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 Wed Feb 4 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 32 degrees.

1003 AM EST Wed Feb 4 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

959
FZUS51 KBUF 050903
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
403 AM EST Thu Feb 5 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.

LEZ020-051600-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
403 AM EST Thu Feb 5 2026

.TODAY...Southwest winds less than 10 knots. A chance of snow
showers early.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 10 knots or less becoming south.
Mostly cloudy.
.FRIDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest. Snow.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest and
increasing to 15 to 25 knots. Snow likely.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 5 to
15 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.SUNDAY...West winds less than 10 knots becoming southwest.
Mostly cloudy.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds less than 10 knots becoming south.
Mostly cloudy.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 32 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-051600-
Lower Niagara River-
403 AM EST Thu Feb 5 2026

.TODAY...Light and variable winds. A chance of snow showers
early.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Snow.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest and
increasing to 15 to 25 knots. Snow likely.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 5 to
15 knots. Mostly cloudy.
.SUNDAY...Northwest winds less than 10 knots becoming southwest.
Mostly cloudy.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds less than 10 knots becoming south.
Mostly cloudy.

$$

LEZ040-041-051600-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
403 AM EST Thu Feb 5 2026

.TODAY...Southwest winds less than 10 knots. A chance of snow
showers early. The lake is mostly ice covered.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 10 knots or less becoming south.
Mostly cloudy.
.FRIDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest. Snow.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest to
30 knots. Snow likely.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 5 to
15 knots. Partly to mostly cloudy.
.SUNDAY...West winds less than 10 knots becoming southwest.
Mostly cloudy.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds less than 10 knots. Mostly cloudy.

Waves omitted due to the lake being mostly ice covered.

$$

LOZ042-051600-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
403 AM EST Thu Feb 5 2026

.TODAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming southwest. A
chance of snow showers this morning. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TONIGHT...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves
2 feet or less.
.FRIDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. Snow. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...West winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest to
30 knots. Snow. Waves 3 to 5 feet building to 8 to 11 feet. Waves
occasionally around 14 feet.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds to 30 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. A chance of snow showers. Waves 8 to 11 feet subsiding
to 2 to 4 feet. Waves occasionally around 14 feet.
.SUNDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Mostly
cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.MONDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest. Mostly
cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.

$$

LOZ043-044-051600-
Hamlin Beach to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
403 AM EST Thu Feb 5 2026

.TODAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming light and
variable. Lake effect snow showers likely early, then a chance of
snow showers. Waves 2 feet or less.
.TONIGHT...South winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy. Waves
1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY...South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest. A chance
of snow. Waves 1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest
and increasing to 30 knots overnight. Snow. Waves 2 feet or less
building to 8 to 12 feet. Waves occasionally around 15 feet.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds to 30 knots diminishing to 15 to
25 knots. A chance of snow showers. Visibility one quarter mile
or less at times. Waves 8 to 11 feet subsiding to 3 to 5 feet.
Waves occasionally around 14 feet.
.SUNDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Mostly
cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming east. Mostly cloudy.
Waves 2 feet or less.

The water temperature off Rochester is 34 degrees.

$$

LOZ045-051600-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
403 AM EST Thu Feb 5 2026

.TODAY...Northwest winds less than 10 knots. A chance of snow
showers early. Waves in ice free areas 1 foot or less.
.TONIGHT...Light and variable winds becoming south 5 to 10 knots.
Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY...South winds 5 to 15 knots. A chance of snow in the
afternoon. Waves 1 foot or less.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...South winds 5 to 10 knots becoming north and
increasing to 30 knots overnight. Snow. Visibility one quarter
mile or less at times overnight. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SATURDAY...Northwest winds to 30 knots diminishing to 15 to
25 knots. A chance of snow showers during the day. Visibility one
quarter mile or less at times. Waves 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming southwest.
Partly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds less than 10 knots becoming east.
Partly cloudy. Waves 1 foot or less.

Wave heights are for ice free areas.

$$