mon Feb 2 2026

.REST OF TODAY...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to
10 to 15 knots. Scattered flurries late this morning. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves
2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west 15 to
20 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to
4 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest. A
chance of snow showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west. A
chance of lake effect snow showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest and
increasing to 15 to 25 knots. A chance of lake effect snow
showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 3 to 5 feet. Waves
occasionally around 6 feet.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest to
30 knots. Snow likely during the day, then a chance of snow
showers Friday night. Waves 3 to 6 feet building to 7 to 10 feet.
Waves occasionally around 13 feet.

$$

LOZ043-022200-
Hamlin Beach to Sodus Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
1003 AM EST Mon Feb 2 2026

.REST OF TODAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 5 to
10 knots. Scattered flurries. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to
2 feet or less.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves
2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west. A chance
of snow showers in the afternoon. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of lake
effect snow showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to 4 feet,
then subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of lake
effect snow showers during the day, then lake effect snow showers
likely Wednesday night. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest 15 to
20 knots. Lake effect snow showers likely during the day, then a
chance of snow showers Thursday night. Waves 1 to 3 feet building
to 2 to 4 feet.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest to
30 knots. Snow likely during the day, then a chance of snow
showers Friday night. Waves 2 to 4 feet building to 8 to 11 feet.
Waves occasionally around 14 feet.

The water temperature off Rochester is 34 degrees.

$$

LOZ044-022200-
Sodus Bay to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario-
1003 AM EST Mon Feb 2 2026

.REST OF TODAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west
5 to 10 knots. Scattered flurries. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to
2 to 4 feet, then subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south. Mostly
cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest. A
chance of lake effect snow showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots. Lake effect snow
showers likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to 4 feet, then
subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Lake effect snow
showers likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to 4 feet, then
subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest
15 to 20 knots. Lake effect snow showers likely during the day,
then a chance of snow showers Thursday night. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest to
30 knots. Snow during the day, then snow showers likely Friday
night. Waves 2 to 4 feet building to 7 to 10 feet. Waves
occasionally around 13 feet.

$$

LOZ045-022200-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
1003 AM EST Mon Feb 2 2026

.REST OF TODAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less. Sunny. Waves
in ice free areas 1 foot or less.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south. Mostly
cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest. A chance
of lake effect snow showers. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west.
Lake effect snow showers likely. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. Snow
showers likely during the day, then a chance of snow showers
Wednesday night. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south 15 to
20 knots. A chance of lake effect snow showers. Waves 1 foot or
less.
.FRIDAY...South winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest to
30 knots. Snow during the day, then snow showers likely Friday
night. Waves 1 foot or less.

Wave heights are for ice free areas.

$$