Lake Michigan · Wednesday, Sep 23

Montrose Beach Chicago

Updated Tue, Sep 22, 7:30 PM CDT

When to go

Around 6:00 PM

Wind only · Low confidence

Wind forecast only

Wind: 8.4 kt · onshore

Surf height is unavailable. This choice is based on wind only.

Forecast details

This is the best time in the forecast, though wind may make it choppy.

Other wind windows

Plan around the wind

The best available upcoming daylight wind sample to compare with the wave evidence. This compares wind only; wave size, tide suitability, and hazards can change your choice.

4:00 PM–6:00 PM · America/Chicago
Unfavorable wind · up to 9.2 kt · reported gusts up to 17.5 kt
Caution: This is the best available wind comparison, not a favorable-wind label. The selected wind is unfavorable for this break.
Wave height unavailable for the full period. Tide data unavailable.
Wind source time: Sep 22, 6:45 PM CDT. This is not the model run issue time.

How these periods are chosen

The planner prefers three consecutive hourly samples covering two daylight hours, but retains shorter one- or two-sample evidence when that is all the forecast provides. Light wind means at most 6 kt. Moderate offshore means at most 12 kt from land toward the sea when shore orientation is verified. Strong wind or known gusts of 20 kt or more remain visible as cautions instead of making the entire comparison disappear. These are comparison labels, not locally tested surf-quality or safety ratings. Missing gusts remain unknown. Terrain shelter, currents, closures, and your ability are not assessed.

Forecast confidence

No accepted local model for these inputs: missing history, unsupported direction/period/height, or failed historical validation.
Tide unavailable: assessment incomplete, especially at shallow reef breaks.
A mapped coordinate does not establish nearshore grid resolution or terrain/shelter accuracy.

Wind ENE 9.3 kt

Tide Unavailable

Wave, wind and tide details

Offshore model swell— Unavailable No usable model swell value for this hour

Model windENE 9.3 ktonshoreValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/Chicago7.8 kt onshore component

TideUnavailableunavailableNo verified local tide station connected; no tide height estimated

NWS LOT · Chicago Park District beaches

Swim risk: High. Wave height: 4 to 6 feet.

WEDNESDAYOfficial NWS beach-zone breaking-wave height and swim-risk forecast; conditions can vary within the named county beach zoneIssued Sep 22, 3:06 AM CDT

Surf height unavailable. Coastal and offshore waves are not breaking-wave heights.

Surf and wind

Recommended window: No recommended window

Breaking surf is not reliably resolved. Hourly offshore swell and wind inputs are listed below.

Hourly forecast

Hourly surf forecast for Montrose Beach Chicago
Time	Wind	Tide	Offshore swell
12 AM	E 12.7 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
1 AM	E 11.9 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
2 AM	ENE 10.7 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
3 AM	E 9.9 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
4 AM	ENE 9.2 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
5 AM	ENE 10.3 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
6 AM	ENE 10.4 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
7 AM	ENE 10.1 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
8 AM	ENE 9.3 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
9 AM	NE 10.1 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
10 AM	ENE 10.7 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
11 AM	ENE 10.9 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
Noon	ENE 11.5 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
1 PM	ENE 13.3 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
2 PM	ENE 12.2 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
3 PM	NE 10.6 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
4 PM	NE 9.2 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
5 PM	NE 9.2 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
6 PM	NE 8.4 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
7 PM	E 8.2 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
8 PM	E 9.7 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
9 PM	E 10 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
10 PM	E 10.7 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable
11 PM	E 11.2 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	— Unavailable

12 AMUnavailable

WindE 12.7 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

1 AMUnavailable

WindE 11.9 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

2 AMUnavailable

WindENE 10.7 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

3 AMUnavailable

WindE 9.9 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

4 AMUnavailable

WindENE 9.2 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

5 AMUnavailable

WindENE 10.3 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

6 AMUnavailable

WindENE 10.4 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

7 AMUnavailable

WindENE 10.1 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

8 AMUnavailable

WindENE 9.3 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

9 AMUnavailable

WindNE 10.1 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

10 AMUnavailable

WindENE 10.7 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

11 AMUnavailable

WindENE 10.9 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

NoonUnavailable

WindENE 11.5 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

1 PMUnavailable

WindENE 13.3 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

2 PMUnavailable

WindENE 12.2 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

3 PMUnavailable

WindNE 10.6 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

4 PMUnavailable

WindNE 9.2 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

5 PMUnavailable

WindNE 9.2 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

6 PMUnavailable

WindNE 8.4 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

7 PMUnavailable

WindE 8.2 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

8 PMUnavailable

WindE 9.7 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

9 PMUnavailable

WindE 10 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

10 PMUnavailable

WindE 10.7 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

11 PMUnavailable

WindE 11.2 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swell— Unavailable

Tide

Local tide station unavailable

Tide predictions are unavailable for this period.

About this spot

Model-grid forecast requested at the mapped coordinate; reef, headland, and nearshore transformations are unresolved. USGS coordinate for the exact named beach; NWS Chicago Park District surf-zone section covers it.

Mapped spot coordinate: 41.96675, -87.637039.

Mainland United States · Lake Michigan west shore · Ocean-facing bearing 90° · Location provenance

Model request point: Montrose Beach Chicago (41.96675, -87.637039). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 2/2 sources

Source availability is not forecast accuracy. Where an empirical model passes historical testing, its error and interval coverage are shown above. Source count cannot increase that confidence.

Coverage tier A · US_GREAT_LAKES · spot-level model point

NWS LOT · Chicago Park District beaches; official breaking-surf forecast textUnavailableCurrent · Sep 22, 3:06 AM CDT

NWS LOT · Chicago Park District beaches
NWS LOT · Chicago Park District beaches; Official NWS beach-zone breaking-wave height and swim-risk forecast; conditions can vary within the named county beach zoneCurrentSep 22, 3:06 AM CDT
NOAA NDBC real-time station files
Current buoy observations are not forecasts for the selected future date.Not applicableNo source time
Open-Meteo Weather API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 22, 6:45 PM CDT
Surf-Forecast public pages
Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallbackNot applicableNo source time

How best guesses are made

Best guesses combine usable wave and wind evidence, with qualitative confidence and specific limitations. A missing tide or local surf-height model does not prevent useful guidance. Tide levels use the named station datum; their effect at this break remains uncertain. Wind direction is relative to the mapped beach orientation, without calibrated terrain or shelter effects. The comparison is a heuristic, not a measured quality rating.