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Weather Forecast Office Chicago, IL

North Central River Forecast Center

Hydrograph

River at a Glance

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Printable Image About this graph Tabular Data (UTC) Tabular Data (CDT) Datum: NAVD88 Metadata

NOTE: Graphical forecasts are not available for the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Chicago (Western Ave). During times of high water, forecast crest information can be found in the text products.

Default Hydrograph Scale to Flood Categories   Return to Area Map

Upstream Gauge

Downstream Gauge

Flood Categories (in feet) Major Flood Stage: 0 Moderate Flood Stage: 0 Flood Stage: 4 Action Stage: 2 Low Stage (in feet): -4 Historic Crests (1) 5.26 ft on 05/17/2020 (2) 4.10 ft on 06/30/1977 (3) 3.62 ft on 10/14/2017 (4) 3.07 ft on 06/15/2015 (5) 1.65 ft on 05/01/2019 (P): Preliminary values subject to further review. Recent Crests (1) 5.26 ft on 05/17/2020 (2) 1.65 ft on 05/01/2019 (3) 3.62 ft on 10/14/2017 (4) 3.07 ft on 06/15/2015 (5) 4.10 ft on 06/30/1977 (P): Preliminary values subject to further review. Low Water Records (1) -3.90 ft on 06/25/2015 For more information on your flood risk go to www.floodsmart.gov. Show FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layers FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layers not showing? Why aren't the FEMA National Flood Hazard Layers showing on the ESRI Map? Possible reasons: There are no FEMA National Flood Hazard Layers for the location which you are viewing on ESRI Maps. The FEMA Web Mapping Service (WMS) is down. Note: Your zoom level may have changed. ESRI's zoom levels must be between 14 and 16 to show National Flood Hazard layers.

Zoom Level:15 Legend FEMA Layer Gauge Location Disclaimer Latitude/Longitude Disclaimer: The gauge location shown in the above map is the approximate location based on the latitude/longitude coordinates provided to the NWS by the gauge owner.

Flood Impacts & Photos

If you notice any errors in the below information, please contact our Webmaster
7	Structures are threatened near the canal in the Bridgeport, Lower West Side, McKinley Park, and South Lawndale areas of Chicago. Structures are threatened near the South Branch Chicago River along Iron Street in the Bridgeport and McKinley Park areas of Chicago.
6	Structures are threatened near Ping Tom Park and in the Armour Square, Near South Side, and Lower West Side areas of Chicago.
4	The canal overflows low-lying banks in the Bridgeport, Lower West Side, McKinley Park, and South Lawndale areas of Chicago.
2	Low-lying sections of Ping Tom Park are inundated.

Low Water Impacts

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-4	Low water levels begin to impact shipping interests along the river.

About This Location

Latitude: 41.837190° N, Longitude: 87.685420° W, Horizontal Datum: NAD83/WGS84 River Stage Reference Frame Gauge Height Flood Stage Uses NWS stage 0 ft 4 ft Interpreting hydrographs and NWS watch, warnings, and forecasts, and inundation maps Vertical Datum Elevation (gauge height = 0) Elevation (gauge height = flood stage) Elevation information source NAVD88 579.20 Not Available Survey grade GPS equipment, FEMA flood plain maps, newer USGS topographic maps NGVD 29 579.48 Not Available Older USGS topographic maps, NGVD29 benchmarks MSL Not Available Not Available Older USGS topographic maps, MSL benchmarks Other Not Available Not Available Chicago City Datum Current/Historical Observations: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data and Site Info for Chicago (Western Ave)

Resources

Hydrologic Resources Text Products Past Precipitation Forecast Precipitation River Forecast Centers River Stage Summary USGS WaterAlert Gauge Notifications Drought Information Snow Cover Information Flood Safety NWS Chicago Hydrology Program Hydrology of North Illinois and Northwest Indiana

Additional Resources Area Hydrographs NWS Precipitation and River Forecasting AHPS Iframes for Developers Mobile iNWS for emergency management

Collaborative Agencies The National Weather Service prepares its forecasts and other services in collaboration with agencies like the US Geological Survey, US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Park Service, ALERT Users Group, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and many state and local emergency managers across the country. For details, please click here. NWS Information National Weather Service Chicago Weather Forecast Office 333 W. University Dr. Romeoville, IL 60446 (815) 834-1435 Ask Questions/Webmaster Page last modified: 2-Nov-2020 7:29 PM Disclaimer Credits Glossary Privacy Policy About Us Career Opportunities