Rio Penasco 2 miles NW of Dayton, NM

The last 7 days and the forecast

NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 5 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

• 25 ftthe river reaches major flood stage.
• 22 ftthe river reaches moderate flood stage, almost 6 feet above record stage (1966), covering U.S. Highway 285 with over 2 feet of very fast-moving water.
• 20 ftthe river reaches minor flood stage, flooding famrland, rangeland, and possibly U.S. Highway 285.
• 17.5 ftthe river floods a significant amount of Vandiver farms and area range land, rising to within 2 feet of U.S. Highway 285.
• 16 ftthe river reaches bankfull, and begins to spill out of the lowest banks onto the lowest terraces of Vandiver farms, about 4 feet below U.S. Highway 285.

Highest crests on record

1. 13.64 ft — June 25, 1986
2. 10.8 ft — November 3, 1983
3. 10.61 ft — September 30, 2019
4. 8.34 ft — August 20, 1977

Recent crests: 10.61 ft (September 30, 2019) · 13.64 ft (June 25, 1986) · 10.8 ft (November 3, 1983) · 8.34 ft (August 20, 1977)

Up and down the river, and nearby

• DownstreamPecos River 6 miles NE of Lakewood, NM
• Fourmile Draw 4 miles NNW of Lakewood, NM
• Pecos River 6 miles E of Artesia, NM
• South Seven Rivers 1 mile SE of Seven Rivers, NM
• Pecos River below Brantley Reservoir, NM
• Rocky Arroyo 7 miles S of Lakewood, NM
• Pecos River 9 miles NW of Carlsbad, NM
• Pecos River above Lake Arthur, NM