Potomac River at Little Falls, MD
USGS gauge 01646500 · drainage 11,560 sq mi · observed Oct 16, 9:50 PM EDT · 30 min old
Weather alerts Official NWS
No active National Weather Service alerts were returned for this location. This is not a statement that conditions are safe.
Source: National Weather Service alerts for the gauge location, fetched Oct 16, 10:16 PM EDT.
River forecast Official NWS Older than limit
| Time (gauge-local) | Gage height | Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 17, 2:00 AM EDT | 3.9 ft | 9,310 cfs |
| Oct 17, 8:00 AM EDT | 3.8 ft | 8,420 cfs |
| Oct 17, 2:00 PM EDT | 3.8 ft | 8,420 cfs |
| Oct 17, 8:00 PM EDT | 3.7 ft | 7,570 cfs |
| Oct 18, 2:00 AM EDT | 3.7 ft | 7,570 cfs |
| Oct 18, 8:00 AM EDT | 3.7 ft | 7,570 cfs |
| Oct 18, 2:00 PM EDT | 3.6 ft | 6,770 cfs |
| Oct 18, 8:00 PM EDT | 3.7 ft | 7,570 cfs |
| Oct 19, 2:00 AM EDT | 3.7 ft | 7,570 cfs |
| Oct 19, 8:00 AM EDT | 3.7 ft | 7,570 cfs |
Source: National Weather Service forecast point BRKM2, issued Oct 16, 9:52 AM EDT. Official forecasts change as rain and releases change.
Radar Official NWS
Source: National Weather Service radar, station KLWX. The loop is served live by the NWS and shows its own frame times.
Recent rain at the gauge location Official NWS
| Window | Rain | Valid through |
|---|---|---|
| Last 24 h | 0.20 in | Oct 16, 9:00 PM EDT |
| Last 2 days | 0.12 in | Oct 16, 8:00 AM EDT |
| Last 3 days | 0.12 in | Oct 16, 8:00 AM EDT |
Source: NWS River Forecast Center multisensor precipitation estimate, 4 km grid at the gauge location, fetched Oct 16, 10:16 PM EDT. Estimate, not a gauge at the stream. Each window is a separate NWS product with its own valid-through time, so a longer window can end earlier than a shorter one.
Forecast rain totals Official NWS
| Window | Forecast rain |
|---|---|
| Next 6 hours | 0.02 in |
| Next 12 hours | 0.03 in |
| Next 24 hours | 0.03 in |
| Next 48 hours | 0.03 in |
| Next 72 hours | 0.13 in |
Source: National Weather Service gridpoint quantitative precipitation forecast at the gauge location, updated Oct 16, 7:53 PM EDT. A forecast, not a measurement.
8 to 14 day outlook Official NWS
| Variable | Leaning | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Above | 50% |
| Precipitation | Above | 33% |
Source: NOAA Climate Prediction Center 8 to 14 day outlook for Oct 24 to Oct 30, issued Oct 16. A probability is the chance of the leaning category (above, near or below normal) for the whole period, not an amount.
Hourly forecast, next 24 hours Official NWS
| 10p | 11p | Sat | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp °F | 65 | 63 | 61 | 59 | 57 | 56 | 54 | 53 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 55 | 55 | 54 | 53 | 51 | 49 | 48 |
| Wind mph | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| Gust mph | 22 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 17 | 15 |
| Direction | NW | NW | NW | NW | NW | NW | NNW | NNW | NNW | NNW | NNW | NNW | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Cloud % | 65 | 85 | 88 | 84 | 75 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 92 | 89 | 89 | 79 | 72 | 72 | 68 | 63 | 56 | 51 | 34 | 23 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| Rain in/h | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rain chance % | 46 | 44 | 58 | 59 | 43 | 48 | 56 | 45 | 45 | 42 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: National Weather Service gridpoint forecast, updated Oct 16, 7:53 PM EDT; rain chance from the NWS hourly point forecast. Hours are gauge-local. Darker cells mean a higher value in that row.
Weather forecast Official NWS
Source: National Weather Service point forecast, updated Oct 16, 7:53 PM EDT.
Air conditions Weather station
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Air temperature | 64 °F |
| Wind | NNW 5 mph |
| Pressure | 29.86 inHg |
| Visibility | 10 mi |
Source: National Weather Service station KDCA, observed Oct 16, 10:00 PM EDT.
Sun Computed
| Event | Time (gauge-local) |
|---|---|
| Sunrise | 7:19 AM EDT |
| Sunset | 6:30 PM EDT |
Source: computed from the gauge location and date 2026-10-16. No external data.
Sources and method
- Forecasts, alerts and observations: National Weather Service. NWS material is not subject to copyright. Terms
- River forecasts and flood stages: National Weather Service. National Water Model guidance: NOAA. Terms
- Rain estimates and radar: NOAA and National Weather Service. Terms
- Outlook: NOAA Climate Prediction Center. Terms
- Data: U.S. Geological Survey. Terms
USGS daily statistics, downloaded 2026-10-12
Percentile method: trailing 24 h mean vs USGS daily percentiles for calendar date 10-16.
Percentile is estimated from USGS published daily percentiles. Readings are provisional until USGS reviews them. Not endorsed by USGS, NOAA or the National Weather Service. Not for navigation or safety-of-life decisions; the absence of an alert is not a statement that conditions are safe.