NOAA NDBC 45198
Chicago Buoy water temperature
Latest water temperature and buoy observations for Chicago Buoy from NDBC station Chicago Buoy (45198).
Latest report
60.1°F
60.1°F is cool. Many boaters still dress as if they might end up in the water.
- Water
- 60.1 °F
- Wind
- 21 kt (24.2 mph)
- Gust
- 29 kt
- Seas
- 5.6 ft
- Observed
- Oct 17, 3:00 AM CDT
Wind at 21 knots is Beaufort force 5, Fresh breeze. Many 17-ft boats stay in sheltered water. A 23-ft boat is often a caution day. A 40-ft boat may still go, depending on sea and direction. Beaufort scale · Knots to mph
Source and freshness
Retrieved from the NOAA NDBC realtime 2 file. A fresh copy is reused for about 2 minutes, and a recent copy can stand in for up to 30 minutes if the feed blips. Retrieved Oct 17, 3:52 AM CDT.
Check the boat day
Water temperature questions
Where does the Chicago Buoy water temperature come from?
Water temperature, wind, and seas on this page come from the NOAA NDBC realtime feed for station 45198 (Chicago Buoy). That is the same buoy file the Chicago Buoy harbor page already requests. This page does not add a separate CO-OPS water-temperature product.
How fresh is the buoy reading?
The page shows the observation time from the NDBC report and the time Boat or Nope retrieved the file. The realtime file is cached for about 2 minutes when fresh, and a recent copy can be reused for up to 30 minutes if NDBC is briefly unavailable.
Why might the beach feel different from this temperature?
A buoy can sit offshore of the harbor, and shallow water warms and cools faster than the sensor. The station name and distance, when Boat or Nope has one, say how far the reading is from the harbor.
What does a cold reading mean for boating?
Water under 60°F can cause cold shock if someone falls in. The note on this page is general context. It is not a life-jacket or wetsuit rule for your boat.