2025-12-20T00:00:00-07:00
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FRIDAY... Critical fire weather conditions over the northeast plains will gradually ease into this evening. Strong winds will redevelop in the foothills overnight, with high winds spreading slowly east across the nearby adjacent plains west of I-25 through the afternoon. Extremely high wind gusts of 85-100 mph combined with humidities dropping into the 10-20 percent range will create 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. Areas farther east into eastern Adams, Arapahoe, Elbert, and Lincoln counties have more uncertainty if those winds even develop, so those locations remain under a Fire Weather Watch. Such conditions may be a longer duration than usual, with potential for low humidity to extend well into the evening hours. The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from 10 AM Friday to midnight MST Friday night. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 239, 240, 241 and 243. * TIMING...From 10 AM Friday to midnight MST Friday night. * WINDS...West 20 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 80 mph or more immediately next to the foothills. Gusts closer to 40 mph along and east of I-25. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 8 percent. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a fast moving wildfire.
Summary
Total streamflow across the
Little Snake River
was last observed at
287
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
570
acre-ft of water today; about 130%
of normal.
River levels are high.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
221 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2011-06-09 when daily discharge volume was observed at
13,530 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Little Snake River Near Lily
reporting a streamflow rate of 88.6 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Little Snake River Near Slater
with a gauge stage of 3.25 ft.
This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Little Snake River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 6,843 ft, the
Little Snake River Near Slater.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-05 |
| Discharge Volume | 570 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
287.3 cfs
+243.4 cfs (+554.44%) |
| Percent of Normal | 130.16% |
| Maximum |
13,530.0 cfs
2011-06-09 |
| Seasonal Avg | 221 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Little Snake River Near Slater
USGS 09253000 |
23 cfs | 3.25 ft | -23.39 | |||||
|
Little Snake River Near Dixon
USGS 09257000 |
76 cfs | 2.89 ft | 5.42 | |||||
|
Little Snake River Near Lily
USGS 09260000 |
89 cfs | 1.24 ft | 11.03 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Little Snake River is a tributary of the Yampa River, approximately 155 miles (249 km) long, in southwestern Wyoming and northwestern Colorado in the United States.
It rises near the continental divide, in Routt National Forest in northern Routt County, Colorado, along the northern edge of the Park Range. It flows west along the Wyoming-Colorado state line, meandering across the border several times and flowing past the Wyoming towns of Dixon and Baggs. It turns southwest and flows through Moffat County, Colorado, joining the Yampa approximately 45 mi (72 km) west of Craig, just east of Dinosaur National Monument. The Little Snake is not generally navigable except seasonally in years of plentiful water.