Heavy Freezing Spray and Storm Warnings Issued for Northern Lake Michigan
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Storm Warning for Lake Michigan, forecasting dangerous ice accumulation and waves up to 21 feet.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Heavy Freezing Spray Warning
- Affected area
- Lake Michigan
- 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.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan WI has issued a series of marine alerts for the open waters of Lake Michigan, including a Heavy Freezing Spray Warning (NWS Code: UPW), a Storm Warning, and a Gale Warning. These alerts indicate a high probability of severe conditions that pose a significant threat to maritime safety.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the northern two-thirds of the open waters of Lake Michigan. Specific regions include:
- Lake Michigan from Seul Choix Point to Rock Island Passage
- Waters from Charlevoix to Point Betsie MI
- Waters from Point Betsie to Manistee MI
- Waters from Rock Island Passage to Sturgeon Bay WI
- Waters from Sturgeon Bay to Sheboygan WI
- Waters from Sheboygan to North Point Light WI
- Waters from Pentwater to Grand Haven MI
What You Should Do
Mariners are strongly advised to remain in port or avoid the warning area entirely. If currently at sea, conduct immediate mitigation and prepare for dangerous ice accumulation on the vessel. Secure all equipment for severe conditions and alter course to seek safety. Rapid ice accretion can lead to a catastrophic loss of vessel stability.
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: North winds of 30 to 40 knots are expected during the Storm Warning, with gusts reaching up to 50 knots. Gale conditions will see east winds of 25 to 35 knots.
- Waves: Significant wave heights are forecast between 16 and 21 feet during the Storm Warning, and 7 to 12 feet during the Gale Warning.
- Visibility: Very strong winds and heavy spray are expected to significantly reduce visibility.
Timeline
- Gale Warning: Effective from 3:00 AM to 7:00 PM CDT Sunday.
- Storm Warning: Effective from 7:00 PM Sunday to 10:00 PM CDT Monday.
- Heavy Freezing Spray Warning: Effective from 4:00 AM Monday to 11:00 AM CDT Tuesday.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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