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

1003 AM EST Sun Feb 1 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 32 degrees.

1003 AM EST Sun Feb 1 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

336
FZUS51 KBUF 012103
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
403 PM EST Sun Feb 1 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.

LEZ020-020400-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
403 PM EST Sun Feb 1 2026

.TONIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest. Partly
to mostly cloudy.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 knots or less. Mostly 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 Thursday night.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest. Snow
showers.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 32 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-020400-
Lower Niagara River-
403 PM EST Sun Feb 1 2026

.TONIGHT...Northwest winds less than 10 knots becoming southwest.
Partly cloudy.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less. Partly sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Mostly 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 Thursday night.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest. Snow
showers likely during the day, then a chance of snow showers
Friday night.

$$

LEZ040-041-020400-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
403 PM EST Sun Feb 1 2026

.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly to mostly
cloudy. The lake is mostly ice covered.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly to mostly sunny.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 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 15 to
20 knots. A chance of snow showers Thursday night.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots becoming northwest. Snow
showers.

Waves omitted due to the lake being mostly ice covered.

$$

LOZ042-020400-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
403 PM EST Sun Feb 1 2026

.TONIGHT...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Partly to
mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest. Partly
sunny. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west. Mostly
cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest.
Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northwest winds 5 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 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 showers likely. Waves 3 to 6 feet building to 5 to
9 feet. Waves occasionally around 11 feet.

$$

LOZ043-020400-
Hamlin Beach to Sodus Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
403 PM EST Sun Feb 1 2026

.TONIGHT...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Snow showers likely
early. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. Partly sunny. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west. Mostly
cloudy. 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.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of lake effect
snow showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest 15 to
20 knots. A chance of snow showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest to
30 knots. Snow showers likely. Waves 3 to 5 feet building to 7 to
10 feet. Waves occasionally around 13 feet.

The water temperature off Rochester is 34 degrees.

$$

LOZ044-020400-
Sodus Bay to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario-
403 PM EST Sun Feb 1 2026

.TONIGHT...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Snow showers likely
early. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Partly to
mostly sunny. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest.
Mostly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. A chance of
lake effect snow showers in the afternoon. Waves 2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of lake
effect snow showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of lake
effect snow showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest. A
chance of lake effect snow showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest to
30 knots. Snow showers. Waves 2 to 4 feet building to 7 to
10 feet. Waves occasionally around 13 feet.

$$

LOZ045-020400-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
403 PM EST Sun Feb 1 2026

.TONIGHT...Northwest winds 10 knots or less. Partly cloudy. Waves
in ice free areas 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest.
Mostly sunny. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY NIGHT...West 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 in the afternoon. Waves 1 foot or
less.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots. A chance of lake
effect snow showers. Waves 1 foot or less.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. A
chance of lake effect snow showers. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest
and increasing to 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 showers. Waves 1 foot or less.

Wave heights are for ice free areas.

$$