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 The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect.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
Wild Rice River
was last observed at
77
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
152
acre-ft of water today; about 118%
of normal.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
65 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2013-04-29 when daily discharge volume was observed at
11,743 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Wild Rice River At Hendrum
reporting a streamflow rate of 117 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Wild Rice River Nr Abercrombie
with a gauge stage of 10.38 ft.
This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Wild Rice River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,203 ft, the
Wild Rice River Nr Rutland.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-11-25 |
| Discharge Volume | 152 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
76.5 cfs
-3.8 cfs (-4.73%) |
| Percent of Normal | 117.69% |
| Maximum |
11,743.0 cfs
2013-04-29 |
| Seasonal Avg | 65 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wild Rice River Nr Rutland
USGS 05051600 |
21 cfs | 2.23 ft | -22.39 | |||||
|
Wild Rice River At Twin Valley
USGS 05062500 |
85 cfs | 2.02 ft | 0 | |||||
|
Wild Rice River Nr Abercrombie
USGS 05053000 |
49 cfs | 10.38 ft | -11.49 | |||||
|
Wild Rice River At Hendrum
USGS 05064000 |
117 cfs | 4.05 ft | 9.35 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Wild Rice River is a tributary of the Red River of the North in northwestern Minnesota in the United States. It is 183 miles (295 km) long. Via the Red River, Lake Winnipeg and the Nelson River, it is part of the watershed of Hudson Bay. It is one of two Red River tributaries with the same name, the other being the Wild Rice River of North Dakota.
Wild Rice River is an English translation of the native Ojibwe language name.