River and volcano check: a calm month on the Puyallup and at Mount Rainier
Photo: Kludger (talk) (Uploads) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Puyallup River: The National Weather Service gauge on the Puyallup River near Orting showed low, late-summer flows from Sept. 9 through Oct. 9. Flow ranged from about 190 to 510 cubic feet per second (cfs), peaking just after midnight on Sept. 30 following late-September rain. The river's height at the gauge stayed between 6.0 and 6.9 feet.
That's far below the levels that matter for flooding at this gauge: 6,700 cfs is the "action" level when officials start watching closely, and 10,000 cfs is minor flooding. As of Oct. 8, flow was about 270 cfs with no flooding forecast.
Mount Rainier: The U.S. Geological Survey's alert level for Mount Rainier is Normal (aviation color code Green), meaning typical background activity. The Cascades Volcano Observatory issued no new Rainier notices this month; its most recent was an information statement in August 2025.
Weather: The National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory for the foothills and valleys of Pierce County on the morning of Oct. 5.
Official source: NOAA National Water Prediction Service – Puyallup River near Orting (ORTW1) →
