2025-12-20T00:00:00-07:00
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY... Strong northwest winds will spread across the northeast plains after sunrise today, with gusts 45 to 65 mph creating critical fire weather conditions despite somewhat marginal humidity values near 20%. Early Friday, westerly downslope winds will bring strong gusts to the Front Range mountains and foothills, with potential for these to spread into wind-favored portions of the adjacent lower elevations. Peak gusts of 70-90 mph are increasing in likelihood for the windiest locations (considerably lower for areas along and east of I-25). With a warmer and drier air mass in place, humidity values in the teens look to extend into much of the foothills, and certainly across the lower elevations. Such conditions may be a longer duration than usual, with potential for low humidity to extend into the evening hours prior to the arrival of a front. The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Fire Weather Watch for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from Friday morning through Friday evening. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 215, 216, 241, 243, 245, 246 and 247. * TIMING...From Friday morning through late Friday evening. * WINDS...West 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 80 mph in and near the foothills. West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph for areas roughly along and east of I-25. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 to 15%. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire.
Summary
Total streamflow across the
Catawba River
was last observed at
3,025
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
6,000
acre-ft of water today; about 34%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
8,836 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2020-11-13 when daily discharge volume was observed at
93,784 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Catawba River Below Catawba
reporting a streamflow rate of 1,600 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Catawba River, with a gauge stage of
5.5 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Catawba River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,235 ft, the
Catawba R Nr Pleasant Gardens.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-17 |
| Discharge Volume | 6,000 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
3,025.0 cfs
-7.0 cfs (-0.23%) |
| Percent of Normal | 34.24% |
| Maximum |
93,784.0 cfs
2020-11-13 |
| Seasonal Avg | 8,836 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Catawba R Nr Pleasant Gardens
USGS 02137727 |
107 cfs | 1.27 ft | 2.94 | |||||
|
Catawba River Near Rockhill
USGS 02146000 |
1320 cfs | 3.6 ft | -0.75 | |||||
|
Catawba River Below Catawba
USGS 02147020 |
1600 cfs | 5.5 ft | 0 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Catawba River (named after the Native American tribes that first settled on the banks) originates in Western North Carolina and the name of the river changes to the Wateree River in South Carolina. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into the Piedmont, where it has been impounded through a series of reservoirs for flood control and generation of hydroelectricity. The river is named after the Catawba tribe of Native Americans. In their Siouan language, they identified as the Kawahcatawbas, "the people of the river".
It rises in the Blue Ridge Mountains in western McDowell County, North Carolina, approximately 20 miles (30 km) east of Asheville. It flows ENE, forming, along with the Linville River, Lake James. It passes north of Morganton, then southeast through Lake Hickory just north of Hickory, NC, and into the Lake Norman reservoir. From Lake Norman it flows south, passing west of Charlotte, then flowing through the Mountain Island Lake and Lake Wylie reservoirs, where it forms approximately 10 miles (15 km) of the border between North Carolina and South Carolina. The confluence of the South Fork Catawba River and Catawba River is submerged by Lake Wylie near the NC/SC state line.
It flows into northern South Carolina, passing Rock Hill, through Fishing Creek Reservoir near Great Falls, and into the Lake Wateree reservoir, approximately 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Columbia. At the now-submerged confluence with Wateree Creek, it becomes known as the Wateree River.