Lake Forest beachgoers face life-threatening rip currents and waves up to eight feet on Lake Michigan through Wednesday evening, Sept. 23, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned.
The NWS described swimming conditions as life-threatening, particularly for inexperienced swimmers, according to Patch, which first reported the local warning. The agency's beach hazards statement covers the Lake Michigan shoreline and advises residents to stay out of the water and away from piers and breakwalls.
Strong structural and longshore currents are expected. Rip currents are also possible, according to the NWS statement text.
Wave heights could reach seven to 10 feet overnight into Monday morning before settling to five to seven feet through Wednesday, the NWS said in its regional statement issued Sunday, Sept. 20.
The dangerous conditions stretch well beyond Lake Forest. Beach hazards statements were in effect for all five Great Lakes on Monday, Sept. 21, affecting more than 8 million people, Newsweek reported.
NWS Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Bryan Jackson attributed the pattern to a Canadian high-pressure system north of the Great Lakes and the seasonal shift toward fall.
"Generally speaking, you wouldn't get this strong of wind during the summer, so now that we're heading into fall, this is part of that transition into the cooler season," Jackson told Newsweek.
Jackson added that this time of year brings more notable cold fronts, producing stronger winds than summer months.
The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP) has recorded 41 drownings in Lake Michigan in 2026 as of Monday, Sept. 21, out of 73 across all five Great Lakes. In August, an Evanston Parks and Recreation employee found a man unresponsive in the water near Lee Street Beach in Evanston.
No lifeguards staff Lake Michigan beaches after Labor Day. GLSRP Executive Director Dave Benjamin told Newsweek on Sept. 9, during a separate Great Lakes warning, that summer lifeguard coverage typically runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
The NWS also forecasted additional rain through Tuesday after a weekend of heavy downpours across the Chicago area.
Forty-one people have drowned in Lake Michigan this year, and no lifeguards are on duty.
