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
Elkhorn River
was last observed at
3,089
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
6,128
acre-ft of water today; about 91%
of normal.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
3,399 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2019-03-18 when daily discharge volume was observed at
100,230 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Elkhorn River At Waterloo
reporting a streamflow rate of 1,120 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Elkhorn River At Pilger
with a gauge stage of 7.72 ft.
This river is monitored from 5 different streamgauging stations along the Elkhorn River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,842 ft, the
Elkhorn River At Ewing.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-01 |
| Discharge Volume | 6,128 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
3,089.4 cfs
-86.6 cfs (-2.73%) |
| Percent of Normal | 90.89% |
| Maximum |
100,230.0 cfs
2019-03-18 |
| Seasonal Avg | 3,399 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elkhorn River At Ewing
USGS 06797500 |
89 cfs | 3.03 ft | -18.73 | |||||
|
Elkhorn R At Norfolk Ne
USGS 06799000 |
440 cfs | 3.11 ft | -2.44 | |||||
|
Elkhorn River At Pilger
USGS 06799315 |
633 cfs | 7.72 ft | -10.85 | |||||
|
Elkhorn River At West Point
USGS 06799350 |
877 cfs | 4.61 ft | 6.3 | |||||
|
Elkhorn River At Waterloo
USGS 06800500 |
1120 cfs | 2.17 ft | 5.66 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Elkhorn River originates in the eastern Sandhills of Nebraska and is one of the largest tributaries of the Platte River, flowing 290 miles (470 km) and joining the Platte just southwest of Omaha, approximately 1 mile (2 km) south and 3 miles (5 km) west of Gretna.
Located in northeast and north-central Nebraska, the Elkhorn River basin encompasses approximately 7,000 mi² (18,000 km²). The Elkhorn has several tributaries, including its own North and South forks, Logan Creek, Rock Creek and Maple Creek.