Heavy Freezing Spray and Gale Warnings Issued for Lake Michigan Nearshore Waters
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on March 31, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Heavy Freezing Spray Warning and Gale Warning for Lake Michigan nearshore waters from Sheboygan to Winthrop Harbor through Tuesday morning.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Heavy Freezing Spray Warning
- Affected area
- Lake Michigan Nearshore Waters
- Issued
- March 31, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Milwaukee
The warning type, named area, and issue time define this record. Confirm all three against the original agency notice before treating it as current.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Lake Michigan Nearshore Waters.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan has issued a series of marine alerts for the Lake Michigan nearshore waters, including a Heavy Freezing Spray Warning, a Gale Warning, and a Small Craft Advisory. These alerts indicate significant hazards for maritime operations due to high winds, large waves, and rapid ice accumulation.
Affected Areas
The warning area covers the nearshore waters from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to Winthrop Harbor, Illinois. Specific zones include:
- Sheboygan to Port Washington, WI
- Port Washington to North Point Light, WI
- North Point Light to Wind Point, WI
- Wind Point, WI to Winthrop Harbor, IL
What You Should Do
Mariners are strongly advised to prepare for dangerous ice accumulation on their vessels. If possible, remain in port or seek safe harbor immediately. Those currently at sea should avoid the warning area, alter course, or conduct mitigation efforts to secure the vessel for severe conditions. Operating a vessel in these conditions is hazardous as freezing spray can render mechanical and electronic components inoperative and cause a catastrophic loss of stability due to ice weight.
Expected Conditions
- Freezing Spray: Heavy freezing spray is expected at a rate of 2 cm per hour or greater, which may rapidly accumulate on decks and superstructures.
- Wind: East winds of 25 to 35 kt are expected Sunday morning, shifting to north winds of 25 to 35 kt with gusts up to 45 kt from Sunday night through Monday night.
- Waves: Wave heights are forecast between 4 and 7 feet.
- Visibility: Strong winds and spray are expected to reduce visibility and create conditions capable of capsizing or damaging vessels.
Timeline
- Small Craft Advisory: In effect until 4:00 AM CDT Sunday morning.
- Gale Warning: In effect from 4:00 AM Sunday morning until 1:00 AM CDT Tuesday.
- Heavy Freezing Spray Warning: In effect from 4:00 AM Monday until 11:00 AM CDT Tuesday.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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