Storm Warning Issued for Lake Michigan: High Winds and Waves Up to 17 Feet Expected
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Storm Warning for Lake Michigan effective Thursday night through Friday, with wind gusts up to 50 knots and hazardous waves.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Storm Warning
- Affected area
- Lake Michigan
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Milwaukee
Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.
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
A Storm Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) Milwaukee/Sullivan WI. This alert indicates that severe weather conditions are imminent or occurring in the specified maritime areas.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the Southern Open Waters of Lake Michigan and Nearshore Waters from Sheboygan to Winthrop Harbor, IL. Specific affected zones include:
- Lake Michigan from Michigan City, IN to St. Joseph, MI (5 NM offshore to mid-line)
- Sheboygan to Port Washington, WI
- Port Washington to North Point Light, WI
- North Point Light to Wind Point, WI
- Wind Point, WI to Winthrop Harbor, IL
- Lake Michigan from Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor, IL
- Lake Michigan from Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City, IN
- Michigan coastal waters from Whitehall to Pentwater, Grand Haven to Whitehall, Holland to Grand Haven, South Haven to Holland, and St. Joseph to South Haven.
What You Should Do
Mariners are advised to take immediate safety precautions. The NWS recommends that mariners remain in port, alter course to avoid the storm, and/or secure their vessels for severe conditions to prevent damage or capsizing.
Expected Conditions
- Wind: West winds between 25 to 35 knots are expected, with gusts reaching up to 50 knots.
- Waves: Significant wave heights of 12 to 17 feet are anticipated.
- Visibility: Very strong winds and high waves may reduce visibility.
- Impacts: Conditions will be hazardous enough to capsize or damage vessels.
Timeline
The Storm Warning is effective starting at 10:00 PM CDT on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The warning is expected to remain in effect until 10:00 PM CDT on Friday, March 13, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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