Until 2024-11-08T08:45:00-07:00 • National Weather Service
...PROLONGED WINTER STORM CONTINUES, WITH HISTORIC SNOWFALL IN EASTERN ELBERT AND LINCOLN COUNTIES... .A slow moving winter storm continues to impact the region with multiple rounds of snow. Generally light snow bands will affect the area overnight, but then expect the next wave of heavy snow to impact more of the region Friday and Friday night, and then slowly diminish Saturday morning as the storm exits the region. Heavy snow accumulations have already paralyzed traffic in east central Colorado including much of the I-70 Corridor around Limon and nearby points surrounding that. Significant snow accumulations have occurred across the Palmer Divide and southern Foothills. Additional heavy snow will spread westward across the plains and into the foothills Friday morning, and then continue through Friday night. From this point forward, the heaviest additional snowfall will occur from Denver metro area eastward across the plains of east central Colorado. This, on top of snow that has already accumulated, will result in a historic snowfall around Elbert, Lincoln, and southern Washington Counties where storm total amounts in some of those locations will be near three feet! The Denver metro area will likely see another 7 to 14 inches with the heaviest amounts in southern half of town. Meanwhile, much lighter snow accumulations are likely farther north including Fort Collins, Greeley, and other plains locations north of I-76. Travel will be impossible east and southeast of Denver. Do not travel or expect to travel in those locations through at least Saturday as heavy snow impacts will last long past this storm. If you live in rural areas of eastern Douglas, Elbert, Lincoln, or southern Washington County be prepared to be stranded for several days. * WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 7 and 14 inches. * WHERE...The Southern Front Range Foothills, Boulder and the western suburbs of Denver, Denver, Castle Rock, and Byers. * WHEN...From 5 AM Friday to noon MST Saturday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday morning and evening commutes.
READ SUMMARY
STREAMFLOW LEVELS
YEAR OVER YEAR DISCHARGE
Streamflow Conditions
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chetco River Near Brookings
USGS 14400000 |
488 cfs | 1.32 ft | -20 |
History of the River
The Chetco River is a 56-mile-long (90 km) stream located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains approximately 352 square miles (912 km2) of Curry County. Flowing through a rugged and isolated coastal region, it descends rapidly from about 3,200 feet (975 m) to sea level at the Pacific Ocean. Except for the lowermost 5 miles (8 km), the river is located entirely within the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest. The river rises in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, northwest of Chetco Peak at the junction of the Oregon Coast Range and the Klamath Mountains. It flows generally north, west, and then southwest, before emptying into the ocean between Brookings and Harbor, approximately 6 miles (10 km) north of the California state line. The Chetco River's watershed remains largely undeveloped, protected by the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest and the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. The upper 45 miles (72 km) of the river have been designated Wild and Scenic since 1988.
Native Americans have lived in the Chetco River's watershed for the last one to three thousand years. Several explorers, including Sir Francis Drake, George Vancouver, and Jedediah Smith, visited the region between the 16th and 19th centuries, and found the Chetco people inhabiting the area. Non-indigenous settlers arrived soon after gold and other precious metals were discovered in the 1840s and 1850s. The town of Brookings was founded in the early 20th century, and incorporated in 1951. Fourteen thousand residents of Brookings and Harbor rely on the Chetco for drinking water.
Supporting a large population of salmon and trout, the Chetco's water is of very high quality. The watershed is home to many other species, including several that are endemic to the Siskiyou Mountains area. The northernmost grove of Redwoods—the tallest trees on Earth—grow in the southern region of the Chetco's drainage basin. In total, the river is home to over 200 species of animals, and 97 percent of the watershed is forested.
