Heavy Freezing Spray Warning Issued for Lake Superior and Isle Royale National Park
This alert is no longer in effect.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 for Lake Superior, with ice accumulation rates of 2 cm per hour threatening vessel stability.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Heavy Freezing Spray Warning
- Affected area
- Lake Superior (Saxon Harbor WI to Portage Canal MI)
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Marquette MI
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 (Saxon Harbor WI to Portage Canal MI).
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning Issued for Lake Superior
Alert Details
A Heavy Freezing Spray Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Marquette, MI. The alert signifies a high likelihood of rapid ice accumulation on vessels, which can lead to hazardous maritime conditions.
Affected Areas
The warning covers Lake Superior from Saxon Harbor, WI, to the Upper Entrance to Portage Canal, MI. The alert area extends 5 nautical miles offshore to the U.S./Canadian border and specifically includes Isle Royale National Park.
What You Should Do
Mariners are urged to prepare for dangerous accumulation of ice on their vessels. The NWS recommends that, if possible, vessels should remain in port or avoid the warning area entirely. If transit is necessary, mariners should conduct mitigation efforts to manage ice buildup.
Expected Conditions
Heavy freezing spray is expected to occur at a rate of 2 cm per hour or greater. This spray may rapidly accumulate on vessels, potentially rendering mechanical and electronic components inoperative. Rapid ice accretion on decks and superstructures is particularly dangerous as it may result in a catastrophic loss of stability for the vessel.
Timeline
The warning is scheduled to take effect at 7:00 AM EST on Sunday, February 22, 2026. The alert is expected to remain in place until 1:00 AM EST on Monday, February 23, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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