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
Sauk River
was last observed at
20,850
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
41,355
acre-ft of water today; about 323%
of normal.
River levels are high.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
6,455 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2025-12-11 when daily discharge volume was observed at
101,000 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Sauk River Near Sauk
reporting a streamflow rate of 15,100 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Sauk River At Darrington
with a gauge stage of 8.24 ft.
This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Sauk River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,024 ft, the
Sauk River Near St. Cloud.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-19 |
| Discharge Volume | 41,355 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
20,850.0 cfs
-4300.0 cfs (-17.1%) |
| Percent of Normal | 322.99% |
| Maximum |
101,000.0 cfs
2025-12-11 |
| Seasonal Avg | 6,455 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sauk River Near St. Cloud
USGS 05270500 |
225 cfs | 3.49 ft | -15.41 | |||||
|
Sauk River Ab Whitechuck River Near Darrington
USGS 12186000 |
5750 cfs | 6.37 ft | 5.5 | |||||
|
Sauk River At Darrington
USGS 12187500 |
5220 cfs | 8.24 ft | ||||||
|
Sauk River Near Sauk
USGS 12189500 |
15100 cfs | 8.07 ft | -23.35 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Sauk River is a 122-mile-long (196 km) tributary of the Mississippi River in central Minnesota in the United States. It drains small lakes in Stearns County. In the Ojibwe language it is called Ozaagi-ziibi, meaning "River of the Sauks".It issues from Lake Osakis on the Todd County line and flows east through Guernsey Lake, Little Sauk Lake and Juergens Lake, then south through Sauk Lake and past Sauk Centre, southeast past Melrose and Richmond, then northeast through Cedar Island Lake and Zumwalde Lake, past Cold Spring and Waite Park to the Mississippi River 2 miles (3 km) north of St. Cloud.
The rapids that occur south of the river's mouth on the Mississippi River lent their name to the nearby city of Sauk Rapids.