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Mississippi River levels remain low

Recent rains have helped improve water levels on the Mississippi River. But St. Louis-based National Weather Service Meteorologist Jared Maples says the river is still low from Quincy, Illinois to Memphis, Tennessee.

“The only site we have running as close to bank full is at Alton, largely because there’s a confluence of the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. “

The last three weeks of 2022 brought widespread rains, but more rain is still needed.

“As you look at the Mississippi River, you may think it looks low and there are problems, but it doesn’t look like too big of a problem. Well, it’s one of those situations where you’d have to reference other rivers feeding into it. The Missouri River is near record lows.”

The last week of December, Missouri River hit record low levels in Jefferson City due to an ice jam between Glasgow and Boonville, Missouri.

The NWS Climate Prediction Center is forecasting more precipitation for areas along the lower Mississippi River this year, which Maples says could improve river levels south of St. Louis.