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 of 30-40 mph with gusts as high as 85 mph in the foothills of Boulder and northern Jefferson Counties will continue until early evening. Relative humidity values had dropped into the upper single digits and lower teens. Thus, the Particularly Dangerous Situation will remain in place til around 5-6 pm, with only a slow improvement thereafter as winds slowly weaken. Red Flag conditions, however, will persist through the rest of the evening as we remain in a near record warm, dry, and windy airmass along the Front Range through midnight. In fact, strong, gusty winds will persist through much of the night with only a slow improvement in humidity values. Thus, near critical Red Flag conditions will occur into early Saturday morning. While most of the Denver metro area has seen lighter winds prevail most of the day, a period of strong, gusty winds is expected to develop this evening and likely last past midnight, producing Red Flag conditions there. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 240, 241, 242 and 243. * TIMING...Until midnight MST tonight. * WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 9 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
Little Platte River
was last observed at
12
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
23
acre-ft of water today; about 100%
of normal.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
12 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2025-06-04 when daily discharge volume was observed at
1,960 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Little Platte River At Smithville
reporting a streamflow rate of 11.2 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Little Platte River, with a gauge stage of
12.21 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Little Platte River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 921 ft, the
Little Platte River Near Plattsburg.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-19 |
| Discharge Volume | 23 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
11.66 cfs
-0.34 cfs (-2.83%) |
| Percent of Normal | 100.17% |
| Maximum |
1,960.0 cfs
2025-06-04 |
| Seasonal Avg | cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Little Platte River Near Plattsburg
USGS 06821080 |
0 cfs | 7.77 ft | 53.33 | |||||
|
Little Platte River At Smithville
USGS 06821150 |
11 cfs | 12.21 ft | -4.27 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
It flows for approximately 65 miles through Platte County and Clay County. The river has a long history, having been used by Native Americans and early settlers for transportation and agriculture. Today, the Little Platte River is primarily used for irrigation and as a source of drinking water for nearby communities. The Smithville Lake and the Little Platte Park Lake Reservoirs are two major dams located on the river, providing flood control and recreational activities such as fishing and boating. The river also supports a variety of wildlife, including several species of fish, birds, and mammals.