StaleBuoy 45211

Grand Island North, MI

Michigan, United States

Last wave reading:

Last reading

This reading is more than 3 hours old. The buoy may have stopped sending waves for now.

Significant wave height at the buoy

0.7 ft

0.2 m

Dominant period
—
Direction
no direction

Swell

0.0 ft0.0 m

25 sfrom E 90°

Wind waves

0.7 ft0.2 m

2.5 sfrom NNE 23°

Close to flat at the buoy: 0.7 ft of total wave height.

Significant wave height is the average of the biggest third of waves at the buoy. It is not surf height at a beach.

Trend at the buoy

Height at the buoy

2 ft4 ft6 ft18 Sun19 Mon20 Tue21 Wed22 Thu
  • Total (significant height)
  • Swell
  • Wind waves

Period

5 s10 s15 s20 s25 s30 s18 Sun19 Mon20 Tue21 Wed22 Thu
  • Swell period
  • Wind-wave period
dir

Hourly means of the buoy's readings. Arrows point the way the waves travel.

Model vs the buoy

2 ft4 ft6 ft8 ft10 ftforecast
  • Buoy, hourly
  • Model, past days
  • Model forecast
Model peak each day at the buoy
DayHeightPeak periodFrom
Fri, Nov 136.3 ft6.1 sNNE
Sat, Nov 145.2 ft5.7 sN
Sun, Nov 152.4 ft4.2 sNNW
Mon, Nov 163.3 ft4.1 sSW
Tue, Nov 173.1 ft4.2 sSW
Wed, Nov 183.7 ft4.4 sSSW
Thu, Nov 193.1 ft4.2 sSSW

ECMWF WAM wave model via Open-Meteo, nearest model cell (47.000°N, 86.500°W). Both lines are significant wave height at sea, the same measure the buoy reports. Model output, not a Quiver beach forecast.

Nearby buoys

Other readings

Water temperature
52°F (11.2°C)

Reported Oct 22, 8:56 AM EDT.

How to read this buoy

Over the readings shown here, most wave energy reached this buoy from the N.

Biggest hourly reading in that record: 12.8 ft at 9 s on Oct 16.

Station id
45211
CDIP id
268
Operator
SCRIPPS
Program
IOOS Partners
Position
46.973°N, 86.568°W
Type
Moored buoy
Local time zone
America/Detroit
Swell split
Yes, swell and wind waves reported

Source: NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC); station operated by SCRIPPS. Licence: Public domain (US government work). Station page at the source.

Not for navigation. Readings can be late, missing or wrong; check official marine forecasts before going to sea.

Buoy terms

Significant height
The average of the biggest third of waves the buoy measured. Sets in the surf zone can be bigger or smaller.
Dominant period
Seconds between the waves carrying the most energy. Longer period means more power and more bend around points.
Swell vs wind waves
Swell was made by distant wind; wind waves were made nearby. The buoy splits its spectrum at a cutoff period to report each.
Direction
Where waves come from, in degrees true. 270° is from the west.