Heavy Freezing Spray Warning Issued for Lake Superior Near Grand Marais and Whitefish Point
This alert is no longer in effect.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 waters, with ice accumulation rates of 2 cm per hour expected starting Sunday afternoon.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Heavy Freezing Spray Warning
- Affected area
- Lake Superior (Grand Marais to Whitefish Point 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 (Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI).
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Marquette, MI, has issued a Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for portions of Lake Superior. This alert indicates that conditions are favorable for significant ice accumulation on vessels due to freezing spray.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following maritime regions:
- Grand Marais to Whitefish Point, MI
- Lake Superior from Grand Marais to Whitefish Point, MI, extending 5 nautical miles offshore to the U.S./Canadian border.
What You Should Do
Mariners are strongly advised to prepare for dangerous ice accumulation on their vessels. Recommended actions include:
- Remaining in port if possible.
- Avoiding the warning area entirely.
- Conducting necessary mitigation measures 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, creating hazardous operating conditions. Specific risks include:
- Mechanical and Electronic Failure: Freezing spray can render critical components inoperative.
- Stability Risks: Rapid ice accretion on decks and superstructures may result in a catastrophic loss of vessel stability.
Timeline
The Heavy Freezing Spray Warning is scheduled to take effect at 4:00 PM EST on Sunday, February 22, and will remain in effect until 1:00 AM EST on Monday, February 23.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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