Weather on the Salt River
This Weeks Forecast
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
(Referenced from Weather.gov and USGS)
Month | Air (high/low) °F | Water °F |
| March | 49/41 | 42 |
| April | 56/49 | 49 |
| May | 65/53 | 55 |
Canyons tend to make their own weather patterns, so always, always, always bring rain gear! Even if these numbers seem underwhelming.
AVERAGE RAINFALL
RAPIDS & WATER LEVELS IN THE UPPER SALT RIVER CANYON
Average Water Levels
During the rafting season from March to May, the Salt River’s water levels typically range between 500 – 5,000 CFS. Higher flows usually start in late March and trickle down thereafter. However the Salt River can fluctuate hour by hour, especially early in the rafting season while the weather’s capricious!
CFS stands for “cubic feet per second.” One cubic foot is about the size of a basketball. So if the Salt is flowing at 1,000 CFS, imagine standing on the side of the river, watching 1,000 basketballs bounce past you every second.
If you’d like to explore the Upper Salt River’s water levels, visit this page of USGS.
Rapids
If your trip occurs during a period of high flows, you can expect a lot of class III rapids with class IV mixed in. High flows on the Salt River are considered over 2,000 CFS.
If your trip is during a period of low flow, you can still expect constant class II and III rapids. Low flows can be considered below 1,000 CFS.
For trips taking place with medium flow rate, expect a mix of both, naturally!