2026-03-12T21:00:00-06:00
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 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248 and 249. * TIMING...For the Red Flag Warning, from 11 AM to 9 PM MDT Thursday. For the Fire Weather Watch, from Friday morning through Friday evening. * WINDS...On Thursday, west winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts 45 to 70 mph for the northern plains and locations west of I-25, and west winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph elsewhere. On Friday, west winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts 30 to 50 mph, strongest near the Cheyenne Ridge. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...12 to 18 percent, driest roughly along and south of I-70 and around the Denver metro. * 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
Cimarron River
was last observed at
1,702
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
3,375
acre-ft of water today; about 136%
of normal.
River levels are high.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
1,255 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2019-05-22 when daily discharge volume was observed at
217,928 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Cimarron River Near Ripley
reporting a streamflow rate of 523 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Cimarron River Near Dover
with a gauge stage of 10.08 ft.
This river is monitored from 12 different streamgauging stations along the Cimarron River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 8,643 ft, the
Cimarron River Near Cimarron.
15-Day Weather Outlook
River Details
| Last Updated | 2026-03-12 |
| Discharge Volume | 3,375 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
1,701.73 cfs
-121.7 cfs (-6.67%) |
| Percent of Normal | 135.63% |
| Maximum |
217,928.0 cfs
2019-05-22 |
| Seasonal Avg | 1,255 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cimarron River Near Cimarron
USGS 09126000 |
10 cfs | 1.05 ft | 0 | |||||
|
Cimarron River Below Eagle Nest Dam
USGS 07206000 |
7 cfs | 0.45 ft | 248.5 | |||||
|
Cimarron River Bl Squaw Creek
USGS 09127000 |
30 cfs | 7.73 ft | -12.13 | |||||
|
Cimarron River Near Cimarron
USGS 07207000 |
5 cfs | 0.88 ft | 0 | |||||
|
Cimarron River Near Kenton
USGS 07154500 |
0 cfs | 4.77 ft | None | |||||
|
Cimarron River Near Forgan
USGS 07156900 |
24 cfs | 2.37 ft | -2.89 | |||||
|
Cimarron R Near Buttermilk
USGS 07157740 |
32 cfs | 7.95 ft | -6.18 | |||||
|
Cimarron River Near Buffalo
USGS 07157950 |
68 cfs | 3.95 ft | -27.28 | |||||
|
Cimarron River Near Waynoka
USGS 07158000 |
125 cfs | 6.09 ft | 25.25 | |||||
|
Cimarron River Near Dover
USGS 07159100 |
378 cfs | 10.08 ft | -10.21 | |||||
|
Cimarron River Near Guthrie
USGS 07160000 |
513 cfs | 6.16 ft | -1.16 | |||||
|
Cimarron River Near Ripley
USGS 07161450 |
523 cfs | 7.75 ft | -11.66 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Cimarron River () extends 698 miles (1,123 km) across New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Kansas. The headwaters flow from Johnson Mesa west of Folsom in northeastern New Mexico. Much of the river's length lies in Oklahoma, where it either borders or passes through eleven counties. There are no major cities along its route. The river enters the Oklahoma Panhandle near Kenton, Oklahoma, crosses the southeastern corner of Colorado into Kansas, reenters the Oklahoma Panhandle, reenters Kansas, and finally returns to Oklahoma where it joins the Arkansas River at Keystone Reservoir west of Tulsa, Oklahoma, its only impoundment. The Cimarron drains a basin that encompasses about 18,927 square miles (49,020 km2).