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 Fri Jan 23 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 32 degrees.

1003 AM EST Fri Jan 23 2026 The water temperature off Rochester is 35 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

070
FZUS51 KBUF 240303
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1003 PM EST Fri Jan 23 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.

LEZ020-241000-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
1003 PM EST Fri Jan 23 2026

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST SATURDAY...

.OVERNIGHT...West winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of snow
showers.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest.
Partly to mostly sunny.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Light and variable winds becoming east 5 to
10 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.SUNDAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots. Snow.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northeast.
Snow.
.MONDAY...North winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Snow showers
likely.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots becoming west 10 to
15 knots. A chance of snow showers.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots. A chance of snow showers.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 32 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-241000-
Lower Niagara River-
1003 PM EST Fri Jan 23 2026

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST SATURDAY...

.OVERNIGHT...West winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of snow
showers.
.SATURDAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less. A chance of snow
showers in the morning.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Light and variable winds. Mostly cloudy.
.SUNDAY...East winds 5 to 15 knots. Snow.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northeast.
Snow.
.MONDAY...North winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Snow showers
likely.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots becoming west 10 to
15 knots. A chance of snow showers.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. A
chance of snow showers Wednesday night.

$$

LEZ040-041-241000-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
1003 PM EST Fri Jan 23 2026

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EST SATURDAY...

.OVERNIGHT...West winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. A chance of snow showers. The lake is mostly ice
covered.
.SATURDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. Partly sunny.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Light and variable winds becoming east 5 to
10 knots. A chance of snow overnight.
.SUNDAY...East winds 5 to 15 knots. Snow.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northeast.
Snow.
.MONDAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming west and
increasing to 15 to 25 knots. Snow showers likely.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds to 30 knots becoming west 15 to
25 knots. A chance of snow showers.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 5 to
15 knots. A chance of snow showers.

Waves omitted due to the lake being mostly ice covered.

$$

LOZ042-241000-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
1003 PM EST Fri Jan 23 2026

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST SATURDAY...

.OVERNIGHT...Northwest winds 15 to 25 knots. Lake effect
snow showers likely, then a chance of snow showers late. Waves
5 to 8 feet subsiding to 2 to 4 feet. Waves occasionally around
10 feet.
.SATURDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of snow showers in
the morning. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 knots or less becoming
southeast 10 to 15 knots. A chance of snow showers. Waves 1 foot
or less.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 25 knots becoming east. Snow.
Waves 2 feet or less building to 3 to 5 feet. Waves occasionally
around 6 feet.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northeast.
Snow. Waves 3 to 6 feet building to 4 to 7 feet. Waves
occasionally around 9 feet.
.MONDAY...North winds 15 to 25 knots becoming west to 30 knots.
Lake effect snow showers. Waves 3 to 6 feet building to 5 to
8 feet. Waves occasionally around 10 feet.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds to 30 knots becoming west 15 to
25 knots. A chance of snow showers. Waves 5 to 8 feet. Waves
occasionally around 10 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots becoming northwest 10 to
15 knots. A chance of snow showers Wednesday night. Waves 3 to
6 feet subsiding to 2 to 4 feet. Waves occasionally around
7 feet.

$$

LOZ043-241000-
Hamlin Beach to Sodus Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
1003 PM EST Fri Jan 23 2026

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST SATURDAY...

.OVERNIGHT...Northwest winds to 30 knots diminishing to
15 to 25 knots. Lake effect snow showers. Waves 7 to 11 feet
subsiding to 4 to 7 feet. Waves occasionally around 14 feet.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. A chance
of snow showers. Waves 3 to 5 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less becoming southeast
10 to 15 knots. A chance of snow showers. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 15 to 20 knots becoming east. Snow
likely in the morning, then snow in the afternoon. Waves 1 to
3 feet building to 3 to 5 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East winds 15 to 20 knots. Snow. Waves 3 to
6 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.
.MONDAY...North winds 15 to 25 knots becoming west to 30 knots.
Lake effect snow showers. Waves 3 to 6 feet building to 6 to
10 feet. Waves occasionally around 13 feet.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds to 30 knots becoming west 15 to
25 knots. A chance of snow showers. Waves 5 to 8 feet. Waves
occasionally around 10 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 15 to 20 knots becoming northwest 10 to
15 knots. A chance of snow showers. Waves 4 to 7 feet subsiding
to 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around 9 feet.

The water temperature off Rochester is 35 degrees.

$$

LOZ044-241000-
Sodus Bay to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario-
1003 PM EST Fri Jan 23 2026

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST SATURDAY...

.OVERNIGHT...Northwest winds to 30 knots diminishing to
15 to 20 knots. Lake effect snow showers likely, then a chance of
snow showers late. Waves 9 to 12 feet subsiding to 4 to 7 feet.
Waves occasionally around 15 feet.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of snow
showers in the morning. Waves 3 to 5 feet subsiding to 1 to
3 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming
southeast. Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...Southeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming east 15 to
20 knots. Snow likely in the morning, then snow in the afternoon.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...East winds 15 to 20 knots becoming northeast
10 to 15 knots. Snow. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY...North winds 15 to 25 knots becoming west to 30 knots.
Lake effect snow showers. Waves 3 to 6 feet building to 6 to
10 feet. Waves occasionally around 13 feet.
.TUESDAY...West winds to 30 knots diminishing to 15 to 25 knots.
Snow showers likely during the day, then a chance of snow showers
Tuesday night. Waves 6 to 10 feet. Waves occasionally around
13 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. A chance of snow showers. Waves 4 to 7 feet subsiding
to 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around 9 feet.

$$

LOZ045-241000-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
1003 PM EST Fri Jan 23 2026

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST SATURDAY...

.OVERNIGHT...Northwest winds to 30 knots diminishing to
15 to 25 knots. A chance of snow showers. Waves in ice free areas
8 to 11 feet subsiding to 3 to 5 feet. Waves in ice free areas
occasionally around 14 feet.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves
1 to 3 feet subsiding to 1 foot or less.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming east.
Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...East winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of snow in the
morning, then snow in the afternoon. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to
15 to 20 knots. Snow. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY...Northeast winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest. Snow
during the day, then lake effect snow showers likely Monday
night. Waves 2 feet or less building to 5 to 8 feet. Waves
occasionally around 10 feet.
.TUESDAY...West winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest. Snow
showers likely. Waves 5 to 9 feet. Waves occasionally around
11 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming north. A
chance of snow showers. Waves 3 to 6 feet subsiding to 2 to
4 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.

Wave heights are for ice free areas.

$$