National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

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Visit https://www.weather.gov/owp/operations for access to new EXPERIMENTAL products and services from the National Water Center: National Hydrologic Discussion, Area Hydrologic Discussion, Flood Hazard Outlook and the National Water Center Visualization Services, a suite of geospatial services depicting River Forecast Center and National Water Model information.

View the Enhanced Operating Capability Products and Services StoryMap here

Weather Forecast Office Chicago, IL

North Central River Forecast Center

Hydrograph

River at a Glance

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About this graph

Tabular Data (UTC)

Tabular Data (CDT)

Datum: NAVD88

Metadata

NOTE: River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.

NOTE: Forecasts for the Thorn Creek at Thornton are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available.

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Upstream Gauge

Downstream Gauge

Flood Categories (in feet)

Major Flood Stage:	16
Moderate Flood Stage:	15
Flood Stage:	10
Action Stage:	9.5
Low Stage (in feet):	2.5

Historic Crests
(1) 17.06 ft on 06/14/1981
(2) 16.87 ft on 11/28/1990
(3) 16.24 ft on 07/18/1996
(4) 16.00 ft on 07/13/1957
(5) 15.95 ft on 12/03/1982
Show More Historic Crests

(P): Preliminary values subject to further review.

Recent Crests
(1) 9.95 ft on 05/09/2021
(2) 12.07 ft on 05/18/2020
(3) 11.41 ft on 04/30/2020
(4) 11.13 ft on 01/11/2020
(5) 10.08 ft on 10/27/2019
Show More Recent Crests

(P): Preliminary values subject to further review.

Low Water Records
(1) 1.85 ft on 10/05/1994
(2) 1.94 ft on 09/27/1995
(3) 2.16 ft on 10/16/1999
(4) 2.48 ft on 10/10/2020
(5) 2.53 ft on 08/21/2017
Show More Low Water Records

For more information on your flood risk go to www.floodsmart.gov.

Show FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layers

Zoom Level:15

	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
23	Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad tracks are threatened near Glenwood.
21	I-94 may be threatened in South Holland.
20	Structures may be threatened along Clyde Avenue, 173rd Street, and 173rd Place in South Holland.
19	I-294/I-80 onramps may be threatened west of the creek south of South Holland. Residential structures may be threatened along Everett Avenue, Cregier Avenue, and Vollbrecht Road in South Holland. Clyde Avenue, 173rd Street, and 173rd Place may be threatened in South Holland.
18.5	170th Street may be threatened in South Holland. Industrial structures may be threatened along Bernice Road in South Holland.
18	Margaret Street threatened in Thornton.
17.5	Residential structures may be threatened along Kimbark Avenue, University Avenue, and 173rd Street in South Holland. Everett Avenue, Cregier Avenue, and Vollbrecht Road may be threatened in South Holland.
17	Kimbark Avenue, University Avenue, and 173rd Street may be threatened in South Holland. Thorn Creek Diversion Tunnel reaches capacity.
16	Residential structures threatened along Margaret Street in Thornton.
15.5	Structures threatened at Glenwood Academy. Residences threatened along Park Drive in Glenwood.
15	Industrial structures threatened south of Margaret Street in Thornton.
14.5	Park Drive threatened in Glenwood. Industrial parking lots threatened south of Margaret Street in Thornton.
13.5	Chicago Heights Glenwood Road threatened in Glenwood. Residential parking lots threatened along Maragaret Street in Thornton.
13	Parking lots threatened at Glenwood Academy.
12	Structures threatened along Glenwood Thornton Road north of Glenwood.
11.5	Glenwood Thornton Road threatened north of Glenwood.
11	187th Street threatened in Glenwood.
9	Water begins to be diverted through Thorn Creek Diversion Tunnel.
8	Athletic fields are inundated at Glenwood Academy.
7	Water overflows low-lying banks in Glenwood, Thornton, and South Holland.

Low Water Impacts

If you notice any errors in the below information, please contact our Webmaster

1.5	River nears zero flow.
2.5	Approximate stage of the 1-in-10 annual chance flow (7-day average).

About This Location

Latitude: 41.568167° N, Longitude: 87.608333° W, Horizontal Datum: NAD27

River Stage Reference Frame	Gauge Height	Flood Stage	Uses
NWS stage	0 ft	10 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	586.11	596.11	Survey grade GPS equipment, FEMA flood plain maps, newer USGS topographic maps
NGVD 29	586.43	596.43	Older USGS topographic maps, NGVD29 benchmarks
MSL	Not Available	Not Available	Older USGS topographic maps, MSL benchmarks
Other	Not Available	Not Available

Current/Historical Observations:

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data and Site Info for Thornton

Additional Information

How much forecast precipitation was used for the current river forecast?
USGS Streamflow Duration Hydrograph
How low could the river get?

Resources

Hydrologic Resources

Additional Resources

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
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333 W. University Dr.
Romeoville, IL 60446
(815) 834-1435
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Page last modified: 2-Nov-2020 7:29 PM

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