Heavy Freezing Spray and Gale Warnings Issued for Upper Michigan Coastal Waters
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Lake Superior coastal areas near the Keweenaw Peninsula, effective through Saturday afternoon.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Heavy Freezing Spray Warning
- Affected area
- Upper Michigan Coastal Waters
- 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 Upper Michigan Coastal Waters.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Marquette, MI, has issued a Heavy Freezing Spray Warning and a Gale Warning for specific coastal waters of Lake Superior. These alerts signify hazardous conditions for marine travel due to high winds and rapid ice accumulation on vessels.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions in Michigan:
- Point Isabelle to the Lower Entrance of the Portage Canal
- Lower Entrance of the Portage Canal to Huron Islands
- Keweenaw and Huron Bays
What You Should Do
Mariners are urged to take immediate precautions to ensure safety:
- Prepare for Ice: Anticipate dangerous accumulation of ice on vessels.
- Seek Harbor: If possible, remain in port or seek safe harbor immediately.
- Mitigation: If at sea, alter course to avoid the warning area and secure the vessel for hazardous conditions.
- Equipment Safety: Be aware that freezing spray can render electronic and mechanical components inoperative.
Expected Conditions
- Wind: West winds are expected to range between 25 to 35 knots, with gusts reaching up to 45 knots.
- Ice Accretion: Heavy freezing spray is expected at a rate of 2 cm per hour or greater. This rapid accumulation can lead to a catastrophic loss of vessel stability.
- Visibility: Strong winds and spray are expected to reduce visibility and create hazardous conditions for navigation.
Timeline
- Gale Warning: Effective from 1:00 PM Friday to 7:00 AM EST Saturday.
- Heavy Freezing Spray Warning: Effective from 10:00 PM Friday to 4:00 PM EST Saturday.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
Related Weather Alerts
All Weather Alerts →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this NWS weather alert.