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 Sat Feb 21 2026 The water temperature off Buffalo is 32 degrees.

1003 AM EST Sat Feb 21 2026 The water temperature off Rochester is 36 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

048
FZUS51 KBUF 220903
NSHBUF

Nearshore Marine Forecast
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
403 AM EST Sun Feb 22 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.

LEZ020-221600-
Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor-
403 AM EST Sun Feb 22 2026

.TODAY...Light and variable winds. A chance of snow early, then
snow likely. A chance of snow late.
.TONIGHT...North winds 10 knots or less. A chance of snow in the
evening, then snow likely overnight.
.MONDAY...North winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northwest. Snow
showers likely.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots. Snow showers
likely.
.TUESDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south. Snow showers
Tuesday night.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Snow
showers during the day, then a chance of snow showers Wednesday
night.
.THURSDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. A chance
of snow showers.

The water temperature off Buffalo is 32 degrees.

$$

LOZ030-221600-
Lower Niagara River-
403 AM EST Sun Feb 22 2026

.TODAY...South winds less than 10 knots becoming northeast. A
chance of snow early, then snow likely late this morning. A
chance of snow this afternoon.
.TONIGHT...Northeast winds 10 knots or less becoming north. A
chance of snow in the evening, then snow likely overnight.
.MONDAY...North winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest 15 to
20 knots. Snow showers likely.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to
5 to 15 knots. Snow showers likely in the evening, then a chance
of snow showers overnight.
.TUESDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming south. Snow
showers Tuesday night.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming west. Snow
showers during the day, then a chance of snow showers Wednesday
night.
.THURSDAY...West winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. A chance
of snow showers.

$$

LEZ040-041-221600-
Buffalo to Ripley along Lake Erie-
403 AM EST Sun Feb 22 2026

.TODAY...Light and variable winds. Snow likely through early
afternoon, then a chance of snow late. The lake is mostly ice
covered.
.TONIGHT...Northwest winds 10 knots or less becoming north. Snow.
.MONDAY...North winds 10 to 15 knots becoming northwest 15 to
20 knots. Snow showers.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots diminishing to
10 to 15 knots. Snow showers.
.TUESDAY...West winds 5 to 15 knots becoming south 15 to
20 knots. Snow showers Tuesday night.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots becoming west and
diminishing to 10 to 15 knots. Snow showers during the day, then
a chance of snow showers Wednesday night.
.THURSDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northwest. A
chance of snow showers.

Waves omitted due to the lake being mostly ice covered.

$$

LOZ042-221600-
Niagara River to Hamlin Beach along Lake Ontario-
403 AM EST Sun Feb 22 2026

.TODAY...Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots becoming northeast. Snow.
Waves 2 feet or less.
.TONIGHT...Northeast winds 5 to 15 knots. Snow likely. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.MONDAY...North winds 15 to 25 knots becoming northwest. Snow
showers likely. Waves 3 to 5 feet building to 4 to 7 feet. Waves
occasionally around 9 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds to 30 knots diminishing to 15 to
25 knots. Snow showers likely. Waves 5 to 8 feet subsiding to
3 to 5 feet. Waves occasionally around 10 feet.
.TUESDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots becoming south. A
chance of snow showers during the day, then snow showers Tuesday
night. Waves 3 to 5 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet. Waves
occasionally around 6 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...Southwest winds 15 to 25 knots becoming west. Snow
showers during the day, then a chance of snow showers Wednesday
night. Waves 2 to 4 feet building to 3 to 6 feet. Waves
occasionally around 7 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming north. A chance of
snow showers. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.

$$

LOZ043-044-221600-
Hamlin Beach to Mexico Bay along Lake Ontario
including Irondequoit Bay-
403 AM EST Sun Feb 22 2026

.TODAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots. Snow. Waves 1 foot or less.
.TONIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northeast. A chance
of snow. Waves 1 to 3 feet.
.MONDAY...North winds 15 to 25 knots. A chance of snow showers.
Waves 3 to 6 feet. Waves occasionally around 7 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...Northwest winds 15 to 25 knots. Snow showers
likely. Waves 4 to 7 feet subsiding to 3 to 6 feet. Waves
occasionally around 9 feet.
.TUESDAY...Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots becoming southeast. A
chance of snow showers during the day, then snow showers likely
Tuesday night. Waves 3 to 6 feet subsiding to 1 to 3 feet. Waves
occasionally around 7 feet.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming west. Snow
showers likely. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 3 to 5 feet. Waves
occasionally around 6 feet.
.THURSDAY...West winds 10 to 15 knots becoming north. A chance of
snow showers. Waves 2 to 4 feet.

The water temperature off Rochester is 36 degrees.

$$

LOZ045-221600-
Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River along Lake Ontario-
403 AM EST Sun Feb 22 2026

.TODAY...East winds 5 to 10 knots. A chance of snow early, then
snow likely. A chance of snow late. Waves in ice free areas
1 foot or less.
.TONIGHT...East winds 5 to 15 knots becoming northeast. A chance
of snow in the evening. Waves 1 foot or less.
.MONDAY...North winds 15 to 25 knots. Mostly cloudy. Waves 1 to
3 feet.
.MONDAY NIGHT...North winds 15 to 20 knots becoming northwest. A
chance of snow showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 2 to
4 feet, then subsiding to 1 to 3 feet.
.TUESDAY...Northwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming southeast 15 to
20 knots. Snow showers likely Tuesday night. Waves 2 feet or
less.
.WEDNESDAY...South winds 15 to 20 knots becoming west. Snow
showers. Waves 1 to 3 feet building to 3 to 6 feet. Waves
occasionally around 7 feet.
.THURSDAY...Southwest winds 5 to 15 knots becoming north. A
chance of snow showers. Waves 2 to 4 feet subsiding to 1 foot or
less.

Wave heights are for ice free areas.

$$