...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FRIDAY... Critical fire weather conditions over the northeast plains will gradually ease into this evening. Strong winds will redevelop in the foothills overnight, with high winds spreading slowly east across the nearby adjacent plains west of I-25 through the afternoon. Extremely high wind gusts of 85-100 mph combined with humidities dropping into the 10-20 percent range will create potential for fast moving wildfires, should any new starts occur. Winds toward I-25 and eastward will be slower to develop, and also speeds will be considerably lighter. That said, gusts of 25-40 mph are still expected to combine with very low humidity and cured grasses to support critical fire weather conditions. Areas farther east into eastern Adams, Arapahoe, Elbert, and Lincoln counties have more uncertainty if those winds even develop, so those locations remain under a Fire Weather Watch. Such conditions may be a longer duration than usual, with potential for low humidity to extend well into the evening hours. The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from 10 AM Friday to midnight MST Friday night. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 239, 240, 241 and 243. * TIMING...From 10 AM Friday to midnight MST Friday night. * WINDS...West 20 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 80 mph or more immediately next to the foothills. Gusts closer to 40 mph along and east of I-25. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 8 percent. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a fast moving wildfire.
Total streamflow across the
Clearwater River
was last observed at
53,702
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
106,517
acre-ft of water today; about 365%
of normal.
River levels are high.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
14,702 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2022-06-12 when daily discharge volume was observed at
263,553 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Clearwater River At Spalding Id
reporting a streamflow rate of 18,300 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Clearwater River Nr Peck Id
with a gauge stage of 8.87 ft.
This river is monitored from 7 different streamgauging stations along the Clearwater River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 3,909 ft, the
Clearwater R Ab Trap Cr Nr T Falls.
| Last Updated | 2025-12-18 |
| Discharge Volume | 106,517 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
53,702.3 cfs
+6552.5 cfs (+13.9%) |
| Percent of Normal | 365.26% |
| Maximum |
263,553.0 cfs
2022-06-12 |
| Seasonal Avg | 14,702 cfs |
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Clearwater R Ab Trap Cr Nr T Falls
USGS 14314500 |
51 cfs | 3.47 ft | 2.61 | |||||
|
Clearwater R Blw Mowich Creek
USGS 14314700 |
51 cfs | 4.7 ft | 3.23 | |||||
|
Clearwater River At Plummer
USGS 05078000 |
49 cfs | 3.75 ft | 24.36 | |||||
|
Clearwater River At Orofino Id
USGS 13340000 |
17100 cfs | 8.18 ft | 15.54 | |||||
|
Clearwater River At Red Lake Falls
USGS 05078500 |
98 cfs | 4.83 ft | 31.68 | |||||
|
Clearwater River Nr Peck Id
USGS 13341050 |
18200 cfs | 8.87 ft | 14.47 | |||||
|
Clearwater River At Spalding Id
USGS 13342500 |
18300 cfs | 7.35 ft | 11.59 |
A clearwater river is classified based on its chemistry, sediments and water colour. Clearwater rivers have a low conductivity, relatively low levels of dissolved solids, typically have a neutral to slightly acidic pH and are very clear with a greenish colour. Clearwater rivers often have fast-flowing sections.The main clearwater rivers are South American and have their source in the Brazilian Plateau or the Guiana Shield. Outside South America the classification is not commonly used, but rivers with clearwater characteristics are found elsewhere.Amazonian rivers fall into three main categories: clearwater, blackwater and whitewater. This classification system was first proposed by Alfred Russel Wallace in 1853 based on water colour, but the types were more clearly defined according to chemistry and physics by Harald Sioli (de) from the 1950s to the 1980s. Although many Amazonian rivers fall clearly into one of these categories, others show a mix of characteristics and may vary depending on season and flood levels.