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
Milwaukee River
was last observed at
166
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
329
acre-ft of water today; about 9%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
1,915 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2018-05-14 when daily discharge volume was observed at
24,870 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Milwaukee River Near Cedarburg
reporting a streamflow rate of 337 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Milwaukee River, with a gauge stage of
7.37 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Milwaukee River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 672 ft, the
Milwaukee River Near Cedarburg.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-09-29 |
| Discharge Volume | 329 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
166.0 cfs
-15.0 cfs (-8.29%) |
| Percent of Normal | 8.67% |
| Maximum |
24,870.0 cfs
2018-05-14 |
| Seasonal Avg | 1,915 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Milwaukee River Near Cedarburg
USGS 04086600 |
337 cfs | 7.37 ft | 8.71 | |||||
|
Milwaukee River At Milwaukee
USGS 04087000 |
13 cfs | 0.89 ft | -52.67 | |||||
|
Milwaukee R @ Jones Island Mouth-At Milwaukee
USGS 04087170 |
94 cfs | 6.86 ft | -98.49 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. It is about 104 miles (167 km) long. Once a locus of industry, the river is now the center of a housing boom. New condos now crowd the downtown and harbor districts of Milwaukee attracting young professionals to the area. The river is also ribboned with parks as it winds through various neighborhoods. Kayaks and fishing boats share the river with party boats. An extensive Riverwalk featuring art displays, boat launches and restaurants lines its banks in downtown Milwaukee.