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
Willamette River
was last observed at
144,870
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
287,346
acre-ft of water today; about 114%
of normal.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
127,552 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2019-04-13 when daily discharge volume was observed at
674,700 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Willamette River At Portland
reporting a streamflow rate of 49,400 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Willamette River At Newberg
with a gauge stage of 62.09 ft.
This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Willamette River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 294 ft, the
Willamette River At Harrisburg.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-18 |
| Discharge Volume | 287,346 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
144,870.0 cfs
+38990.0 cfs (+36.82%) |
| Percent of Normal | 113.58% |
| Maximum |
674,700.0 cfs
2019-04-13 |
| Seasonal Avg | 127,552 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Willamette River At Harrisburg
USGS 14166000 |
9980 cfs | 4.48 ft | 50.98 | |||||
|
Willamette River At Corvallis
USGS 14171600 |
10700 cfs | 12.98 ft | 32.92 | |||||
|
Willamette River At Albany
USGS 14174000 |
9990 cfs | 5.36 ft | 7.77 | |||||
|
Willamette River At Salem
USGS 14191000 |
28700 cfs | 10.67 ft | 16.67 | |||||
|
Willamette River At Newberg
USGS 14197900 |
36100 cfs | 62.09 ft | 14.6 | |||||
|
Willamette River At Portland
USGS 14211720 |
49400 cfs | 7.47 ft | 45.72 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Willamette River ( (listen) wil-AM-it) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is 187 miles (301 km) long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward between the Oregon Coast Range and the Cascade Range, the river and its tributaries form the Willamette Valley, a basin that contains two-thirds of Oregon's population, including the state capital, Salem, and the state's largest city, Portland, which surrounds the Willamette's mouth at the Columbia.
Originally created by plate tectonics about 35 million years ago and subsequently altered by volcanism and erosion, the river's drainage basin was significantly modified by the Missoula Floods at the end of the most recent ice age. Humans began living in the watershed over 10,000 years ago. There were once many tribal villages along the lower river and in the area around its mouth on the Columbia. Indigenous peoples lived throughout the upper reaches of the basin as well.
Rich with sediments deposited by flooding and fed by prolific rainfall on the western side of the Cascades, the Willamette Valley is one of the most fertile agricultural regions in North America, and was thus the destination of many 19th-century pioneers traveling west along the Oregon Trail. The river was an important transportation route in the 19th century, although Willamette Falls, just upstream from Portland, was a major barrier to boat traffic. In the 21st century, major highways follow the river, and roads cross it on more than 50 bridges.
Since 1900, more than 15 large dams and many smaller ones have been built in the Willamette's drainage basin, 13 of which are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The dams are used primarily to produce hydroelectricity, to maintain reservoirs for recreation, and to prevent flooding. The river and its tributaries support 60 fish species, including many species of salmon and trout; this is despite the dams, other alterations, and pollution (especially on the river's lower reaches). Part of the Willamette Floodplain was established as a National Natural Landmark in 1987 and the river was named as one of 14 American Heritage Rivers in 1998.