We have been trying to predict the weather for a while now, and we've tried a lot of different forecasts. We think these are the best.
NOAA Marine Forecast
A marine forecast from NOAA, the national weather service.
It is probably the most reliable wind forecast, but it tends towards the worst case scenario.
Also, remember that wave height is measured from center (the flat water level) to peak, not from trough to peak, so a 3 foot wave is 6 feet from top to bottom.
The Crib
Live wind and temperature data from NOAA.
The sensor is mounted on the Harrison-Dever Crib, where the city gets its water.
Keep in mind that it's three miles off shore and 60 feet up off the lake surface, so the weather there probably isn't exactly the same as the weather here.
Wilmette Buoy
Live wind, air and water temperature and wave height from Illinos-Indiana Sea Grant project.
The sensor it located on a buoy off of Wilmette shore.
Keep in mind that it's five miles to the North, so the weather there may not be exactly the same as the weather here.
The Weather Underground
The Weather Underground, or wunderground.com, is probably the best general weather forecast.
It gets its data both from the NOAA, and a network of local weather stations.
It also has a great interactive radar.
Sailflow
Sailflow, and similarly featured iwindsurf.com, shows a network of wind stations, including the crib, and has pretty accurate spot wind forecasts.
We use the Greenwood Beach station for the forecast.