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
Cumberland River
was last observed at
7,532
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
14,940
acre-ft of water today; about 20%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
36,832 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2021-03-29 when daily discharge volume was observed at
205,510 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Cumberland River At Woodland St At Nashville
reporting a streamflow rate of 7,180 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Cumberland River, with a gauge stage of
17.69 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 5 different streamgauging stations along the Cumberland River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,170 ft, the
Cumberland River Near Harlan.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-18 |
| Discharge Volume | 14,940 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
7,532.0 cfs
-12899.0 cfs (-63.13%) |
| Percent of Normal | 20.45% |
| Maximum |
205,510.0 cfs
2021-03-29 |
| Seasonal Avg | 36,832 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cumberland River Near Harlan
USGS 03401000 |
292 cfs | 2.42 ft | -4.26 | |||||
|
Cumberland River At Williamsburg
USGS 03404000 |
860 cfs | 3.96 ft | -0.69 | |||||
|
Cumberland River At Cumberland Falls
USGS 03404500 |
1030 cfs | 2.19 ft | -2.83 | |||||
|
Cumberland River At Nashville
USGS 03431500 |
5350 cfs | 17.2 ft | -70.6 | |||||
|
Cumberland River At Woodland St At Nashville
USGS 034315005 |
7180 cfs | 17.69 ft |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The 688-mile-long (1,107 km) river drains almost 18,000 square miles (47,000 km2) of southern Kentucky and north-central Tennessee. The river flows generally west from a source in the Appalachian Mountains to its confluence with the Ohio River near Paducah, Kentucky, and the mouth of the Tennessee River. Major tributaries include the Obey, Caney Fork, Stones, and Red rivers.
Although the Cumberland River basin is predominantly rural, there are also some large cities on the river, including Nashville and Clarksville, both in Tennessee. In addition, the river system has been extensively developed for flood control, with major dams impounding both the main stem and many of its important tributaries.