Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI — Live Marine Advisories & Forecast
Lake Superior marine forecast zone · NWS UGC LSZ251 · Issued by NWS Marquette
2 active marine advisories · Last refreshed Wed, Sep 9, 8:52 PM EDT
Eastern south-shore Lake Superior nearshore zone from Grand Marais harbor east along the Two Hearted River coast and Crisp Point Lighthouse to Whitefish Point — historically the most dangerous stretch of Superior, known as the "graveyard of the Great Lakes" and the resting place of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Lake
Lake Superior
NWS Office
NWS Marquette
Forecast Zone
LSZ251
Approx. length
65 mi
Active Advisories
Small Craft Advisory
Munising to Grand Marais MI; Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI
GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EDT THURSDAY... ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 5 PM EDT THURSDAY
* WHAT...For the Gale Warning, northwest winds 15 to 25 kt with
gusts up to 40 kt and waves 6 to 11 ft occurring. For the
Small Craft Advisory, northwest winds 15 to 25 kt with gusts
up to 30 kt and waves 6 to 9 ft expected.
* WHERE...Munising to Grand Marais MI and Grand Marais to
Whitefish Point MI.
* WHEN...For the Gale Warning, until 2 AM EDT Thursday. For the
Small Craft Advisory, from 2 AM to 5 PM EDT Thursday.
* IMPACTS...Strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could
capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.
Munising to Grand Marais MI; Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI
Issued: Wed, Sep 9, 3:18 PM EDTEnds: Thu, Sep 10, 2:00 AM EDTBy: NWS Marquette MI
GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EDT THURSDAY... ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 5 PM EDT THURSDAY
* WHAT...For the Gale Warning, northwest winds 15 to 25 kt with
gusts up to 40 kt and waves 6 to 11 ft occurring. For the
Small Craft Advisory, northwest winds 15 to 25 kt with gusts
up to 30 kt and waves 6 to 9 ft expected.
* WHERE...Munising to Grand Marais MI and Grand Marais to
Whitefish Point MI.
* WHEN...For the Gale Warning, until 2 AM EDT Thursday. For the
Small Craft Advisory, from 2 AM to 5 PM EDT Thursday.
* IMPACTS...Strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could
capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.
NWS Marquette regularly issues the following marine advisories for Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI. Plain-English definitions from the NWS National Marine Glossary:
Small Craft AdvisoryIssued when sustained winds reach 22 knots (about 25 mph) or wave heights reach about 4 feet, conditions hazardous to small boats. Mariners in vessels under 30 ft should consider remaining in port.
Gale WarningIssued for sustained winds of 34 to 47 knots (about 39 to 54 mph). Conditions are dangerous to all vessels except large ships and require immediate precautions.
Storm WarningIssued for sustained winds of 48 to 63 knots (about 55 to 73 mph), excluding tropical cyclones. Hazardous to all vessels — small craft should not operate.
Special Marine WarningShort-fuse warning for severe thunderstorms, waterspouts, or sudden wind shifts of 34+ knots. Typically lasts up to 2 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Small Craft Advisory mean for Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI?
Issued when sustained winds reach 22 knots (about 25 mph) or wave heights reach about 4 feet, conditions hazardous to small boats. Mariners in vessels under 30 ft should consider remaining in port. On Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI, this typically affects recreational boats out of Grand Marais and Whitefish Point.
Who issues marine forecasts for Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI?
NWS Marquette (NWS office code MQT) issues all marine forecasts, advisories, warnings, and Special Marine Warnings for the Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI forecast zone (UGC LSZ251).
Which Michigan counties border the Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI marine zone?
Alger, Luce, Chippewa Countys. The shoreline runs roughly 65 miles between Grand Marais and Whitefish Point.
What advisory types are most common for this Lake Superior zone?
Small Craft Advisory, Gale Warning, Storm Warning, Special Marine Warning are the standard advisory products issued by NWS Marquette for Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI. Small Craft Advisories are most frequent in spring and fall when winds and wave heights routinely exceed advisory thresholds.
How fresh is the data on this page?
Active advisories are pulled live from the NWS API at api.weather.gov when this page loads. The "Last refreshed" timestamp at the top of the page reflects the moment of fetch. NWS itself updates marine advisories continuously as conditions change.
Data Sources & Attribution
Active advisories on this page are pulled directly from the
NWS public API at
api.weather.gov, scoped to UGC zone LSZ251. The forecast and all official products
for Grand Marais to Whitefish Point MI are issued by
NWS Marquette.
Geographic context (cities, bordering counties, zone length) is curated from public maritime references.
Last fetched at Wed, Sep 9, 8:52 PM EDT.