River levels · NWS
Mississippi River level at Memphis
How low is the lower Mississippi, the river that carries US grain to the Gulf? The Memphis gauge as the National Weather Service publishes it, its forecast, and the lowest stages it lists.
Above the NWS low-water threshold
The latest reading is above the NWS low-water threshold of −8.0 ft.
Reading for , as the agency publishes it.
Data last fetched . Fetched three times a day.
Measured, then forecast
The NWS forecast, issued 18 October 2026, 16:19 UTC, ends at −1.0 ft on 1 November. Its lowest point is −1.0 ft, on 1 November. The forecast stays above the NWS low-water threshold.
The forecast, day by day
| Day | Lowest | Highest |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 18 October | 6.2 ft | 6.2 ft |
| Mon 19 October | 5.4 ft | 6.1 ft |
| Tue 20 October | 4.3 ft | 5.1 ft |
| Wed 21 October | 3.3 ft | 4.1 ft |
| Thu 22 October | 2.5 ft | 3.1 ft |
| Fri 23 October | 1.8 ft | 2.3 ft |
| Sat 24 October | 1.4 ft | 1.7 ft |
| Sun 25 October | 1.0 ft | 1.3 ft |
| Mon 26 October | 0.6 ft | 0.9 ft |
| Tue 27 October | 0.2 ft | 0.5 ft |
| Wed 28 October | −0.2 ft | 0.1 ft |
| Thu 29 October | −0.5 ft | −0.3 ft |
| Fri 30 October | −0.7 ft | −0.5 ft |
| Sat 31 October | −0.9 ft | −0.8 ft |
| Sun 1 November | −1.0 ft | −1.0 ft |
NWS: “Forecasts are issued routinely year-round.” Times are as the agency publishes them (UTC).
Against the levels NWS publishes
| Level | Feet | Date | Reading vs level |
|---|---|---|---|
| The NWS low-water threshold for this gauge | −8.0 | — | +14.2 ft |
| Historic low stage | −12.1 | 17 Oct 2023 | +18.3 ft |
| Historic low stage | −10.8 | 21 Oct 2022 | +17.1 ft |
| Historic low stage | −10.7 | 10 Jul 1988 | +16.9 ft |
From the agency's gauge page; the historic stages are the lowest it lists. The last column is the latest reading, 6.2 ft, minus each level.
What the reading is
The reference gauge for the lower Mississippi, which carries most US grain exports down to the Gulf ports. Low water forces lighter barge loads and shorter tows.
The site fetches the agency's feed three times a day and shows the last 30 days at six-hour steps; the 30-day low and high use every published reading. Source: NOAA National Weather Service (Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center), US public domain.
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