Mackinac Straits West, Mackinaw City, 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
- from SSW 201°
This reading came without the swell and wind-wave split, so the numbers are for the whole sea.
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
- Total (significant height)
Period
- Dominant period
Hourly means of the buoy's readings. Arrows point the way the waves travel.
Model vs the buoy
- Buoy, hourly
- Model, past days
- Model forecast
| Day | Height | Peak period | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 13 | 3.4 ft | 4.3 s | NNW |
| Sat, Nov 14 | 3.1 ft | 4.2 s | NNW |
| Sun, Nov 15 | 2.2 ft | 3.7 s | NNW |
| Mon, Nov 16 | 3.9 ft | 5 s | SW |
| Tue, Nov 17 | 4.2 ft | 5.4 s | WSW |
| Wed, Nov 18 | 3.3 ft | 4.8 s | SW |
| Thu, Nov 19 | 3.0 ft | 4.5 s | SW |
ECMWF WAM wave model via Open-Meteo, nearest model cell (45.750°N, 85.000°W). Both lines are significant wave height at sea, the same measure the buoy reports. Model output, not a Quiver beach forecast.
Nearby buoys
- McGulpin Point North, MI0.7 ftStale · 2.9 km
- Little Traverse Bay Buoy, MIOffline · 53 km
- Sleeping Bear Dunes0.0 ftStale · 125 km
- North Michigan - Halfway between North Manitou and Washington Islands.1.0 ft · 2 sStale · 138 km
- Thunder Bay Buoy, Alpena, MIOffline · 150 km
- North Huron Spotter3.9 ftLive · 159 km
Other readings
- Water temperature
- 53°F (11.9°C)
- Wind
- 6 kt from the ESE, gusts 8 kt
- Air temperature
- 55°F (12.5°C)
- Pressure
- 1020.9 hPa
Reported Nov 2, 10:40 AM EST.
How to read this buoy
Over the readings shown here, most wave energy reached this buoy from the SW.
Biggest hourly reading in that record: 4.1 ft on Oct 18.
- Station id
- 45175
- Operator
- Michigan Technological University
- Program
- IOOS Partners
- Position
- 45.825°N, 84.772°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 Michigan Technological University. 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.
