West Virginia River Levels & Streamflow
As of Aug 16, 2026, West Virginia rivers are running at 327% of normal across 74 USGS gauges — the highest is 18,400 cfs on the Kanawha River At Charleston. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in West Virginia.
Streamflow levels across West Virginia are currently 327% of normal, with the Kanawha River At Charleston reporting the highest discharge in the state at 18,400 cfs and a gauge stage of 18.89 ft.
Meanwhile, the Clear Fork At Whitesville is seeing a spike today — up 778% 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 West Virginia's named rivers.
Active weather warnings for West Virginia
West Virginia is experiencing widespread flooding threats across multiple regions due to heavy thunderstorm activity. Multiple Flash Flood Warnings are in effect throughout the state, with the most severe conditions in central and southeastern areas. Life-threatening flash flooding is ongoing or expected in Fayetteville, Oak Hill, Montgomery, and surrounding communities in Boone, Kanawha, Fayette, and Raleigh counties, where 2-3.5 inches of rain have already fallen with additional rainfall expected. Northern regions including Clarksburg, Bridgeport, and Philippi face significant flash flooding risks from 1-3 inches of rainfall. Additional warnings extend to Beckley and communities along I-64 and the West Virginia Turnpike. A standard Flood Warning is also in effect for Upshur County near Sand Run Creek. Residents should avoid flooded roadways, stay alert to changing conditions, and be prepared to evacuate if necessary through at least mid-afternoon.
State-wide streamflow overview
The West Virginia 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 18.89 ft
Biggest 24h spike
Now 575 cfs
Network coverage
USGS gauges feeding 0 named rivers in West Virginia.
West Virginia USGS streamgauges
Every USGS gauge Snoflo tracks in West Virginia. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kanawha River At Charleston, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03198000 |
14,600 cfs | 18.54 ft | · | 73°F | 566 ft | Lower Kanawha |
|
Kanawha River At Kanawha Falls, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03193000 |
10,500 cfs | 5.39 ft | 74°F | 69°F | 622 ft | Upper Kanawha |
|
Tygart Valley R At Tygart Dam Nr Grafton, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03056000 |
5,910 cfs | 9.93 ft | 72°F | 69°F | 969 ft | Tygart Valley |
|
New River At Thurmond, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03185400 |
5,440 cfs | 5.60 ft | 77°F | 69°F | 1,041 ft | Lower New |
|
Tygart Valley River At Colfax, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03057000 |
5,330 cfs | 8.29 ft | 72°F | 70°F | 868 ft | Tygart Valley |
|
Gauley River Above Belva, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03192000 |
3,880 cfs | 4.71 ft | · | 70°F | 675 ft | Gauley |
|
Tygart Valley River At Philippi, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03054500 |
1,980 cfs | 5.21 ft | 73°F | 69°F | 1,287 ft | Tygart Valley |
|
Coal River At Tornado, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03200500 |
1,920 cfs | 11.28 ft | 72°F | 73°F | 579 ft | Coal |
|
Potomac River At Shepherdstown, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 01618000 |
1,630 cfs | 2.21 ft | · | 70°F | 283 ft | Conococheague-Opequon |
|
Cheat River At Albright, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03070260 |
1,580 cfs | 12.06 ft | 75°F | 68°F | 1,203 ft | Cheat |
|
Tug Fork At Kermit, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03214500 |
1,540 cfs | 5.89 ft | · | 75°F | 579 ft | Tug |
|
Meadow River At Nallen, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03190000 |
1,530 cfs | 7.38 ft | · | 68°F | 1,880 ft | Gauley |
|
Greenbrier River At Hilldale, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03184000 |
1,430 cfs | 2.50 ft | · | 70°F | 1,394 ft | Greenbrier |
|
West Fork River At Enterprise, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03061000 |
1,340 cfs | 4.87 ft | 74°F | 69°F | 872 ft | West Fork |
|
Guyandotte River At Logan, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03203600 |
1,290 cfs | 6.23 ft | · | 72°F | 646 ft | Upper Guyandotte |
|
Big Coal River At Ashford, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03198500 |
1,250 cfs | 4.56 ft | · | 73°F | 619 ft | Coal |
|
Greenbrier River At Alderson, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03183500 |
1,100 cfs | 3.29 ft | 74°F | 70°F | 1,534 ft | Greenbrier |
|
Cheat River Near Parsons, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03069500 |
1,080 cfs | 4.08 ft | 71°F | 69°F | 1,593 ft | Cheat |
|
Elk River At Queen Shoals, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03197000 |
1,040 cfs | 5.56 ft | · | 72°F | 609 ft | Elk |
|
Little Kanawha River At Palestine, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03155000 |
971 cfs | 15.21 ft | 76°F | 72°F | 605 ft | Little Kanawha |
|
Gauley River Near Craigsville, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03189100 |
833 cfs | 11.55 ft | 72°F | 67°F | 1,881 ft | Gauley |
|
Buckhannon River At Hall, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03053500 |
753 cfs | 5.77 ft | · | 69°F | 1,374 ft | Tygart Valley |
|
Middle Island Creek At Little, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03114500 |
663 cfs | 3.90 ft | 74°F | 71°F | 634 ft | Little Muskingum-Middle Island |
|
Tygart Valley River At Belington, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03051000 |
649 cfs | 3.90 ft | · | 69°F | 1,693 ft | Tygart Valley |
|
Shenandoah River At Millville, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 01636500 |
582 cfs | 1.49 ft | 61°F | 70°F | 298 ft | Shenandoah |
|
W.F. River At Butcherville, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03058500 |
562 cfs | 3.06 ft | · | 70°F | 996 ft | West Fork |
|
Bluestone River Near Pipestem, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03179000 |
500 cfs | 4.21 ft | 73°F | 69°F | 1,529 ft | Middle New |
|
West Fork R Bl Stonewall Jackson Dam Nr Weston, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03058000 |
479 cfs | 9.93 ft | 73°F | 70°F | 1,021 ft | West Fork |
|
Middle Fork River At Audra, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03052000 |
448 cfs | 3.47 ft | · | 69°F | 1,678 ft | Tygart Valley |
|
Guyandotte River Near Baileysville, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03202400 |
394 cfs | 3.92 ft | · | 70°F | 1,139 ft | Upper Guyandotte |
|
Dry Fork At Hendricks, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03065000 |
359 cfs | 2.36 ft | · | 69°F | 1,706 ft | Cheat |
|
North Branch Potomac River At Luke, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 01598500 |
336 cfs | 1.78 ft | · | 67°F | 952 ft | North Branch Potomac |
|
Buckhannon River At Alton, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03052120 |
303 cfs | 6.03 ft | · | 67°F | 1,785 ft | Tygart Valley |
|
South Branch Potomac River Near Springfield, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 01608500 |
281 cfs | 1.48 ft | 80°F | 68°F | 570 ft | South Branch Potomac |
|
North Branch Potomac River At Barnum, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 01595800 |
268 cfs | 3.07 ft | 56°F | 66°F | 1,168 ft | North Branch Potomac |
|
Wheeling Creek At Elm Grove, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03112000 |
250 cfs | 2.77 ft | · | 71°F | 668 ft | Upper Ohio-Wheeling |
|
Elk River Below Webster Springs, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03194700 |
247 cfs | 4.15 ft | 76°F | 67°F | 1,019 ft | Elk |
|
Shavers Fork Below Bowden, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03068800 |
240 cfs | 4.47 ft | · | 68°F | 2,122 ft | Cheat |
|
L Kanawha River Nr Wildcat, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03151400 |
228 cfs | 5.21 ft | · | 70°F | 866 ft | Little Kanawha |
|
Tygart Valley River Near Dailey, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03050000 |
207 cfs | 1.94 ft | · | 69°F | 1,944 ft | Tygart Valley |
|
Clear Fork At Clear Fork, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03202750 |
205 cfs | 2.89 ft | · | 70°F | 1,140 ft | Upper Guyandotte |
|
Greenbrier River At Buckeye, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03182500 |
190 cfs | 2.42 ft | · | 67°F | 2,089 ft | Greenbrier |
|
So. Branch Potomac River Nr Petersburg, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 01606500 |
172 cfs | 4.01 ft | · | 68°F | 970 ft | South Branch Potomac |
|
Big Sandy Creek At Rockville, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03070500 |
172 cfs | 4.58 ft | · | 68°F | 1,338 ft | Cheat |
|
Clear Fork At Whitesville, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03198350 |
153 cfs | 13.19 ft | · | 70°F | 842 ft | Coal |
|
Williams River At Dyer, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03186500 |
141 cfs | 1.84 ft | · | 66°F | 2,198 ft | Gauley |
|
Piney Creek At Raleigh, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03185000 |
140 cfs | 2.68 ft | · | 68°F | 2,104 ft | Lower New |
|
Cacapon River Near Great Cacapon, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 01611500 |
128 cfs | 1.65 ft | 81°F | 69°F | 466 ft | Cacapon-Town |
|
Pocatalico River At Sissonville, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03201000 |
123 cfs | 3.26 ft | · | 72°F | 613 ft | Lower Kanawha |
|
Dry Fork At Beartown, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03212980 |
122 cfs | 3.35 ft | · | 70°F | 1,076 ft | Tug |
|
Tug Fork At Welch, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03212750 |
121 cfs | 3.44 ft | · | 70°F | 1,283 ft | Tug |
|
Cranberry River Near Richwood, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03187500 |
118 cfs | 2.87 ft | 68°F | 67°F | 2,138 ft | Gauley |
|
Kings Creek At Weirton, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03110830 |
116 cfs | 1.95 ft | · | 70°F | 685 ft | Upper Ohio |
|
Greenbrier River At Durbin, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03180500 |
89 cfs | 1.30 ft | 69°F | 64°F | 2,729 ft | Greenbrier |
|
N F South Br Potomac R At Cabins, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 01606000 |
78 cfs | 4.32 ft | · | 67°F | 1,053 ft | South Branch Potomac |
|
Blackwater R At Davis, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03066000 |
77 cfs | 1.86 ft | 70°F | 63°F | 3,071 ft | Cheat |
|
Opequon Creek Near Martinsburg, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 01616500 |
73 cfs | 1.86 ft | · | 69°F | 361 ft | Conococheague-Opequon |
|
Peters Creek Near Lockwood, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03191500 |
67 cfs | 5.72 ft | · | 69°F | 1,073 ft | Gauley |
|
Three Fork Creek Nr Grafton, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03056250 |
56 cfs | 3.15 ft | · | 69°F | 1,004 ft | Tygart Valley |
|
Shavers Fork Nr Cheat Bridge, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03067510 |
53 cfs | 4.57 ft | 66°F | 63°F | 3,542 ft | Cheat |
|
So Fk South Branch Potomac R Nr Moorefield, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 01608000 |
52 cfs | 2.87 ft | · | 70°F | 864 ft | South Branch Potomac |
|
W.Fork Little Kanawha River At Rocksdale, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03154000 |
44 cfs | 5.94 ft | · | 71°F | 673 ft | Little Kanawha |
|
Deckers Creek At Morgantown, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03062500 |
43 cfs | · | · | 70°F | 806 ft | Upper Monongahela |
|
South Branch Potomac River At Franklin, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 01605500 |
42 cfs | 1.69 ft | · | 67°F | 1,697 ft | South Branch Potomac |
|
Buffalo Creek At Barrackville, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03061500 |
41 cfs | 2.23 ft | · | 69°F | 903 ft | Upper Monongahela |
|
Patterson Creek Near Headsville, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 01604500 |
36 cfs | 3.25 ft | · | 68°F | 623 ft | North Branch Potomac |
|
East Fork Twelvepole Creek Near Dunlow, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 03206600 |
25 cfs | 4.07 ft | · | 73°F | 719 ft | Twelvepole |
|
So Fk So Br Potomac R At Brandywine, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 01607500 |
18 cfs | 1.46 ft | · | 66°F | 1,558 ft | South Branch Potomac |
|
Back Creek Near Jones Springs, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 01614000 |
15 cfs | 1.66 ft | · | 70°F | 436 ft | Conococheague-Opequon |
|
Abram Creek At Oakmont, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 01595300 |
13 cfs | 2.74 ft | · | 65°F | 1,846 ft | North Branch Potomac |
|
Panther Creek Near Panther, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03213500 |
12 cfs | 2.86 ft | · | 71°F | 1,060 ft | Tug |
|
Hurricane Creek At Hurricane, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 03201405 |
7 cfs | 5.06 ft | · | 72°F | 630 ft | Lower Kanawha |
|
Tuscarora Creek Above Martinsburg, Wv
10 hours ago · USGS 01617000 |
2 cfs | 2.19 ft | · | 70°F | 456 ft | Conococheague-Opequon |
|
Waites Run Near Wardensville, Wv
11 hours ago · USGS 01610400 |
2 cfs | 3.31 ft | 69°F | 67°F | 1,258 ft | Cacapon-Town |
See every West Virginia gauge ranked against normal.
- Percentile rank & % of median for all 74 gauges
- 15-day PULSE forecast on every gauge
- Custom flow alerts & full daily history
West Virginia river runs
Paddleable river sections in West Virginia keyed to USGS gauges, with live streamflow and whitewater class.
| River run | Status | Streamflow | Air temp | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluestone Dam To Sandstone | · | · | 60°F | III- TO IV- |
| Upper Gauley - Summersville Dam To Mason Branch | · | · | 51°F | IV TO V |
See when every West Virginia run is runnable.
- Runnable-window alerts on every river run
- 15-day PULSE flow forecast per run
- Full whitewater class & gauge history
About West Virginia streamflow
What are river levels like in West Virginia right now?
As of August 16, 2026, West Virginia rivers are running at 327% of normal across 74 USGS streamgauges, and the Kanawha River At Charleston is reporting the highest discharge at 18,400 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.
Which West Virginia river is running highest right now?
As of August 16, 2026, the highest discharge in West Virginia is 18,400 cfs on the Kanawha River At Charleston. See the sortable gauge table for the full statewide ranking.
Are West Virginia rivers high or low right now?
Compare the statewide percent-of-normal on this page: above 100% means West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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.
Streamflow in every state
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