Kayak Love

Iowa · river

Cedar River at Vinton

USGS monitoring location. Launch access and paddling suitability have not been verified.

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

82

Mostly favorable

Weather score out of 100

Weather only. This is a monitoring station, not a verified launch. Access, hazards and suitable flow are unknown.

Weather observation: Mon, 09 Nov 2026 16:45:00 GMT.

River observation: Mon, 09 Nov 2026 16:15:00 GMT.

Page checked: Mon, 09 Nov 2026 16:53:17 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Cedar River at Vinton
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Vinton Public Building.jpg by Crpicsdude, CC BY-SA 4.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

10 mph

gusting to 18 mph

Air temp

55°F

0% chance of rain

River flow

11,300 cfs

very high for this date

Weather outlook

Tuesday · 99

  • Mon

    75

  • Tue

    99

    Best

  • Wed

    50

  • Thu

    33

  • Fri

    53

  • Sat

    76

  • Sun

    63

Compares forecast wind, air temperature and rain. Does not assess river flow, swell, currents, water temperature or launch access. All times are local to this location.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
10a915
11a1118
12p1220
1p1424
2p1424
3p1324
4p1022
5p613
6p615
7p616
8p616
9p717

Is this flow normal for November 9?

Today's 11,300 cfs is 436% above the median for this date — which counts as very high water here.

The median flow on this date is 2,110 cfs, across 16 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind — 10 mph — moderate wind at the forecast location-10
  • Cold — 55°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-8

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, and uses available public readings. We haven't verified where to put in, what the hazards are, or whether this stretch is legal or sensible to paddle. We'd rather say that than invent it. The links below are where to find out.

We also don't have a verified safe-flow range here, so the Paddle Score reflects weather only. Judge the flow number against local knowledge, not against our score.

Do your own homework

We show you live conditions. For local knowledge — where to put in, what the hazards are, whether it's worth the drive — here's where paddlers actually talk about this water. We don't vet these sources; check the dates and judge for yourself.

Nearby water

All paddling spots in Iowa →