AccuWeather, NWS add 'Lake America' to maps
The gist
AccuWeather and the National Weather Service began using "Lake America" for Lake Ontario this week.
The renaming follows a presidential order and now reaches everyday U.S. weather maps.
How it unfolded
- Aug 27, 2026President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America, directing the Interior Department to update the lake's name in the U.S. geographic naming service. A map labeling the lake as "Lake America" was displayed as he signed the order in the Oval Office.
- Sep 14, 2026In a public information statement, the National Weather Service said it was implementing Executive Order 14422 and that users should expect the change to appear gradually across its services, taking precautions to avoid disrupting weather operations.
- Sep 15, 2026AccuWeather meteorologist Nick Arman confirmed to Newsweek that AccuWeather will use Lake America per the standards recently set by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.