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Connecticut River at Northampton

Highest listed crest 129.40 ftFlood stage 112.0 ft96 crests since 1936

The Connecticut River at Northampton crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 96 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2025. The highest, 129.40 ft on March 19, 1936, was major flooding, 17.40 feet above flood stage. 9 other gauges on the Connecticut River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 8 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
129.40 ft
March 19, 1936
Flood stage
112.0 ft
Major flooding from 120.0 ft
Crests at major
3
10th of 65 gauges in Massachusetts
Most recent flood crest
March 18, 2025
112.85 ft, minor flooding
Location
Hampshire County
Near Northampton (2.9 mi), Easthampton (4.0 mi), Amherst Town (6.9 mi)
Identifiers
NWS NHMM3
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Connecticut River at Northampton
Action stage110.010Dec 13, 2008The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)112.065Mar 18, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage115.017Jul 12, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage120.03May 31, 1984Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

96 crests from 1936 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Connecticut River at Northampton, 1936 to 2025 105110115120125130ft Flood stage 112.0 ftMajor 120.0 ft Mar 19, 1936: 129.40 ft, major floodingSep 22, 1938: 125.00 ft, major floodingMay 5, 1940: 117.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 22, 1945: 113.50 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1947: 114.40 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 1948: 117.70 ft, moderate floodingJan 1, 1949: 118.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 1950: 112.70 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 1951: 115.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 7, 1952: 114.80 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 1952: 116.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 1953: 117.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 19, 1954: 112.00 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1955: 112.80 ft, minor floodingAug 20, 1955: 112.00 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 1956: 115.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 24, 1958: 115.30 ft, moderate floodingApr 5, 1959: 114.30 ft, minor floodingNov 30, 1959: 113.40 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1960: 119.90 ft, moderate floodingApr 2, 1962: 114.10 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1963: 112.40 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 1964: 112.40 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1967: 112.50 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 1968: 115.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 23, 1969: 115.50 ft, moderate floodingApr 26, 1970: 112.10 ft, minor floodingMay 5, 1971: 112.20 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 1972: 113.30 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 1972: 113.90 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1973: 114.60 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1973: 111.60 ft, action stageJul 2, 1973: 114.90 ft, minor floodingDec 22, 1973: 114.20 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1974: 112.20 ft, minor floodingOct 21, 1975: 112.60 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 1976: 113.40 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1976: 115.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 15, 1977: 116.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 2, 1977: 114.00 ft, minor floodingMar 27, 1979: 114.60 ft, minor floodingMay 26, 1979: 112.50 ft, minor floodingApr 11, 1980: 112.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 1981: 114.20 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 1982: 114.80 ft, minor floodingMay 5, 1983: 111.60 ft, action stageDec 16, 1983: 114.50 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1984: 113.70 ft, minor floodingMay 31, 1984: 120.80 ft, major floodingApr 1, 1986: 113.50 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 1987: 118.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 30, 1988: 111.60 ft, action stageApr 8, 1989: 112.40 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 1989: 112.50 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 1990: 113.90 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 1990: 111.80 ft, action stageDec 26, 1990: 111.70 ft, action stageApr 1, 1993: 113.50 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1993: 113.40 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 1994: 114.40 ft, minor floodingJan 18, 1995: 108.00 ft, below flood stage; 49,500 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 112.40 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1996: 114.60 ft, minor flooding; 94,800 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1996: 114.20 ft, minor flooding; 94,800 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1998: 112.90 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 1998: 114.60 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 2000: 111.80 ft, action stageDec 19, 2000: 112.40 ft, minor floodingApr 24, 2001: 114.30 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 2002: 111.70 ft, action stageMar 31, 2003: 113.00 ft, minor floodingOct 30, 2003: 113.20 ft, minor flooding; 85,759 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2003: 111.50 ft, action stageApr 2, 2004: 114.00 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 2005: 114.60 ft, minor flooding; 97,879 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 2005: 116.30 ft, moderate floodingOct 27, 2005: 113.00 ft, minor floodingJan 19, 2006: 113.70 ft, minor floodingMay 21, 2006: 111.80 ft, action stageApr 17, 2007: 114.50 ft, minor flooding; 97,100 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2008: 112.90 ft, minor flooding; 83,360 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 2008: 111.90 ft, action stageMar 24, 2010: 112.20 ft, minor flooding; 77,839 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2010: 112.80 ft, minor flooding; 82,520 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2011: 113.46 ft, minor flooding; 87,787 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2011: 112.81 ft, minor flooding; 82,603 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 2011: 117.16 ft, moderate flooding; 119,240 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2011: 112.70 ft, minor flooding; 81,679 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2014: 113.12 ft, minor flooding; 85,136 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2016: 112.88 ft, minor flooding; 83,192 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2019: 113.00 ft, minor flooding; 84,200 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2019: 112.28 ft, minor flooding; 78,416 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2023: 115.53 ft, moderate flooding; 104,300 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 113.97 ft, minor flooding; 92,236 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2024: 112.31 ft, minor flooding; 78,632 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2025: 112.85 ft, minor flooding; 82,940 cubic feet per second Highest, 129.40 ft, Mar 19, 1936 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Connecticut River at Northampton 1930s: 2 1940s: 5 1950s: 12 1960s: 7 1970s: 15 15 1980s: 10 1990s: 9 2000s: 11 2010s: 10 2020s: 4 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 96 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Connecticut River at Northampton
1Mar 19, 1936129.40+17.40Major—
2Sep 22, 1938125.00+13.00Major—
3May 31, 1984120.80+8.80Major—
4Apr 6, 1960119.90+7.90Moderate—
5Jan 1, 1949118.60+6.60Moderate—
6Apr 1, 1987118.00+6.00Moderate—
7Mar 23, 1948117.70+5.70Moderate—
8Mar 29, 1953117.60+5.60Moderate—
9Aug 30, 2011117.16+5.16Moderate119,240
10May 5, 1940117.00+5.00Moderate—
11Oct 9, 2005116.30+4.30Moderate—
12Mar 15, 1977116.20+4.20Moderate—
13Jun 3, 1952116.00+4.00Moderate—
14Apr 3, 1976115.70+3.70Moderate—
15Jul 12, 2023115.53+3.53Moderate104,300
16Apr 23, 1969115.50+3.50Moderate—
17Apr 1, 1951115.40+3.40Moderate—
18Apr 24, 1958115.30+3.30Moderate—
19Mar 24, 1968115.20+3.20Moderate—
20May 1, 1956115.00+3.00Moderate—
21Jul 2, 1973114.90+2.90Minor—
22Apr 7, 1952114.80+2.80Minor—
23Apr 19, 1982114.80+2.80Minor—
24Mar 19, 1973114.60+2.60Minor—
25Mar 27, 1979114.60+2.60Minor—
26Apr 17, 1996114.60+2.60Minor94,800
27Apr 1, 1998114.60+2.60Minor—
28Apr 4, 2005114.60+2.60Minor97,879
29Dec 16, 1983114.50+2.50Minor—
30Apr 17, 2007114.50+2.50Minor97,100
31Apr 13, 1947114.40+2.40Minor—
32Apr 18, 1994114.40+2.40Minor—
33Apr 5, 1959114.30+2.30Minor—
34Apr 24, 2001114.30+2.30Minor—
35Dec 22, 1973114.20+2.20Minor—
36Feb 26, 1981114.20+2.20Minor—
37May 14, 1996114.20+2.20Minor94,800
38Apr 2, 1962114.10+2.10Minor—
39Apr 2, 1977114.00+2.00Minor—
40Apr 2, 2004114.00+2.00Minor—
41Dec 19, 2023113.97+1.97Minor92,236
42May 6, 1972113.90+1.90Minor—
43Mar 18, 1990113.90+1.90Minor—
44Apr 8, 1984113.70+1.70Minor—
45Jan 19, 2006113.70+1.70Minor—
46Mar 22, 1945113.50+1.50Minor—
47Apr 1, 1986113.50+1.50Minor—
48Apr 1, 1993113.50+1.50Minor—
49Apr 14, 2011113.46+1.46Minor87,787
50Nov 30, 1959113.40+1.40Minor—

The worst floods along the Connecticut River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Connecticut River that crested above flood stage within a week.

March 19, 1936: 129.40 ft here, major flooding

  • MontagueMA · Mar 19, 1936 · 49.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • North WalpoleNH · Mar 19, 1936 · 43.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • HartfordCT · Mar 21, 1936 · 37.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • West LebanonNH · Mar 19, 1936 · 32.60 ft · Major
  • SpringfieldMA · Mar 20, 1936 · 28.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • ThompsonvilleCT · Mar 20, 1936 · 26.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • DaltonNH · Mar 20, 1936 · 25.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • Holyoke - UpperMA · Mar 19, 1936 · 16.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • North StratfordNH · Mar 13, 1936 · 16.66 ft · Moderate · its highest

September 22, 1938: 125.00 ft here, major flooding

May 31, 1984: 120.80 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Connecticut River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Connecticut River
DaltonNH18.025.60 ft, Mar 20, 19363
HartfordCT16.037.60 ft, Mar 21, 19367
HolyokeMA26.527.73 ft, Aug 30, 20110
Holyoke - UpperMA9.016.80 ft, Mar 19, 193610
Middle HaddamCT7.011.20 ft, Dec 21, 20230
MontagueMA28.049.20 ft, Mar 19, 19362
North StratfordNH13.016.66 ft, Mar 13, 19360
North WalpoleNH28.043.80 ft, Mar 19, 19362
Northampton this gaugeMA112.0129.40 ft, Mar 19, 19363
SpringfieldMA20.028.60 ft, Mar 20, 19362
ThompsonvilleCT15.026.60 ft, Mar 20, 19367
Wells RiverVT12.017.35 ft, Jul 1, 19731
West LebanonNH23.035.00 ft, Nov 4, 19274

Other gauges in Hampshire County

Flood gauges in Hampshire County
Holyoke - Upper9.016.80 ft, Mar 19, 193610
Northampton11.016.42 ft, Aug 28, 20110
Gibbs Crossing7.018.20 ft, Sep 21, 19383
Huntington9.016.78 ft, Aug 28, 20114

Hampshire County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Massachusetts

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NHMM3, 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.