Kayak Love

Arizona · river

Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon,

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

94

Favorable weather

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: Sun, 08 Nov 2026 16:00:00 GMT.

River observation: Sun, 08 Nov 2026 15:30:00 GMT.

Page checked: Sun, 08 Nov 2026 16:04:54 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon,
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Gila Box (4202084188).jpg by Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

1 mph

gusting to 7 mph

Air temp

56°F

0% chance of rain

River flow

911 cfs

very high for this date

Weather outlook

Tuesday · 100

  • Sun

    87

  • Mon

    90

  • Tue

    100

    Best

  • Wed

    100

  • Thu

    98

  • Fri

    99

  • Sat

    95

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)
9a17
10a27
11a811
12p913
1p1115
2p913
3p811
4p911
5p812
6p815
7p414
8p68

Is this flow normal for November 8?

Today's 911 cfs is 542% above the median for this date — which counts as very high water here.

The median flow on this date is 142 cfs, across 105 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 — 1 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0
  • Cold — 56°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-6

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

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