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
Salmon River
was last observed at
13,751
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
27,275
acre-ft of water today; about 164%
of normal.
River levels are high.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
8,361 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2017-06-02 when daily discharge volume was observed at
129,510 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Salmon River At White Bird Id
reporting a streamflow rate of 7,870 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Salmon River, with a gauge stage of
14.54 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 9 different streamgauging stations along the Salmon River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 5,911 ft, the
Salmon River Bl Yankee Fork Nr Clayton Id.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-19 |
| Discharge Volume | 27,275 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
13,751.0 cfs
-503.0 cfs (-3.53%) |
| Percent of Normal | 164.47% |
| Maximum |
129,510.0 cfs
2017-06-02 |
| Seasonal Avg | 8,361 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Salmon River Bl Yankee Fork Nr Clayton Id
USGS 13296500 |
691 cfs | 2.63 ft | -22.71 | |||||
|
Salmon River Canal Co Canal Nr Rogerson Id
USGS 13106000 |
20 cfs | 0.70 ft | ||||||
|
Salmon River At Salmon Id
USGS 13302500 |
1520 cfs | 2.65 ft | 21.6 | |||||
|
Salmon River Nr Shoup Id
USGS 13307000 |
1790 cfs | 2.52 ft | 1.7 | |||||
|
Salmon River At White Bird Id
USGS 13317000 |
7870 cfs | 14.54 ft | 11.47 | |||||
|
Salmon R A Somes Bar Ca
USGS 11522500 |
1880 cfs | 3.83 ft | -42.86 | |||||
|
Salmon River At Pineville Ny
USGS 04250200 |
500 cfs | 5.94 ft | 2.46 | |||||
|
Salmon River At South Plattsburgh Ny
USGS 04273700 |
52 cfs | 1.37 ft | -19.72 | |||||
|
Salmon River Near East Hampton
USGS 01193500 |
92 cfs | 2.71 ft | -11.92 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Salmon River is located in Idaho in the northwestern United States. The Salmon is also known as "The River of No Return". It flows for 425 miles (685 km) through central Idaho, draining a rugged, thinly populated watershed of 14,000 square miles (36,000 km2) and dropping more than 7,000 feet (2,100 m) between its headwaters, near Galena Summit above the Sawtooth Valley in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, and its confluence with the Snake River. Measured at White Bird, its average discharge is 11,060 cubic feet per second (82,700 US gal/s; 313 m3/s). It is one of the largest rivers in the continental United States without a single dam on its mainstem.Cities located along the Salmon River include Stanley, Clayton, Challis, Salmon, Riggins, and White Bird. Redfish Lake and Little Redfish Lake near Stanley, which flow into the river via Redfish Lake Creek, are the terminus of the longest Pacific sockeye salmon migration in North America.The lower half of the river provides the time zone boundary for the state, with northern Idaho on Pacific time and the rest of the state on Mountain time.