South Haven to Holland MI — Live Marine Advisories & Forecast
Mid-eastern Lake Michigan nearshore zone running from South Haven north past Saugatuck and Douglas to Holland State Park, fronting Van Buren and Allegan counties. Includes the Kalamazoo River outlet and the Holland (Black Lake) channel — a major Tulip-City small-boat harbor.
Active Advisories
Cities & Ports Along This Zone
Anchor cities and harbors along the 36-mile South Haven to Holland MI shoreline:
Bordering Michigan Counties
Michigan counties whose Lake-Michigan coastline falls inside this zone — click to see live county-level NWS land alerts and water-quality data:
Other Lake Michigan Forecast Zones
Adjacent Lake Michigan marine forecast zones with their own live advisory pages:
Common Advisory Types for This Zone
NWS Grand Rapids regularly issues the following marine advisories for South Haven to Holland 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
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What does a Small Craft Advisory mean for South Haven to Holland 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 South Haven to Holland MI, this typically affects recreational boats out of South Haven and Saugatuck.
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Who issues marine forecasts for South Haven to Holland MI?
NWS Grand Rapids (NWS office code GRR) issues all marine forecasts, advisories, warnings, and Special Marine Warnings for the South Haven to Holland MI forecast zone (UGC LMZ845).
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Which Michigan counties border the South Haven to Holland MI marine zone?
Van Buren, Allegan Countys. The shoreline runs roughly 36 miles between South Haven and Holland.
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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 South Haven to Holland MI. Small Craft Advisories are most frequent in spring and fall when winds and wave heights routinely exceed advisory thresholds.
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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.