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Wind Warnings: Types of High Winds When Boating

Wind levels have a major impact on boating safety. Boaters in Canada should take note of the wind warnings issued by Environment Canada and be prepared with the right boating safety equipment and navigation tools.

While there are no laws forbidding recreational boaters from taking to the water in high winds, there are plenty of good reasons to be careful, such as the high risk of capsizing, hypothermia, and drowning.

Key takeaways

• Environment Canada issues wind warnings so that recreational boaters can make smart decisions about whether to go out on the water.
• Official radio and internet sources provide reliable and up-to-date information.
• There are four types of wind warnings: strong, gale, storm and hurricane force.
• Other factors that come into play are wind fetch and wind over tide.
• If you are not sure if it is too windy to go boating, you should stay on shore and be safe.

Table of contents

• The 4 Types of Marine Wind Warnings
  • 1. Strong wind warning
  • 2. Gale warning
  • 3. Storm warning
  • 4. Hurricane force wind warning
• Reliable Data for Wind Warnings in Canada
• Additional Factors: Wind Fetch and Wind Over Tide
  • Wind Fetch
  • Wind Over Tide
• Frequently Asked Questions

The 4 Types of Marine Wind Warnings

Environment Canada provides a marine forecasting service for boaters to help them make informed decisions about their safety on the water.

When conditions may prove hazardous for boaters, Environment Canada adds warnings to its forecasts.

Note: Environment Canada’s Strong Wind Warning program activity is not year-round. Boaters should check the time frame for their region to confirm the service is available where they are planning to go boating.

There are four levels of wind warnings that are used to notify boaters of high wind speeds.

1. Strong wind warning

Strong wind warnings are issued for wind speeds of 20 to 33 knots (37 – 61 km/h). These warnings are intended for coastal and inland waters and are usually only used during the recreational boating season. They are not issued for marine areas where winds of this speed occur regularly.

Strong winds are challenging for small craft, so expect whitecaps.

2. Gale warning

Gale warnings are issued for wind speeds of 34 to 47 knots (62 – 87 km/h). They can be issued for any inland, coastal, or offshore area that is provided with a marine forecast.

Gale warnings are dangerous. They can cause large waves and it is recommended that you stay on shore.

3. Storm warning

Storm warnings are issued for wind speeds of 48 to 63 knots (88 – 117 km/h). They can be issued for any inland, coastal, or offshore area that is provided with a marine forecast.

A storm warning means severe conditions are expected. There is a high risk of damage or capsizing, so stay on shore.

4. Hurricane force wind warning

Hurricane force wind warnings are issued for wind speeds of 64 knots or more (118 km/h or more). It’s important to note that a hurricane force wind warning does not mean that a hurricane is imminent—it simply indicates that wind speeds will be comparable to hurricane conditions.

A hurricane force wind warning means there is extreme danger to boaters. Stay on shore.

Reliable Data for Wind Warnings in Canada

In Canada, boaters should rely on official, dedicated sources for accurate and up-to-date weather information.

These include:

• Environment Canada’s Marine Forecasts and Warnings for Canada official website. Forecasts include information about wave height, visibility, freezing spray and marine winds.

• The Continuous Marine Broadcast (CMB) service, operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. Broadcasts on channels 21B, 23B, 25B, 28B and 83B. Tune in with your VHF Marine Radio for accurate forecasts and warnings.
• Environment Canada’s Weatheradio (162.400 – 162.550 MHz). Note that not all areas are covered.
• Online at weather.gc.ca. An official source for marine forecasts. 

Additional Factors: Wind Fetch and Wind Over Tide 

Wind speed is important, but boaters must also remember that winds in combination with other factors can create dangerous conditions, even when the winds themselves do not necessarily pose a threat.

Wind Fetch

Wind fetch is the unobstructed distance of open water over which the wind blows in a single direction. The longer the fetch, the more energy the wind can transfer to the water’s surface, resulting in significantly larger and more powerful waves even if the wind speed remains constant.

For recreational boaters, this means a gentle breeze in a protected harbor can transform into dangerous, steep swells just a few kilometers offshore where the fetch is greater.

Example

Twenty knots of wind in a sheltered cove makes for a pleasant afternoon, but twenty knots of wind blowing across the entire length of Lake Ontario creates 2-meter swells and dangerous boating conditions.

Wind Over Tide

When wind and tide move in opposite directions, the wind’s force pushes against the moving surface of the water, causing wave energy to compress and stack up. This creates waves that are significantly taller, steeper, and closer together than the wind speed alone would suggest, often leading to unpredictable and dangerous “square waves”.

For recreational boaters, these conditions can be treacherous because the abrupt, breaking crests can easily swamp a small vessel or cause a loss of steering control.

Example

A classic and dangerous example of the wind-over-tide effect in Canada occurs at the mouth of the Fraser River in British Columbia. When a strong wind opposes the powerful outgoing current, the waves transform into dangerously tall, steep vertical walls, posing a serious threat to recreational boaters. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• Government of Canada Canadian marine warning program: chapter 1 Canadian Marine Warning Program. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/general-marine-weather-information/publications/canadian-warning-program/chapter-1.html 
• Government of Canada. Weatheradio: find your network Environment and Natural Resources. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/weatheradio/find-your-network.html
• Government of Canada Boating safety Marine Safety. https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/marine-safety/boating-safety 
• Government of Canada Marine Forecasts and Warnings for Canada Weather Information. https://weather.gc.ca/marine/index_e.html

Related contents

• Guide to Boat Navigation Rules in Canada
• Upstream vs. Downstream: What Boaters Need to Know
• Canadian Nautical Charts, Tide Tables & Current Tables

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