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 EDT Sat May 2 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 46 degrees.

1003 AM EDT Sat May 2 2026 The water temperature off Rochester is 43 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

174
FZUS51 KBUF 022003
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
403 PM EDT Sat May 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.

LEZ020-030300-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
403 PM EDT Sat May 2 2026

.TONIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy this
evening, then clearing.
.SUNDAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less increasing to 15 to
20 knots. Mostly sunny.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to
10 to 15 knots. A chance of showers overnight.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. A chance of showers in the morning.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of
showers overnight.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less becoming north.
Showers with a chance of thunderstorms.
.WEDNESDAY...North winds less than 10 knots. Showers during the
day, then a chance of showers Wednesday night.
.THURSDAY...North winds 10 knots or less becoming west. Rain
showers likely.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 46 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-030300-
Lower Niagara River-
403 PM EDT Sat May 2 2026

.TONIGHT...West winds 10 knots or less. Mostly cloudy this
evening, then clearing.
.SUNDAY...Southwest winds 10 knots or less increasing to 15 to
20 knots. Partly to mostly sunny.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to
10 to 15 knots. A chance of showers.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. A chance of showers in the morning.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of
showers overnight.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming north less than
10 knots. Showers.
.WEDNESDAY...North winds less than 10 knots. Showers likely
during the day, then a chance of showers Wednesday night.
.THURSDAY...North winds 10 knots or less becoming west. A chance
of showers.

$$

LEZ040-030300-
Ripley to Dunkirk along Lake Erie-
403 PM EDT Sat May 2 2026

.TONIGHT...West winds 5 to 15 knots. Becoming mainly clear. Waves
1 to 2 feet.
.SUNDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Mostly cloudy.
Waves 2 to 4 feet.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of
showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northeast.
Showers with a chance of thunderstorms. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...North winds 10 knots or less becoming northeast.
Showers during the day, then a chance of showers Wednesday night.
Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.THURSDAY...North winds 5 to 10 knots becoming west. Showers
likely. Waves 1 to 2 feet.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

LEZ041-030300-
Dunkirk to Buffalo along Lake Erie-
403 PM EDT Sat May 2 2026

.TONIGHT...West winds 5 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy this evening,
then clearing. Waves 1 to 3 feet subsiding to 1 foot or less.
.SUNDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to
4 feet.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Mostly cloudy.
Waves 2 to 4 feet.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. Becoming mostly sunny. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to
1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots. A chance of
showers overnight. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming north. Showers
with a chance of thunderstorms. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...North winds 10 knots or less. Showers during the
day, then a chance of showers Wednesday night. Waves 1 foot or
less.
.THURSDAY...North winds 10 knots or less becoming west. Rain
showers likely. Waves 2 feet or less.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$

LOZ042-030300-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
403 PM EDT Sat May 2 2026

.TONIGHT...West winds 5 to 10 knots. Partly cloudy this evening,
then becoming mainly clear. Waves 1 to 2 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest 15 to
20 knots. Mostly sunny. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots. A chance of
showers. Waves 2 to 4 feet building to 3 to 5 feet. Waves
occasionally around 6 feet.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots. A chance of showers in
the morning. Waves 2 to 4 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Partly to mostly
cloudy. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to 4 feet.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots becoming northwest 5 to
15 knots. Showers. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming north.
Showers likely during the day, then a chance of showers Wednesday
night. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...North winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west 15 to
20 knots. A chance of showers. Waves 1 foot or less building to
2 to 4 feet.

$$

LOZ043-044-030300-
Hamlin Beach to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
403 PM EDT Sat May 2 2026

.TONIGHT...West winds 5 to 15 knots. Becoming mainly clear. Waves
1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots. Sunny. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots. A chance of
showers overnight. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. A chance of showers in the morning. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...South winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. Partly cloudy. Waves 2 feet or less.
.TUESDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots becoming west 5 to
15 knots. Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms. Waves
1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 10 knots or less becoming northwest.
Showers likely during the day, then a chance of showers Wednesday
night. Waves 1 foot or less.
.THURSDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west and
increasing to 15 to 25 knots. Showers likely. Waves 2 feet or
less building to 4 to 7 feet. Waves occasionally around 9 feet.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

The water temperature off Rochester is 43 degrees.

$$

LOZ045-030300-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
403 PM EDT Sat May 2 2026

.TONIGHT...West winds 5 to 15 knots. Mostly cloudy this evening,
then clearing. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southwest 15 to
20 knots. Sunny. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest
15 to 20 knots. A chance of showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet building
to 3 to 5 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.MONDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to 10 to
15 knots. A chance of showers in the morning. Waves 3 to 5 feet
subsiding to 1 to 3 feet. Waves occasionally around 6 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...South winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to
20 knots. A chance of showers overnight. Waves 2 feet or less
building to 2 to 4 feet.
.TUESDAY...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming west 5 to
15 knots. Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms during
the day, then showers likely Tuesday night. Waves 2 to 4 feet
subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...West winds 10 knots or less. Showers likely during
the day, then a chance of showers Wednesday night. Waves 1 foot
or less.
.THURSDAY...North winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west and
increasing to 15 to 25 knots. Showers likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet
building to 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.

Winds and waves higher in and near thunderstorms.

$$