Heavy Freezing Spray and Gale Warnings Issued for Lake Superior and Upper Michigan Coast
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 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 parts of Lake Superior, forecasting rapid ice accumulation and 45-knot wind gusts.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Heavy Freezing Spray Warning
- Affected area
- Lake Superior and Upper Michigan Coast
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Marquette
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 Superior and Upper Michigan Coast.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Marquette, MI, has issued a Heavy Freezing Spray Warning and a Gale Warning for the Lake Superior region. These alerts indicate a significant threat to maritime safety due to extreme cold and high winds.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions:
- Ontonagon to Upper Entrance of Portage Canal, MI
- Lake Superior from Saxon Harbor, WI to Upper Entrance to Portage Canal, MI (5 nautical miles offshore to the US/Canadian border)
- Isle Royale National Park
What You Should Do
Mariners are urged to take immediate precautions to prepare for dangerous ice accumulation on vessels. The NWS recommends the following actions:
- Remain in port if possible.
- Avoid the warning area entirely.
- Seek safe harbor or alter course to escape hazardous conditions.
- Secure vessels and conduct mitigation to prevent catastrophic ice buildup.
Expected Conditions
- Freezing Spray: Accumulation rates of 2 cm per hour or greater are expected. This rapid ice accretion on decks and superstructures can lead to a catastrophic loss of vessel stability.
- Wind: West winds between 25 to 35 knots, with gusts reaching up to 45 knots.
- Waves: Significant wave heights of 8 to 13 feet are forecasted.
- Visibility: Strong winds and spray are expected to reduce visibility and may render mechanical or electronic components inoperative.
Timeline
- Gale Warning: Effective from 1:00 PM Friday to 5:00 AM EST Saturday.
- Heavy Freezing Spray Warning: Effective from 7:00 PM Friday to 10:00 AM EST Saturday.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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