Mid Superior - 60 NM North Northeast Hancock, MI
Michigan, United States
Last wave reading:
Now at the buoy
Significant wave height at the buoy
4.3 ft
1.3 m
- Dominant period
- —
- Direction
- from NNE 24°
Swell
0.0 ft0.0 m
no periodno direction
Wind waves
4.3 ft1.3 m
5 sfrom NNE 23°
Wind waves lead: 4.3 ft at 5 s from the NNE, over 0.0 ft of swell. Holding steady over the last 6 hours.
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)
- Swell
- Wind waves
Period
- Swell period
- Wind-wave 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
Over the last 5 days, the model tracked the buoy within 10%.
| Day | Height | Peak period | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 13 | 4.5 ft | 5.2 s | NNE |
| Sat, Nov 14 | 2.8 ft | 4.3 s | NNE |
| Sun, Nov 15 | 2.4 ft | 3.9 s | SW |
| Mon, Nov 16 | 4.9 ft | 5.7 s | WSW |
| Tue, Nov 17 | 5.3 ft | 5.9 s | WSW |
| Wed, Nov 18 | 3.3 ft | 4.6 s | SW |
| Thu, Nov 19 | 3.4 ft | 5.1 s | SSE |
ECMWF WAM wave model via Open-Meteo, nearest model cell (48.000°N, 87.750°W). Both lines are significant wave height at sea, the same measure the buoy reports. Model output, not a Quiver beach forecast.
Nearby buoys
- Slate Island3.0 ft · 4 sStale · 82 km
- East Superior Spotter6.2 ft · 6 sLive · 104 km
- East Superior -70 NM NE Marquette, MI5.2 ft · 6 sLive · 105 km
- North Entry Buoy, North Keweenaw Peninsula, MI0.7 ftStale · 107 km
- South Entry Buoy, South Keweenaw Peninsula, MI0.3 ftStale · 130 km
- Grand Island North, MI0.7 ftStale · 152 km
Other readings
- Water temperature
- 44°F (6.9°C)
- Wind
- 14 kt from the NNE, gusts 17 kt
- Air temperature
- 34°F (1.1°C)
- Pressure
- 1021.2 hPa
Reported Nov 13, 3:40 AM EST.
How to read this buoy
Over the readings shown here, most wave energy reached this buoy from the SE and SW.
Biggest hourly reading in that record: 9.8 ft at 7 s on Nov 5.
- Station id
- 45001
- Operator
- NDBC
- Program
- NDBC Meteorological/Ocean
- Position
- 48.061°N, 87.793°W
- Type
- Moored buoy
- Local time zone
- America/Detroit
- Swell split
- Yes, swell and wind waves reported
Source: NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). 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.
