Kayak Love

North Carolina · river

Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

78

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 14:15:00 GMT.

River observation: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 13:45:00 GMT.

Page checked: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 14:19:44 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Tar River at Us 401 at Louisburg
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Louisburg college dorm - panoramio.jpg by James Roberts (Jampp…, CC BY-SA 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

10 mph

gusting to 18 mph

Air temp

52°F

0% chance of rain

River flow

47.3 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Thursday · 91

  • Mon

    85

  • Tue

    63

  • Wed

    76

  • Thu

    91

    Best

  • Fri

    78

  • Sat

    78

  • Sun

    85

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)
10a1018
11a1022
12p1120
1p1119
2p1218
3p1217
4p1217
5p1118
6p919
7p614
8p515
9p514

Is this flow normal for October 19?

Today's 47.3 cfs is 29% below the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 67 cfs, across 52 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 — 52°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-12

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 North Carolina →