Special Marine Warning Issued for Lake Michigan Nearshore and Open Waters Until 9:15 PM CDT
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Special Marine Warning for Lake Michigan waters from North Point Light to Winthrop Harbor due to a severe thunderstorm capable of producing large hail.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Lake Michigan Nearshore and Open Waters
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Milwaukee Sullivan
Marine notices apply to named waters or shoreline zones. They may not describe conditions on land, even when the nearest place name is the same.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Lake Michigan Nearshore and Open Waters.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan has issued a Special Marine Warning for the nearshore and open waters of Lake Michigan. This alert is effective immediately and remains in place until 9:15 PM CDT on March 10, 2026.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions:
- Lake Michigan nearshore and open waters to mid-lake from North Point Light, WI to Winthrop Harbor, IL.
- North Point Light to Wind Point, WI.
- Wind Point, WI to Winthrop Harbor, IL.
- Lake Michigan from North Point Light to Wind Point, WI (5NM offshore to Mid Lake).
- Lake Michigan from Wind Point, WI to Winthrop Harbor, IL (5NM offshore to Mid Lake).
What You Should Do
Mariners and residents in the affected coastal areas are advised to move to safe harbor immediately. You should remain in a secure location until the hazardous weather conditions have passed. The NWS recommends avoiding the warning area entirely while the alert is active.
Expected Conditions
At 8:25 PM CDT, radar indicated a severe thunderstorm located over Racine, moving northeast at a speed of 40 knots.
- Hazard: Large hail.
- Impact: Large hail could result in structural damage to vessels and equipment.
- Current Path: The severe thunderstorm is expected to remain primarily over open waters as it progresses northeast.
Timeline
- Issued: March 10, 2026, at 8:25 PM CDT
- Effective: 8:25 PM CDT
- Expires: 9:15 PM CDT on March 10, 2026
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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