2026-03-05T18:00:00-07:00
The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Fire Weather Watch for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect Thursday afternoon. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 241, 245, 246 and 247. * TIMING...Thursday afternoon. * WINDS...South 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 percent. * 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
Cowlitz River
was last observed at
15,480
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
30,704
acre-ft of water today; about 64%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
24,246 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2025-12-19 when daily discharge volume was observed at
108,900 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Cowlitz River At Castle Rock
reporting a streamflow rate of 7,840 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Cowlitz River, with a gauge stage of
34.96 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Cowlitz River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,053 ft, the
Cowlitz River At Packwood.
15-Day Weather Outlook
River Details
| Last Updated | 2026-03-03 |
| Discharge Volume | 30,704 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
15,480.0 cfs
-180.0 cfs (-1.15%) |
| Percent of Normal | 63.84% |
| Maximum |
108,900.0 cfs
2025-12-19 |
| Seasonal Avg | 24,246 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cowlitz River At Packwood
USGS 14226500 |
1200 cfs | 1.54 ft | 0.84 | |||||
|
Cowlitz River At Randle
USGS 14231000 |
1380 cfs | 5.39 ft | -1.43 | |||||
|
Cowlitz River Below Mayfield Dam
USGS 14238000 |
5060 cfs | 11.52 ft | -0.39 | |||||
|
Cowlitz River At Castle Rock
USGS 14243000 |
7840 cfs | 34.96 ft | -1.88 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Cowlitz River is a river in the state of Washington in the United States, a tributary of the Columbia River. Its tributaries drain a large region including the slopes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens.
The Cowlitz has a 2,586-square-mile (6,698 km2) drainage basin, located between the Cascade Range in eastern Lewis County, Washington and the cities of Kelso and Longview. The river is roughly 105 miles (169 km) long, not counting tributaries.
Major tributaries of the Cowlitz River include the Cispus River and the Toutle River, which was overtaken by volcanic mudflows (lahars) during the May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
When the smelt spawn in the Cowlitz River, the gulls go into a feeding frenzy that lasts for weeks. Kelso, Washington is known as the "Smelt Capital of the World".