Kayak Love

Nebraska · river

Platte River near Grand Island, Nebr.

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

72

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, 19 Oct 2026 10:30:00 GMT.

River observation: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:15:00 GMT.

Page checked: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:44:07 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Platte River near Grand Island, Nebr.
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Platte River GI.jpg by Asreat.guin, CC BY-SA 4.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

8 mph

gusting to 17 mph

Air temp

44°F

0% chance of rain

River flow

551 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Sunday · 81

  • Mon

    79

  • Tue

    67

  • Wed

    72

  • Thu

    60

  • Fri

    17

  • Sat

    22

  • Sun

    81

    Best

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)
5a918
6a917
7a716
8a715
9a815
10a918
11a913
12p913
1p1013
2p1014
3p1115
4p1116

Is this flow normal for October 19?

Today's 551 cfs is 34% below the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 835 cfs, across 91 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 — 8 mph — moderate wind at the forecast location-4
  • Cold — 44°F air temperature — very cold weather-24

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 Nebraska →