South Fork New River near Jefferson, NC

Ashe County, North Carolina · USGS gauge 03161000 · NWS JFRN7 · North Carolina river levels

Is South Fork New River near Jefferson, NC flooding right now?

South Fork New River near Jefferson, NC measured 1.92 ft on 2026-09-22 20:30:00 UTC. That observation was 6.1 ft below its 8 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
1.92 ft
as of 84 min ago
Streamflow
206 cfs
data refreshed 7 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 8 ft, with major flooding at 16 ft. The highest crest on record was 22.5 ft on Wed, Aug 14, 1940.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 10 hours ago. The NWM models discharge for every river reach in the country, including the many gauges the National Weather Service does not forecast individually. It is a model, not an official NWS river forecast, and it predicts flow rather than water level.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action5 ft3.1 ft below
Minor flood8 ft6.1 ft below
Moderate flood12 ft10.1 ft below
Major flood16 ft14.1 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
22.5 ft1940-08-14
18.27 ft2024-09-27
18 ft1916-07-15
14.83 ft1977-11-07
13.73 ft1995-01-15

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Reddies River at North Wilkesboro, NC20.0 miWilkes County
Yadkin River below W Kerr Scott Dam near Buck, NC20.5 miWilkes County
Yadkin River at Wilkesboro, NC22.1 miWilkes County
Elk Creek at Elkville, NC22.2 miWilkes County
Roaring River near Roaring River, NC22.4 miWilkes County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast