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
Passaic River
was last observed at
378
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
749
acre-ft of water today; about 13%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
2,896 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2011-08-30 when daily discharge volume was observed at
32,060 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Passaic River At Pine Brook Nj
reporting a streamflow rate of 172 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Passaic River, with a gauge stage of
12.05 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Passaic River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 232 ft, the
Passaic River Near Millington Nj.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-18 |
| Discharge Volume | 749 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
377.8 cfs
-13.5 cfs (-3.45%) |
| Percent of Normal | 13.04% |
| Maximum |
32,060.0 cfs
2011-08-30 |
| Seasonal Avg | 2,896 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Passaic River Near Millington Nj
USGS 01379000 |
17 cfs | 4.59 ft | -6.78 | |||||
|
Passaic River Near Chatham Nj
USGS 01379500 |
42 cfs | 3.45 ft | -2.98 | |||||
|
Passaic River At Pine Brook Nj
USGS 01381900 |
172 cfs | 12.05 ft | -2.27 | |||||
|
Passaic River At Little Falls Nj
USGS 01389500 |
147 cfs | 0.53 ft | -4.55 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Passaic River ( pə-SAY-ik) is a river, approximately 80 mi (129 km) long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, called the Great Swamp, draining much of the northern portion of the state through its tributaries. In its lower portion, it flows through the most urbanized and industrialized areas of the state, including along downtown Newark. The lower river suffered from severe pollution and industrial abandonment in the 20th century.
In April 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $1.7 billion plan to remove 4.3 million cubic yards of toxic mud from the bottom of lower eight miles of the river. It is considered one of the most polluted stretches of water in the nation and the project one of the largest clean-ups ever undertaken.