St Joseph to South Haven MI — Live Marine Advisories & Forecast
Lake Michigan marine forecast zone · NWS UGC LMZ844 · Issued by NWS Grand Rapids
1 active marine advisory · Last refreshed Wed, May 13, 9:39 PM EDT
Southwest Lower Peninsula nearshore zone of Lake Michigan from St. Joseph harbor north to South Haven, fronting Berrien and Van Buren counties. Heavily trafficked by recreational sailing out of St. Joseph and South Haven and by commercial vessels approaching the South Haven and Benton Harbor channels.
Lake
Lake Michigan
NWS Office
NWS Grand Rapids
Forecast Zone
LMZ844
Approx. length
28 mi
Active Advisories
Small Craft Advisory
St Joseph to South Haven MI; South Haven to Holland MI; Holland to Grand Haven MI; Grand Haven to Whitehall MI; Whitehall to Pentwater MI; Pentwater to Manistee MI
Issued: Wed, May 13, 3:37 PM EDTEnds: Thu, May 14, 2:00 AM EDTBy: NWS Grand Rapids MI
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EDT THURSDAY
* WHAT...North winds 10 to 20 knots with gusts up to 30 knots
and waves 3 to 6 feet.
* WHERE...St Joseph to Manistee.
* WHEN...Until 2 AM EDT Thursday.
* IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.
NWS Grand Rapids regularly issues the following marine advisories for St Joseph to South Haven 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.
Beach Hazards StatementIssued for hazardous swimming conditions including dangerous currents, large waves, or low water temperatures.
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 St Joseph to South Haven 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 St Joseph to South Haven MI, this typically affects recreational boats out of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor.
Who issues marine forecasts for St Joseph to South Haven MI?
NWS Grand Rapids (NWS office code GRR) issues all marine forecasts, advisories, warnings, and Special Marine Warnings for the St Joseph to South Haven MI forecast zone (UGC LMZ844).
Which Michigan counties border the St Joseph to South Haven MI marine zone?
Berrien, Van Buren Countys. The shoreline runs roughly 28 miles between St. Joseph and South Haven.
What advisory types are most common for this Lake Michigan zone?
Small Craft Advisory, Gale Warning, Storm Warning, Beach Hazards Statement, Special Marine Warning are the standard advisory products issued by NWS Grand Rapids for St Joseph to South Haven 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 LMZ844. The forecast and all official products
for St Joseph to South Haven MI are issued by
NWS Grand Rapids.
Geographic context (cities, bordering counties, zone length) is curated from public maritime references.
Last fetched at Wed, May 13, 9:39 PM EDT.