2025-12-20T00:00:00-07:00
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR IN AND IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE FOOTHILLS, BETWEEN 5500 AND 9000 FEET, FOR BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES ON FRIDAY... Strong west winds, sustained 45-55 mph with gusts upwards of 85- 105 mph, are expected in the foothills of Larimer, Boulder and Jefferson Counties beginning early Friday morning. Relative humidity values are expected to drop into the low teens, possibly upper single digits. While Red Flag conditions, critical fire weather, are expected across a larger area in northern Colorado, the most extreme conditions are expected to be along Highway 93 from Jefferson County into Boulder County and along US-36 north of Boulder to the Larimer County line and westward. There will be a high 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. Such conditions may be a longer duration than usual, with potential for low humidity to extend well into the evening hours. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 240, 241, 242 and 243. * TIMING...From 10 AM this morning to midnight MST tonight. * WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 60 mph possible west of I-25, and gusts to 40 mph possible along and east of I- 25. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 12 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
Kettle River
was last observed at
2,248
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
4,459
acre-ft of water today; about 174%
of normal.
River levels are high.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
1,289 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2018-05-12 when daily discharge volume was observed at
60,900 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Kettle River Near Laurier
reporting a streamflow rate of 1,600 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Kettle River Near Ferry
with a gauge stage of 10.46 ft.
This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Kettle River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,846 ft, the
Kettle River Near Ferry.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-19 |
| Discharge Volume | 4,459 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
2,248.0 cfs
+266.0 cfs (+13.42%) |
| Percent of Normal | 174.35% |
| Maximum |
60,900.0 cfs
2018-05-12 |
| Seasonal Avg | 1,289 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kettle River Near Ferry
USGS 12401500 |
648 cfs | 10.46 ft | 0.93 | |||||
|
Kettle River Near Laurier
USGS 12404500 |
1600 cfs | 4.68 ft | 19.4 | |||||
|
Kettle River Below Sandstone
USGS 05336700 |
170 cfs | 4.46 ft | -3.41 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Kettle River is a 281-kilometre (175 mi) tributary of the Columbia River in southeastern British Columbia in Canada and northeastern Washington in the United States. Its drainage basin is 10,877 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi) large, of which 8,228 square kilometres (3,177 sq mi) are in Canada and 2,649 square kilometres (1,023 sq mi) in the United States. The indigenous name of the river in the Okanagan language is nxʷyaʔłpítkʷ (Ne-hoi-al-pit-kwu.)