Transparent by design
What the Beach Day Score means
The 0–100 score answers one narrow question: how promising does this beach look for an ordinary day trip? It combines up to 25 points for air comfort, 20 for dry weather, 15 for wind, 12 for observed water temperature, 13 for observed waves, and 15 for the destination itself.
A score is calculated only when the forecast includes air temperature, rain chance, and wind gusts and a NOAA observation no more than six hours old includes both water temperature and wave height. If any required input is missing, the score is N/A and the beach is excluded from the daily ranking. Because offshore stations can be far from a beach, every detail view names the station, its distance, and observation time.
Official notices override the number
An active Michigan BeachGuard closure sets the score to zero. A contamination advisory caps it at 20. A high NWS swim risk caps it at 20; moderate caps it at 45. Relevant NWS Beach Hazards Statements, Special Weather or Marine Statements, severe warnings, and lakeshore alerts also limit the result and exclude a beach from the daily picks. The daily Surf Zone Forecast matters because moderate swim risk can exist without an active Beach Hazards Statement.
The report checks both Michigan land alerts and Great Lakes marine areas. It filters Special Weather and Marine Statements for shoreline threats such as lightning, waterspouts, damaging winds, high waves, or dangerous currents; an unrelated statement or wildfire Red Flag Warning is not mislabeled as a swimming flag.
When the seasonal page turns on
The dedicated Best Michigan Beaches Today ranking turns on automatically every May 15 and pauses after September 15. The core report on this page—search, map, weather, lake observations, and official notice checks—stays live through fall, winter, and spring.
Frequently asked questions
Which Michigan beach is best today?
There is no permanent winner. During summer, today’s top beaches appear above only after current official notices and alerts are checked, a low NWS swim risk is matched, and the eligible locations are scored against the same weather and lake-condition rubric.
Why can water temperature or waves say “not current”?
The report will not pass an old or incomplete buoy observation off as live. A reading more than six hours old—or one missing water temperature or wave height—makes the score N/A and is displayed as not current or unavailable.
Does low NWS swim risk mean a green beach flag?
No. NWS low, moderate, or high risk is forecast guidance. At Michigan state-park flag sites, green means low hazard, yellow medium, red high, and double red means water access is closed. Staff can update the physical flag as conditions change, so this report leaves posted flag status unknown and tells you to check it on arrival.
Can I use this to decide whether to swim?
Use it to compare day-trip conditions, then check BeachGuard, the NWS beach forecast, lifeguard instructions, the flag actually posted, notices, and shoreline conditions. Great Lakes rip, structural, channel, longshore, and outlet currents can change rapidly.