Kayak Love

Washington · river

South Fork Tolt River near Carnation

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

47

Poor 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: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:45:00 GMT.

River observation: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:30:00 GMT.

Page checked: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:58:25 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near South Fork Tolt River near Carnation
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Tolt Regulating Basin inner workings, circa 1962 (52402941539).jpg by Seattle Municipal Archives from Seattle, WA, CC BY 2.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

11 mph

gusting to 25 mph

Air temp

55°F

96% chance of rain

River flow

62.2 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Thursday · 100

  • Tue

    45

  • Wed

    95

  • Thu

    100

    Best

  • Fri

    100

  • Sat

    100

  • Sun

    100

  • Mon

    100

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)
11a919
12p1126
1p1024
2p819
3p921
4p820
5p820
6p817
7p916
8p713
9p513
10p111

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 62.2 cfs is Right about the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 62 cfs, across 56 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 — 11 mph — moderate wind at the forecast location-12
  • Gusts — Gusting to 25 mph — 14 mph over sustained-8
  • Cold — 55°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-8
  • Rain — 96% chance in the next 6 hours-25

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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