# Salt River Flood Warning Extended Through Monday Morning

The NWS now keeps the warning below Granite Reef Dam in effect until 11 a.m. MST Monday, with low-water crossings still flooded.

By Will Langan | 24X7 News
Published: 2026-10-31T13:04:35.673Z
Updated: 2026-11-08T15:03:42.667Z
Section: U.S.
Format: News
Canonical: https://24x7news.us/articles/salt-river-granite-reef-tempe-flood-warning-october-31-2026

Update — November 8, 2026:

The National Weather Service extended the Salt River flood warning below Granite Reef Dam through 11 a.m. Mountain Standard Time Monday, November 9. The new end time replaces the Sunday-night expiration in the earlier account below.

The Phoenix office’s 7:21 a.m. MST Sunday bulletin reports ongoing flooding at low-water crossings upstream of Tempe Town Lake, including McKellips Road. At 7:12 a.m., operators reported releases of about 1,400 cubic feet per second from Granite Reef Dam, while a downstream gauge measured about 2,000 cubic feet per second.

Those rates are unchanged from the prior account; the material development is the longer warning period and Sunday confirmation of continued flooding. The rates refer to different measurement points and should not be combined. A warning’s expiration does not establish when each road will reopen.

Earlier Reporting:

Update — November 7, 2026, 12:02 p.m. Central:

The National Weather Service extended the Salt River flood warning below Granite Reef Dam through 11 p.m. Mountain Standard Time Sunday, November 8, replacing the previously reported Saturday-morning expiration.

The November 7 statement confirms ongoing flooding at low-water crossings upstream of Tempe Town Lake, including McKellips Road. Dam operators reported releases of about 1,400 cubic feet per second at 7:17 a.m. MST Saturday; a separate downstream gauge measured about 2,000 cubic feet per second.

Those readings describe different locations. The warning attributes the continuing flooding to upstream dam releases and advises people to avoid flooded roads. Campers and hikers are urged to avoid affected streams and creeks.

The new expiration extends the warning into Sunday night; it does not guarantee that crossings will reopen immediately afterward.

Earlier Reporting — Previous Warning Periods:

Update — November 6, 2026, 4:28 p.m. Mountain Standard Time:

The National Weather Service extended the Salt River flood warning below Granite Reef Dam through 11 a.m. MST Saturday, November 7. The warning covers the river corridor upstream of Tempe Town Lake in Maricopa County, including low-water crossings at McKellips Road.

The latest bulletin confirms flooding at those crossings. At 4:27 p.m. Friday, dam operators reported releases of about 1,400 cubic feet per second from Granite Reef Dam, while a downstream gauge measured about 2,000 cubic feet per second. These are separate observations at different locations, not interchangeable measurements of the dam’s release rate.

The warning attributes the flooding to upstream dam releases. The weather service advises people not to drive through flooded roads and urges campers and hikers to avoid affected streams and creeks. The warning’s scheduled end does not establish when every crossing will reopen.

Earlier Reporting — October 31; the warning periods and flow observations below are historical:

Update — October 31, 3:52 p.m. MST

The National Weather Service issued a new Salt River flood warning extending through 7:45 a.m. MST Monday, November 2, replacing the afternoon warning period reported earlier.

The bulletin says flooding is occurring along the Salt River and that low-water crossings are inundated and may be impassable. It identifies Granite Reef Dam and Tempe Marketplace among the locations in the warned part of Maricopa County.

Forecasters attribute the flood risk to upstream dam releases. The new notice does not provide an updated release-volume figure, so the earlier 1,650-cubic-feet-per-second observation below remains dated historical context.

The extended validity period is a material change from Saturday afternoon’s scheduled expiration. It does not establish when every crossing will reopen; the NWS urges people to heed remaining closures and avoid flooded roads.

Earlier Reporting — October 31 Afternoon and Morning Warnings

Update — October 31, 2:46 p.m. MST

The National Weather Service issued a new warning continuing the Salt River flood alert below Granite Reef Dam until 4 p.m. MST Saturday, October 31. That is two hours later than the morning notice’s stated expiration.

The latest bulletin again identifies low-water crossings between Granite Reef Dam and Tempe Town Lake, including McKellips Road, as places where flooding is occurring or imminent.

At 2:45 p.m. MST, Salt River Project was releasing 1,650 cubic feet per second from Granite Reef Dam, according to the weather service. That is the same release rate cited in the earlier report; the new development is the warning’s continued validity and the afternoon confirmation of conditions, rather than a reported increase in releases.

The weather service advises against driving through flooded roads. The new warning applies to the specified river corridor, not all of Maricopa County.

Earlier Reporting — October 31 Morning Warning

The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a flood warning October 31 for the Salt River between Granite Reef Dam and Tempe Town Lake, including low-water crossings along that stretch of the river.

The warning was issued at 5:17 a.m. Mountain Standard Time Saturday, equivalent to 7:17 a.m. Central Daylight Time. It is scheduled to remain in effect until 2 p.m. MST, or 4 p.m. CDT.

The agency said flooding below Granite Reef Dam was imminent or already occurring. It specifically identified McKellips Road among the low-water crossings upstream of Tempe Town Lake that could be affected.

At the time of the bulletin, Salt River Project was releasing 1,650 cubic feet of water per second from Granite Reef Dam, the Weather Service said. The alert describes conditions associated with excessive rainfall and the river releases; it does not report a countywide flood emergency.

The warned stretch lies in Maricopa County in south-central Arizona. The notice concerns the Salt River corridor, rather than every road or neighborhood in the county.

The Weather Service advised people to avoid flooded roads and not drive through water at crossings. The warning's scheduled expiration is the end of the bulletin's stated validity period, rather than a guarantee that every crossing will be clear at that time.

Sources
National Weather Service Phoenix — October 31, 5:17 a.m. MST Salt River Flood Warning: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.163a97442f0ed098453e3d2bc21d007daedff5f8.001.1
NWS Phoenix — October 31, 2:46 p.m. MST Salt River Flood Warning: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.59592b99b59313bef757b1cbe464d32554f6a50b.001.1
NWS Phoenix — October 31, 3:52 p.m. MST Salt River Warning: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.ba401877ae231530f650b770d72380530f65abc2.001.1
NWS Phoenix — November 6, 4:28 p.m. MST, Salt River warning extension: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.ea08cc7c1053a2428f3307a848bc247188f286fb.001.1
NWS Phoenix — November 7 Salt River warning extension: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.eee9080cfdc6b4aac8a092f7fbbe17137dd793ca.001.1
NWS — November 8 Salt River warning extension: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.f3f2076b0f8c039911b84abad646327c585b289a.001.1

## Sources
- National Weather Service Phoenix — October 31, 5:17 a.m. MST Salt River Flood Warning: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.163a97442f0ed098453e3d2bc21d007daedff5f8.001.1
- NWS Phoenix — October 31, 2:46 p.m. MST Salt River Flood Warning: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.59592b99b59313bef757b1cbe464d32554f6a50b.001.1
- NWS Phoenix — October 31, 3:52 p.m. MST Salt River Warning: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.ba401877ae231530f650b770d72380530f65abc2.001.1
- NWS Phoenix — November 6, 4:28 p.m. MST, Salt River warning extension: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.ea08cc7c1053a2428f3307a848bc247188f286fb.001.1
- NWS Phoenix — November 7 Salt River warning extension: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.eee9080cfdc6b4aac8a092f7fbbe17137dd793ca.001.1
- NWS — November 8 Salt River warning extension: https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.f3f2076b0f8c039911b84abad646327c585b289a.001.1