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
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the reporting a streamflow rate of cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Winnebago River, with a gauge stage of ft at this location. This river is monitored from 1 different streamgauging stations along the Winnebago River, the highest being situated at an altitude of ft, the .
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Winnebago River At Mason City
USGS 05459500 |
166 cfs | 5.34 ft | -1.19 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Winnebago River is a 72-mile-long (116 km) river in northern Iowa. It is a tributary of the Shell Rock River, part of the Cedar River watershed that flows via the Iowa River to the Mississippi River. The Winnebago River rises in Winnebago County, Iowa, north of Leland and flows south through Forest City, then east and southeast through Mason City on its way to the Shell Rock River at Rockford. Headwater tributaries of the Winnebago River extend north into southern Minnesota.
The river was alternately known as Lime Creek, but upon the fame of Meredith Willson's The Music Man, which has a mythical River City widely known to be based on his native Mason City, the locals felt compelled to promote their creek to a river. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names made "Winnebago River" the official name in a 1961 decision. It also runs through Mason City, Iowa.
In 2008, the Winnebago River was subjected to flood waters reaching 18.74 feet. This was the highest flood water stage in recorded history for the Winnebago River. The peak of 18.74 feet was reached on June 8, 2008. The flooding was part in due to severe rainfall in the river's basin between May 29 and June 12 of that year. Iowa had a state average of 9.03 inches during those fourteen days. The normal statewide average for that time is 2.45 inches. According to the USGS report, 77 homes were damaged in Cerro Gordo county, where the Winnebago River runs through Mason City and flows into the Shell Rock River. The damages from the flood in Cerro Gordo county reached an estimated $3 million, while the total damage along the Cedar River and Iowa River basin reached over $495 million. The hardest hit counties were Linn and Johnson counties.