TornadoLiveMap

Tanana River at Fairbanks — water level right now

Fairbanks-North Star, Alaska · NWS gauge TAFA2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
24.5
minor flood stage
 
27.8
record crest
set 1967-08-16
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 23.5
minor · 24.5
moderate · 26
major · 27
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage27extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage26some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage24.5low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage23.5water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
127.81967-08-16+3.3 above
226.662008-07-30+2.16 above
326.42009-05-03+1.9 above
426.251997-08-14+1.75 above
526.112023-05-11+1.61 above
626.12020-06-24+1.6 above
725.761984-06-17+1.26 above
825.671986-07-22+1.17 above
925.52023-08-31+1 above
1025.422003-07-18+0.92 above
1125.191992-05-15+0.69 above
1225.192001-08-02+0.69 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Chena River at Fairbanks 5 mi away · loading… Goldstream Creek near Fairbanks 7 mi away · loading… Chena River below Moose Creek Dam near Fairbanks 18 mi away · loading… Little Chena River near Fairbanks 19 mi away · loading… Chena River below Hunts Creek near Two Rivers 31 mi away · loading… Chatanika River at Steese Hwy Bridge near Chatanika 32 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDTAFA2
USGS site15485500
CountyFairbanks-North Star
StateAlaska
NWS forecast officeFairbanks
River forecast centerAlaska Pacific River Forecast Center
Coordinates64.793, -147.839
Time zoneAST9ADT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Tanana River at Fairbanks

Is Tanana River at Fairbanks flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 24.5 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Tanana River at Fairbanks?

major flood stage 27 ft, moderate flood stage 26 ft, minor flood stage 24.5 ft, action stage 23.5 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Tanana River at Fairbanks?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 27.8 ft, reached on 1967-08-16 — that is 3.3 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Fairbanks and local emergency management.