USGS Streamgage 08263500
Rio Grande near Cerro, NM
Rio Grande near Cerro, NM is USGS streamgage 08263500 in New Mexico, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 13020101. It sits on the Rio Grande, alongside 19 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 8,440 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1948. Typical flow runs near 203.9 cfs in July and 339.9 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- New Mexico
- Drainage area
- 8,440 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 7,110 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 13020101
- Coordinates
- 36.74002, -105.68344
- USGS site number
- 08263500
- Records begin
- 1948-06-07 (78 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Rio Grande near Cerro, NM. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 33.8 | 35.6 | ||
| 33.5 | 35.5 | 47.8 | ||
| 33.2 | 35.7 | 57.3 | ||
| 32.9 | 35.7 | 56.9 | ||
| 32.7 | 35.5 | 53.6 | ||
| 32.4 | 35.3 | 51.6 | ||
| 32.4 | 35.5 | 52.6 | ||
| 32.1 | 35.5 | 54.1 | ||
| 32.8 | 37.6 | 64 | ||
| 32.4 | 38.5 | 77.4 | ||
| 32.3 | 39.3 | 81.3 | ||
| 32.1 | 39.1 | 76.9 | ||
| 32.1 | 38.8 | 71.3 | ||
| 32.9 | 40.7 | 75.7 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.
Typical flow by month
Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 77 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 187.3 | 281.7 | 403.9 | |
| February | 224.2 | 330.2 | 507.8 | |
| March | 231.4 | 431.3 | 794.2 | |
| April | 111.2 | 339.9 | 1,083.9 | |
| May | 101.8 | 564.7 | 2,181 | |
| June | 84.7 | 552.1 | 2,708 | |
| July | 55.2 | 203.9 | 1,135.9 | |
| August | 52.7 | 139.3 | 581.7 | |
| September | 53.7 | 102.7 | 369.3 | |
| October | 62.7 | 123.7 | 443 | |
| November | 98.2 | 277.2 | 660.9 | |
| December | 151.4 | 282.6 | 448.6 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Rio Grande near Cerro, NM normally run highest?
- May, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 564.7 cfs, against 102.7 cfs in September, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Rio Grande near Cerro, NM?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 281.7 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 187.3 and 403.9 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Rio Grande near Cerro, NM been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 08263500 begin in 1948, about 78 years, covering roughly 9,130 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Rio Grande near Cerro, NM?
- Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
- Where is Rio Grande near Cerro, NM?
- The gauge sits at 36.74002, -105.68344, in New Mexico, in hydrologic subbasin 13020101, at an elevation of about 7,110 feet, draining roughly 8,440 square miles.
- Can I use Rio Grande near Cerro, NM data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.
Upstream and downstream on the Rio Grande
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Rio Grande in full.
- Rio Grande near Lobatos, CO 7,700 sq mi
- Rio Grande near Cerro, NM this page
- Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge near Taos, NM 9,730 sq mi
- Rio Grande at Embudo, NM 10,400 sq mi
- Rio Grande at Valle de Oro, NM 13,100 sq mi
- Rio Grande at Otowi Bridge, NM 14,300 sq mi
- Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam, NM 14,900 sq mi
- Rio Grande near Alameda, NM 17,210 sq mi
- Rio Grande at Albuquerque, NM 17,440 sq mi
- Rio Grande at Isleta Lakes near Isleta, NM 17,666 sq mi
- Rio Grande near Bosque Farms, NM 17,718 sq mi
- Rio Grande at State Hwy 346 near Bosque, NM 18,406 sq mi
- Rio Grande at Bridge near Escondida, NM 28,068 sq mi
- Rio Grande above US Hwy 380 near San Antonio, NM 28,435 sq mi
- Rio Grande at Narrows In Elephant Butte Reservoir., NM 28,500 sq mi
- Rio Grande below Elephant Butte Dam, NM 29,450 sq mi
- Rio Grande at El Paso, TX 32,210 sq mi
- Rio Grande at Rio Grande Village, Big Bnd NP, TX
- Rio Grande below Leasburg Dam at Fort Selden, NM
- Rio Grande near Castolon, TX