Iowa River Levels & Streamflow
As of Sep 11, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 204% of normal across 117 USGS gauges — the highest is 26,100 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in Iowa.
Streamflow levels across Iowa are currently 204% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Clinton reporting the highest discharge in the state at 26,100 cfs and a gauge stage of 8.98 ft.
Meanwhile, the Des Moines River At Ottumwa is seeing a spike today — up 2623% since yesterday and currently running near peak.
Tap any gauge below for the full hydrograph, paired weather forecast, and historical context. Use the rivers panel to jump into Iowa's named rivers.
Active weather warnings for Iowa
Iowa residents should exercise caution this morning due to widespread fog conditions affecting multiple regions. A Dense Fog Advisory remains in effect until 10:00 AM CDT for portions of northeast, east central, and southeast Iowa, including areas near the Quad Cities, with visibility reduced to less than one quarter mile. Additionally, a Special Weather Statement has been issued for southern and south central Iowa through 9:30 AM CDT with visibilities around half a mile or less. Motorists throughout affected areas are urged to use low beam headlights and reduce speeds due to hazardous driving conditions. If travel is necessary this morning, exercise extreme caution and allow extra time for your commute.
State-wide streamflow overview
The Iowa flow picture in four data points -- where the state sits versus historical norms, what's flowing hardest, and what's spiking fastest.
Percent of normal
100% is the historical norm. Below 70% indicates drought; above 130% can flag elevated flood risk.
Highest discharge
Gauge stage 8.98 ft
Biggest 24h spike
Now 11,000 cfs
Network coverage
USGS gauges feeding 0 named rivers in Iowa.
Where every gauge actually sits
One dot per Iowa streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The state average is a single line through all of it.
Percent of normal compares today's discharge with the historical average for this calendar day. Tap any dot to open that gauge.
Iowa streamflow, three water years
Statewide percent of normal, every day since Sep 2023. The dotted line is normal.
799 daily readings from 117 reporting gauges. Percent of normal is today's statewide discharge against the historical average for the same calendar day — 100% is normal, not "good". The axis tops out at 250%: 32 readings above that — including the 364% peak in Aug 2026 — are drawn along the top edge, so a few flood days cannot flatten three years of everything else. The line breaks in 2 places where the record skips more than five days — those are gaps in reporting, not readings of zero.
Iowa USGS streamgauges
Every USGS gauge Snoflo tracks in Iowa. Sortable, quickly filterable. Numeric columns heat-mapped from light to deep. Tap any gauge for its full hydrograph and forecast.
| Streamgage | Streamflow | Gage height | Water temp | Air temp | Elevation | Watershed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mississippi River At Clinton, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05420500 |
31,900 cfs | 8.86 ft | 77°F | 57°F | 593 ft | Copperas-Duck |
|
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05488110 |
22,400 cfs | 93.16 ft | 79°F | 58°F | 689 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05488500 |
21,400 cfs | 9.36 ft | · | 60°F | 676 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05489500 |
21,300 cfs | 7.77 ft | 79°F | 58°F | 635 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05490500 |
15,100 cfs | 14.70 ft | 76°F | 60°F | 579 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05485500 |
6,990 cfs | 13.99 ft | · | 59°F | 779 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05465500 |
6,890 cfs | 13.47 ft | 49°F | 60°F | 554 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05484900 |
5,600 cfs | 6.49 ft | · | 59°F | 797 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06810000 |
5,280 cfs | 15.34 ft | · | 63°F | 904 ft | Nishnabotna |
|
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05474000 |
4,670 cfs | 5.70 ft | · | 61°F | 553 ft | Skunk |
|
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05484650 |
4,410 cfs | 24.19 ft | · | 59°F | 797 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05465000 |
4,400 cfs | 7.11 ft | · | 59°F | 593 ft | Lower Cedar |
|
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05486490 |
4,260 cfs | 16.58 ft | · | 59°F | 794 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05484500 |
3,180 cfs | 5.74 ft | 32°F | 59°F | 862 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05464500 |
2,760 cfs | 4.10 ft | 62°F | 58°F | 712 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05486000 |
2,750 cfs | 18.10 ft | · | 59°F | 811 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05482000 |
2,380 cfs | 16.15 ft | 32°F | 59°F | 808 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05455700 |
2,310 cfs | 6.62 ft | · | 59°F | 601 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05464000 |
2,070 cfs | 5.98 ft | · | 57°F | 823 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05481650 |
1,960 cfs | 4.15 ft | · | 59°F | 819 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05463050 |
1,780 cfs | 78.70 ft | · | 56°F | 853 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05471500 |
1,660 cfs | 11.31 ft | · | 60°F | 692 ft | South Skunk |
|
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06809500 |
1,590 cfs | 9.33 ft | · | 64°F | 1,013 ft | East Nishnabotna |
|
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05453520 |
1,570 cfs | 50.35 ft | · | 59°F | 669 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05454500 |
1,550 cfs | 11.09 ft | · | 59°F | 643 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 06817000 |
1,320 cfs | 11.88 ft | · | 58°F | 966 ft | West Nodaway |
|
Raccoon River Near West Des Moines, Ia
3 days ago · USGS 05484600 |
1,300 cfs | 30.34 ft | · | 59°F | 844 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05453100 |
1,090 cfs | 7.39 ft | · | 56°F | 729 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05484000 |
1,080 cfs | 4.22 ft | 32°F | 59°F | 917 ft | South Raccoon |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05422000 |
1,040 cfs | 6.36 ft | · | 58°F | 646 ft | Lower Wapsipinicon |
|
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06485500 |
1,000 cfs | 6.54 ft | · | 65°F | 1,151 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05418500 |
971 cfs | 11.17 ft | · | 56°F | 646 ft | Maquoketa |
|
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05458500 |
894 cfs | 1.77 ft | · | 56°F | 859 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05481950 |
846 cfs | 6.38 ft | · | 59°F | 829 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05472500 |
766 cfs | 7.22 ft | · | 58°F | 664 ft | North Skunk |
|
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05452500 |
763 cfs | 6.83 ft | · | 55°F | 748 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05462000 |
762 cfs | 8.17 ft | · | 58°F | 882 ft | Shell Rock |
|
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05481300 |
734 cfs | 5.55 ft | · | 58°F | 902 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05458300 |
725 cfs | 4.22 ft | 72°F | 56°F | 895 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06607500 |
717 cfs | 7.50 ft | · | 65°F | 1,029 ft | Little Sioux |
|
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06808500 |
693 cfs | 9.01 ft | 73°F | 62°F | 956 ft | West Nishnabotna |
|
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05482500 |
650 cfs | 5.87 ft | 37°F | 58°F | 978 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05421740 |
643 cfs | 5.25 ft | · | 57°F | 779 ft | Lower Wapsipinicon |
|
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05480500 |
622 cfs | 4.18 ft | · | 58°F | 974 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06483500 |
618 cfs | 6.13 ft | · | 64°F | 1,238 ft | Rock |
|
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06809210 |
614 cfs | 4.25 ft | · | 58°F | 1,109 ft | East Nishnabotna |
|
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05412500 |
491 cfs | 6.55 ft | 71°F | 59°F | 646 ft | Turkey |
|
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05457700 |
481 cfs | 2.65 ft | · | 60°F | 977 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05471050 |
470 cfs | 8.78 ft | · | 57°F | 793 ft | South Skunk |
|
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 06898000 |
439 cfs | 2.05 ft | · | 60°F | 910 ft | Thompson |
|
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05473400 |
427 cfs | 5.77 ft | · | 60°F | 590 ft | Skunk |
|
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05412020 |
418 cfs | 5.55 ft | · | 59°F | 726 ft | Turkey |
|
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05476750 |
414 cfs | 3.76 ft | · | 58°F | 1,066 ft | Upper Des Moines |
|
English River At Kalona, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05455500 |
413 cfs | 5.71 ft | · | 59°F | 655 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06606600 |
395 cfs | 5.05 ft | · | 62°F | 1,106 ft | Little Sioux |
|
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05484800 |
379 cfs | 5.08 ft | · | 59°F | 808 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05388250 |
366 cfs | 7.05 ft | · | 57°F | 668 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06609500 |
345 cfs | 4.34 ft | · | 64°F | 1,014 ft | Boyer |
|
Floyd River At James, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06600500 |
326 cfs | 8.95 ft | · | 64°F | 1,117 ft | Floyd |
|
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05418400 |
319 cfs | 3.09 ft | 39°F | 56°F | 689 ft | Maquoketa |
|
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05421000 |
284 cfs | 4.98 ft | · | 56°F | 889 ft | Upper Wapsipinicon |
|
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05451500 |
256 cfs | 9.81 ft | · | 56°F | 853 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05411850 |
240 cfs | 5.41 ft | · | 60°F | 897 ft | Turkey |
|
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06605850 |
237 cfs | 5.65 ft | · | 60°F | 1,249 ft | Little Sioux |
|
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05487470 |
234 cfs | 6.45 ft | · | 59°F | 805 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06807410 |
229 cfs | 2.55 ft | · | 61°F | 1,089 ft | West Nishnabotna |
|
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06607200 |
222 cfs | 4.91 ft | · | 64°F | 1,114 ft | Maple |
|
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05471000 |
220 cfs | 10.78 ft | · | 57°F | 872 ft | South Skunk |
|
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05458900 |
212 cfs | 6.55 ft | · | 56°F | 859 ft | West Fork Cedar |
|
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05485640 |
204 cfs | 4.56 ft | · | 59°F | 813 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06600100 |
197 cfs | 6.24 ft | · | 63°F | 1,289 ft | Floyd |
|
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05483600 |
174 cfs | 4.61 ft | 35°F | 58°F | 997 ft | South Raccoon |
|
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05470500 |
169 cfs | 1.99 ft | · | 57°F | 907 ft | South Skunk |
|
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05387440 |
167 cfs | 3.27 ft | · | 57°F | 970 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05387500 |
162 cfs | 1.75 ft | · | 60°F | 854 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05416900 |
152 cfs | 4.13 ft | · | 55°F | 920 ft | Maquoketa |
|
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05483450 |
152 cfs | 9.88 ft | · | 58°F | 1,054 ft | South Raccoon |
|
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05489000 |
145 cfs | 5.34 ft | · | 58°F | 696 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05412400 |
143 cfs | 4.65 ft | · | 59°F | 694 ft | Turkey |
|
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05482300 |
132 cfs | 7.40 ft | 75°F | 61°F | 1,179 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05485605 |
127 cfs | 2.87 ft | · | 61°F | 911 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05459500 |
115 cfs | 4.82 ft | · | 55°F | 1,101 ft | Winnebago |
|
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06608500 |
115 cfs | 2.86 ft | · | 64°F | 1,047 ft | Blackbird-Soldier |
|
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05470000 |
104 cfs | 3.16 ft | · | 60°F | 928 ft | South Skunk |
|
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06602400 |
102 cfs | 4.74 ft | · | 65°F | 1,021 ft | Monona-Harrison Ditch |
|
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05452000 |
98 cfs | 6.17 ft | · | 59°F | 802 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05389000 |
98 cfs | 5.61 ft | · | 56°F | 681 ft | Coon-Yellow |
|
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05463500 |
92 cfs | 5.56 ft | · | 59°F | 897 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05464220 |
92 cfs | 2.68 ft | · | 56°F | 835 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05479000 |
91 cfs | 7.69 ft | · | 58°F | 1,043 ft | East Fork Des Moines |
|
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05471200 |
89 cfs | 3.52 ft | · | 57°F | 827 ft | South Skunk |
|
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05463000 |
86 cfs | 1.80 ft | · | 56°F | 890 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05455100 |
75 cfs | 2.29 ft | 46°F | 59°F | 654 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06605000 |
74 cfs | 2.23 ft | · | 61°F | 1,317 ft | Little Sioux |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05420680 |
74 cfs | 7.21 ft | · | 55°F | 1,019 ft | Upper Wapsipinicon |
|
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05458000 |
72 cfs | 3.38 ft | · | 59°F | 1,000 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05481000 |
70 cfs | 1.91 ft | 35°F | 57°F | 1,028 ft | Boone |
|
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05487980 |
66 cfs | 6.49 ft | · | 59°F | 773 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05453000 |
64 cfs | 10.95 ft | · | 56°F | 771 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06819185 |
58 cfs | 11.26 ft | · | 59°F | 1,084 ft | One Hundred And Two |
|
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05454300 |
55 cfs | 1.41 ft | · | 59°F | 660 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 06483290 |
54 cfs | 7.01 ft | · | 63°F | 1,316 ft | Rock |
|
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05488200 |
50 cfs | 9.22 ft | · | 59°F | 749 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05451210 |
45 cfs | 2.28 ft | · | 56°F | 963 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05411600 |
42 cfs | 2.05 ft | · | 60°F | 1,067 ft | Turkey |
|
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05454220 |
38 cfs | 2.20 ft | · | 59°F | 722 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05449500 |
37 cfs | 3.51 ft | · | 57°F | 1,187 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06904010 |
26 cfs | 18.39 ft | · | 57°F | 847 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05451700 |
24 cfs | 2.11 ft | · | 56°F | 862 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06903900 |
15 cfs | 2.26 ft | · | 57°F | 855 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05389400 |
14 cfs | 4.08 ft | · | 59°F | 634 ft | Coon-Yellow |
|
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05473450 |
14 cfs | 3.50 ft | · | 59°F | 672 ft | Skunk |
|
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06903700 |
9 cfs | 3.09 ft | · | 58°F | 922 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05452200 |
7 cfs | · | · | 59°F | 806 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 05451900 |
6 cfs | 10.24 ft | · | 59°F | 817 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
18 hours ago · USGS 05454000 |
5 cfs | 3.84 ft | · | 59°F | 688 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
17 hours ago · USGS 06903400 |
3 cfs | 4.11 ft | · | 58°F | 968 ft | Upper Chariton |
See every Iowa gauge ranked against normal.
- Percentile rank & % of median for all 117 gauges
- 15-day PULSE forecast on every gauge
- Custom flow alerts & full daily history
About Iowa streamflow
What are river levels like in Iowa right now?
As of September 11, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 204% of normal across 117 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Clinton is reporting the highest discharge at 26,100 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.
Which Iowa river is running highest right now?
As of September 11, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 26,100 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. See the sortable gauge table for the full statewide ranking.
Are Iowa rivers high or low right now?
Compare the statewide percent-of-normal on this page: above 100% means Iowa rivers are running higher than the seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower (a dry spell or drought). Each gauge also shows its own percent of median.
Where does the Iowa streamflow data come from?
The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System. USGS streamgauges report continuously (every 15 minutes) and the data is the canonical real-time record for U.S. rivers. Snoflo pulls the latest readings and joins them to a 7-day NOAA weather forecast for each station.
What is cfs?
Cubic feet per second — the standard unit for streamflow. One cfs is about 7.5 gallons per second. Small creeks run at single-digit cfs; the Mississippi at hundreds of thousands.
What does Gauge Height mean?
The water level at the gauge in feet above the reference datum. Used together with discharge to track river state. Flood stage and runnable levels are typically expressed in gauge height (e.g., "flood at 16 ft").
How fresh is the Iowa data?
USGS streamgauges report every 15 minutes; Snoflo re-pulls throughout the day. The AI briefing regenerates daily.
Can I get a flow alert for a Iowa gauge?
Yes. Save any USGS gauge as a favorite in the Snoflo iOS app, set a discharge or stage threshold (e.g. "alert me when discharge crosses 2,000 cfs"), and you'll get a push the moment it crosses.
Is this a substitute for an NWS flood warning?
No. Snoflo is informational. For flood life-safety decisions always follow guidance from your local NWS forecast office and state emergency management. Snoflo data is one input among several.
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