WFO BTV Lake Champlain Forecasts

Notice: Wave height forecasts represent the average of the highest one-third (33%) of waves (measured from trough to crest) that occur in a given period. Since the Significant Wave Height is an average of the largest waves, mariners should be aware that many individual waves will probably be higher.





Graphical Lake Forecast Lake Point Forecasts

Current Conditions

The Science Behind the Creation of the Lake Champlain Forecast

The National Weather Service in Burlington produces the Lake Champlain recreational forecast from April through December, twice per day at approximately 4 am and 4 pm, with updates made when weather conditions become unrepresentative. Forecasts are valid for either 36 or 48 hours dependent on issuance time, and predict winds, significant wave heights, sensible weather, and associated restrictions to visibility if applicable over the open lake waters. Text, graphical and "point and click" forecasts are available to the user. In addition to these official forecasts, the NWS in Burlington produces a Lake Champlain model forecast which is run 4 times daily. These "model produced" forecasts are created automatically, with no human involvement and predict winds and wave heights only. They have been shown to predict these elements reasonably well under most conditions, and provide an extra source of information to those wanting access to more data. However, having no human involvement should throw caution to the wind and during most situations boaters should refer to the official NWS forecast for the most accurate and representative information. Click here for answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the Lake Champlain Recreational Forecast process.

Lake Champlain Ice Coverage

During the ice season, typically from December through April, images will be regularly posted on this page to give winter recreational enthusiasts using the lake a rough idea of ice coverage. The imagery is 10 meter resolution data from the European Space Agency Sentinel-2 polar orbiting satellite, which on clear or predominantly sunny days will show approximate ice coverage on the lake. The times of the images vary, but usually are within an hour or two of local noon when the satellite passes occur. Please note that ice may be clear or opaque in the pictures with a few apparently open water areas possibly having a thin, clear cover of ice. Thus this page is intended as a reference source only, and those planning winter activities on the lake should make use of additional resources to determine more precise ice coverage and thickness in their area of interest.

