nws
The gist
The National Weather Service began updating maps and forecasts to call Lake Ontario "Lake America."
The change follows a Trump executive order, so U.S. weather products now diverge.
How it unfolded
- Aug 27, 2026President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Interior Department and U.S. Board on Geographic Names to take steps to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America within 30 days and update federal geographic names.
- Sep 14, 2026The National Weather Service announced it has begun updating its maps, websites, forecasts and other products to use the name "Lake America" for the body of water historically known as Lake Ontario.
- Sep 14, 2026The National Weather Service said it is working to implement the name change and that the updates should not disrupt any operations.