Web Portal Changes: The Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) hosted at https://water.weather.gov will be replaced by the National Water Prediction Service (NWPS), with a target of March 2024. Existing AHPS content and features will be preserved and expanded within NWPS.

Experimental National Water Center Products: The National Hydrologic Discussion, Area Hydrologic Discussion, and Flood Hazard Outlook, and real-time geospatial services depicting River Forecast Center and National Water Model forecasts, continue to be accessible via https://www.weather.gov/owp/operations, as described in the StoryMap here.

Weather Forecast Office Chicago, IL

North Central River Forecast Center

Hydrograph

River at a Glance

Download

Auto Refresh: OFF

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

NOTE: Forecasts for the North Branch Chicago River at Chicago (Grand Ave) are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available.

Default Hydrograph Scale to Flood Categories   Return to Area Map

Upstream Gauge

Downstream Gauge

Flood Categories (in feet) Major Flood Stage: 5 Moderate Flood Stage: 4 Flood Stage: 3 Action Stage: 1 Low Stage (in feet): -4 Historic Crests (1) 5.70 ft on 10/10/1954 (2) 5.32 ft on 05/17/2020 (3) 5.00 ft on 07/24/2010 (4) 4.28 ft on 07/23/2011 (5) 4.20 ft on 08/16/1997 (P) Show More Historic Crests (P): Preliminary values subject to further review. Recent Crests (1) 5.32 ft on 05/17/2020 (2) 1.98 ft on 05/01/2019 (3) 1.10 ft on 02/21/2018 (4) 3.72 ft on 10/14/2017 (5) 3.37 ft on 06/15/2015 Show More Recent Crests (P): Preliminary values subject to further review. Low Water Records (1) -4.50 ft on 06/28/2011 (2) -4.20 ft on 03/14/2011 (3) -4.10 ft on 03/07/2009 (4) -4.10 ft on 09/20/2013

Zoom Level:16 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
6	Numerous structures flooded near the river in the Chicago Loop, Near North Side, West Town, Near West Side, Lower West Side, and Armour Square areas of Chicago.
5.5	Railroad tracks near Lake and Canal Streets are threatened.
5	Lower level of residences threatened along Wells Street near Polk Street. A few residences threatened along the river near Grand Avenue. Railroad tracks near Union Station are threatened. Lower level of office towers may be threatened near the river. Low-lying parking lots are threatened between Grand Avenue and Chicago Avenue.
4	Lower Wacker Drive is threatened.
3.5	Commercial areas of the Chicago Riverwalk are threatened.
3	Numerous stretches of the Chicago Riverwalk are inundated. USACE and MWRD consider opening of Chicago Lock to reduce flood impacts, depending on the water level of Lake Michigan.
2	Low-lying sections of the Chicago Riverwalk are threatened. Low-lying sections of Ping Tom Park are inundated.
1	City of Chicago considers closure of the Chicago Riverwalk.
Photos (1) 05/17/2020, 5.0ft. Chicago Riverwalk near Clark Street. Credit: City of Chicago (2) 05/17/2020, 5.0ft. Chicago Riverwalk near Wells Street. Credit: City of Chicago

Low Water Impacts

If you notice any errors in the below information, please contact our Webmaster
-4	Low water levels begin to impact shipping interests along the river.

About This Location

Latitude: 41.891720° N, Longitude: 87.641950° W, Horizontal Datum: NAD27 River Stage Reference Frame Gauge Height Flood Stage Uses NWS stage 0 ft 3 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 579.20 582.20 Survey grade GPS equipment, FEMA flood plain maps, newer USGS topographic maps NGVD 29 579.48 582.48 Older USGS topographic maps, NGVD29 benchmarks MSL Not Available Not Available Older USGS topographic maps, MSL benchmarks Other 0.0 3.0 Chicago City Datum Current/Historical Observations: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data and Site Info for Chicago (Grand Ave)

Additional Information

How much forecast precipitation was used for the current river forecast? This gage is on the "Chicago City Datum" (CCD). This causes stages at this gauge to often be reported as negative. Stages are not the same as river depth.

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