Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Tuolumne River at Modesto

Highest listed crest 71.21 ftFlood stage 55.0 ft39 crests since 1950

The Tuolumne River at Modesto crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 39 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2025. The highest, 71.21 ft on January 4, 1997, was major flooding, 16.21 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
71.21 ft
January 4, 1997; 55,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
55.0 ft
Major flooding from 67.0 ft
Crests at major
2
24th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
February 22, 2017
58.90 ft, minor flooding
Location
Stanislaus County
Near Modesto (1.3 mi), Ceres (2.1 mi), Riverbank (7.2 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Tuolumne River at Modesto
Action stage50.512Mar 21, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)55.07Feb 22, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage66.01Dec 25, 1955Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage67.02Jan 4, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

39 crests from 1950 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tuolumne River at Modesto, 1950 to 2025 4050607080ft Flood stage 55.0 ftMajor 67.0 ft Dec 9, 1950: 69.19 ft, major flooding; 57,000 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1955: 66.43 ft, moderate flooding; 37,600 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1965: 55.35 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 1969: 65.42 ft, minor flooding; 32,600 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1970: 52.65 ft, action stageFeb 12, 1973: 49.55 ft, below flood stageMay 7, 1978: 50.50 ft, action stage; 5,880 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1979: 53.60 ft, action stage; 8,030 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1980: 54.40 ft, action stage; 8,730 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1981: 47.30 ft, below flood stage; 4,250 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1982: 56.17 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1983: 57.30 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1984: 54.20 ft, action stage; 8,530 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1985: 47.50 ft, below flood stage; 4,330 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1986: 55.20 ft, minor flooding; 9,560 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1987: 47.80 ft, below flood stage; 4,490 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1988: 41.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1989: 41.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1990: 40.90 ft, below flood stage; 680 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1993: 49.24 ft, below flood stage; 5,060 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1994: 42.20 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1995: 56.56 ft, minor flooding; 10,993 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1997: 71.21 ft, major flooding; 55,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2000: 51.48 ft, action stageJan 4, 2006: 51.09 ft, action stageJan 9, 2006: 51.26 ft, action stageApr 6, 2006: 54.45 ft, action stageMar 15, 2016: 43.86 ft, below flood stageFeb 22, 2017: 58.90 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 2018: 47.26 ft, below flood stageMar 7, 2019: 50.66 ft, action stageDec 4, 2019: 40.39 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2021: 42.45 ft, below flood stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2022: 41.32 ft, below flood stage; 1,710 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2023: 54.69 ft, action stageMar 21, 2023: 54.61 ft, action stageMar 3, 2024: 48.86 ft, below flood stageMar 19, 2025: 41.52 ft, below flood stageDec 22, 2025: 49.28 ft, below flood stage Highest, 71.21 ft, Jan 4, 1997 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tuolumne River at Modesto 1950s: 2 1960s: 2 1970s: 0 1980s: 3 3 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Tuolumne River at Modesto
1Jan 4, 199771.21+16.21Major55,800
2Dec 9, 195069.19+14.19Major57,000
3Dec 25, 195566.43+11.43Moderate37,600
4Jan 27, 196965.42+10.42Minor32,600
5Feb 22, 201758.90+3.90Minor—
6Mar 14, 198357.30+2.30Minor12,000
7Mar 12, 199556.56+1.56Minor10,993
8Apr 1, 198256.17+1.17Minor10,600
9Jan 2, 196555.35+0.35Minor—
10Mar 16, 198655.20+0.20Minor9,560
11Mar 16, 202354.69−0.31Action—
12Mar 21, 202354.61−0.39Action—
13Apr 6, 200654.45−0.55Action—
14Jan 18, 198054.40−0.60Action8,730
15Jan 6, 198454.20−0.80Action8,530
16Feb 2, 197953.60−1.40Action8,030
17Jan 22, 197052.65−2.35Action—
18Feb 28, 200051.48−3.52Action—
19Jan 9, 200651.26−3.74Action—
20Jan 4, 200651.09−3.91Action—
21Mar 7, 201950.66−4.34Action—
22May 7, 197850.50−4.50Action5,880
23Feb 12, 197349.55−5.45Below flood stage—
24Dec 22, 202549.28−5.72Below flood stage—
25Jan 18, 199349.24−5.76Below flood stage5,060
26Mar 3, 202448.86−6.14Below flood stage—
27Mar 6, 198747.80−7.20Below flood stage4,490
28Feb 9, 198547.50−7.50Below flood stage4,330
29Jan 30, 198147.30−7.70Below flood stage4,250
30Apr 7, 201847.26−7.74Below flood stage—
31Mar 15, 201643.86−11.14Below flood stage—
32Apr 16, 202142.45−12.55Below flood stage2,220
33Feb 9, 199442.20−12.80Below flood stage1,200
34Jan 18, 198841.60−13.40Below flood stage1,150
35Mar 19, 202541.52−13.48Below flood stage—
36Mar 3, 198941.40−13.60Below flood stage1,010
37Apr 17, 202241.32−13.68Below flood stage1,710
38Oct 16, 199040.90−14.10Below flood stage680
39Dec 4, 201940.39−14.61Below flood stage1,410

Other gauges in Stanislaus County

Flood gauges in Stanislaus County
Orange Blossom Bridge16.031.80 ft, Dec 23, 19565

Stanislaus County: every hazard · River floods across the country · California

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MDSC1, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.