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Red River of the North at Oslo

Highest listed crest 38.37 ftFlood stage 26.0 ft61 crests since 1936

The Red River of the North at Oslo crested at major flood stage 18 times among the 61 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2026. The highest, 38.37 ft on April 1, 2009, was major flooding, 12.37 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Red River of the North crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
38.37 ft
April 1, 2009; 80,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
26.0 ft
Major flooding from 36.0 ft
Crests at major
18
1st of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
March 30, 2026
26.10 ft, minor flooding
Location
Marshall County
Minnesota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Red River of the North at Oslo
Action stage23.07May 30, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)26.04Mar 30, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.013Apr 24, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage36.018Apr 24, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

61 crests from 1936 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Red River of the North at Oslo, 1936 to 2026 010203040ft Flood stage 26.0 ftMajor 36.0 ft Apr 18, 1936: 18.18 ft, below flood stage; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1937: 6.47 ft, below flood stage; 4,070 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1942: 20.11 ft, below flood stageApr 13, 1943: 29.16 ft, minor flooding; 31,500 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1947: 30.30 ft, moderate floodingApr 15, 1948: 31.17 ft, moderate floodingApr 10, 1949: 24.08 ft, action stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1950: 31.83 ft, moderate flooding; 63,000 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1951: 25.59 ft, action stageApr 23, 1952: 25.47 ft, action stageJun 25, 1953: 17.55 ft, below flood stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1954: 12.39 ft, below flood stage; 9,790 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1955: 19.75 ft, below flood stageApr 24, 1956: 25.50 ft, action stage; 22,500 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1957: 17.42 ft, below flood stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1958: 10.29 ft, below flood stage; 7,890 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1959: 11.42 ft, below flood stageApr 11, 1960: 28.50 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1969: 36.92 ft, major floodingApr 12, 1978: 37.91 ft, major flooding; 56,200 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1985: 24.43 ft, action stage; 17,800 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1986: 34.20 ft, moderate flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1987: 31.76 ft, moderate flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1988: 20.10 ft, below flood stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1989: 36.72 ft, major flooding; 33,500 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1990: 15.64 ft, below flood stage; 4,900 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1991: 12.04 ft, below flood stage; 5,200 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1992: 22.47 ft, below flood stage; 8,200 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1994: 30.86 ft, moderate flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1995: 35.35 ft, moderate flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1996: 36.95 ft, major flooding; 59,200 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1997: 38.00 ft, major flooding; 120,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1999: 36.70 ft, major flooding; 53,000 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2000: 33.82 ft, moderate flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2001: 37.00 ft, major flooding; 51,000 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 2002: 33.96 ft, moderate flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2003: 22.08 ft, below flood stage; 16,500 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2004: 35.35 ft, moderate flooding; 36,000 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2005: 36.05 ft, major flooding; 36,100 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2006: 37.70 ft, major flooding; 77,600 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2007: 34.70 ft, moderate flooding; 37,200 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2008: 24.52 ft, action stage; 18,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2009: 38.37 ft, major flooding; 80,600 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2010: 37.87 ft, major flooding; 66,000 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2011: 38.09 ft, major flooding; 81,400 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2012: 22.04 ft, below flood stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2013: 36.33 ft, major flooding; 44,600 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2014: 34.67 ft, moderate floodingMay 22, 2015: 21.40 ft, below flood stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2016: 19.05 ft, below flood stageMar 1, 2017: 27.70 ft, minor flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2018: 33.13 ft, moderate flooding; 30,900 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2019: 37.80 ft, major flooding; 66,100 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 2019: 36.60 ft, major floodingApr 10, 2020: 38.01 ft, major flooding; 68,100 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2021: 14.43 ft, below flood stageApr 27, 2022: 37.47 ft, major flooding; 60,500 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2023: 36.27 ft, major floodingMay 30, 2024: 25.41 ft, action stageMay 27, 2025: 16.44 ft, below flood stageMar 30, 2026: 26.10 ft, minor flooding Highest, 38.37 ft, Apr 1, 2009 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Red River of the North at Oslo 1930s: 0 1940s: 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 3 1990s: 5 2000s: 8 8 2010s: 8 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 61 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Red River of the North at Oslo
1Apr 1, 200938.37+12.37Major80,600
2Apr 14, 201138.09+12.09Major81,400
3Apr 10, 202038.01+12.01Major68,100
4Apr 23, 199738.00+12.00Major120,000
5Apr 12, 197837.91+11.91Major56,200
6Mar 21, 201037.87+11.87Major66,000
7Apr 13, 201937.80+11.80Major66,100
8Apr 6, 200637.70+11.70Major77,600
9Apr 27, 202237.47+11.47Major60,500
10Apr 16, 200137.00+11.00Major51,000
11Apr 22, 199636.95+10.95Major59,200
12Apr 17, 196936.92+10.92Major—
13Apr 14, 198936.72+10.72Major33,500
14Apr 2, 199936.70+10.70Major53,000
15Oct 17, 201936.60+10.60Major—
16May 2, 201336.33+10.33Major44,600
17Apr 24, 202336.27+10.27Major—
18Jun 19, 200536.05+10.05Major36,100
19Apr 1, 199535.35+9.35Moderate35,000
20Apr 1, 200435.35+9.35Moderate36,000
21Jun 23, 200734.70+8.70Moderate37,200
22Apr 13, 201434.67+8.67Moderate—
23Apr 3, 198634.20+8.20Moderate30,000
24Jul 15, 200233.96+7.96Moderate34,000
25Jun 29, 200033.82+7.82Moderate31,000
26Apr 24, 201833.13+7.13Moderate30,900
27May 10, 195031.83+5.83Moderate63,000
28Mar 30, 198731.76+5.76Moderate18,500
29Apr 15, 194831.17+5.17Moderate—
30Jul 13, 199430.86+4.86Moderate26,600
31Apr 23, 194730.30+4.30Moderate—
32Apr 13, 194329.16+3.16Minor31,500
33Apr 11, 196028.50+2.50Minor—
34Mar 1, 201727.70+1.70Minor20,000
35Mar 30, 202626.10+0.10Minor—
36Apr 14, 195125.59−0.41Action—
37Apr 24, 195625.50−0.50Action22,500
38Apr 23, 195225.47−0.53Action—
39May 30, 202425.41−0.59Action—
40Jun 17, 200824.52−1.48Action18,000
41May 20, 198524.43−1.57Action17,800
42Apr 10, 194924.08−1.92Action18,700
43Mar 15, 199222.47−3.53Below flood stage8,200
44Jun 30, 200322.08−3.92Below flood stage16,500
45Mar 19, 201222.04−3.96Below flood stage14,600
46May 22, 201521.40−4.60Below flood stage15,500
47Apr 7, 194220.11−5.89Below flood stage—
48Apr 6, 198820.10−5.90Below flood stage11,500
49Apr 8, 195519.75−6.25Below flood stage—
50Mar 17, 201619.05−6.95Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Red River of the North

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

April 1, 2009: 38.37 ft here, major flooding

  • Grand ForksND · Apr 1, 2009 · 49.33 ft · Major
  • DraytonMN · Apr 6, 2009 · 43.82 ft · Major
  • FargoND · Mar 28, 2009 · 40.84 ft · Major · its highest
  • HalstadMN · Mar 30, 2009 · 40.63 ft · Major
  • HicksonMN · Mar 26, 2009 · 39.04 ft · Major · its highest

April 14, 2011: 38.09 ft here, major flooding

  • Grand ForksND · Apr 14, 2011 · 49.86 ft · Major
  • DraytonMN · Apr 19, 2011 · 43.17 ft · Major
  • HalstadMN · Apr 12, 2011 · 40.51 ft · Major
  • FargoND · Apr 9, 2011 · 38.81 ft · Major
  • WahpetonND · Apr 7, 2011 · 15.69 ft · Major
  • HicksonMN · Apr 7, 2011 · 37.15 ft · Moderate

April 10, 2020: 38.01 ft here, major flooding

  • Grand ForksND · Apr 10, 2020 · 47.70 ft · Major
  • DraytonMN · Apr 15, 2020 · 43.33 ft · Major
  • HalstadMN · Apr 9, 2020 · 37.40 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Red River of the North

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Red River of the North
WahpetonND11.019.42 ft, Apr 6, 199711
HicksonMN30.039.04 ft, Mar 26, 20091
FargoND18.040.84 ft, Mar 28, 200917
HalstadMN26.040.74 ft, Apr 19, 199711
Grand ForksND28.054.35 ft, Apr 22, 199711
Oslo this gaugeMN26.038.37 ft, Apr 1, 200918
DraytonMN32.045.55 ft, Apr 24, 199711
PembinaND39.054.94 ft, Apr 26, 199711

Other gauges in Marshall County

Flood gauges in Marshall County
Warren67.073.01 ft, May 13, 20220
Alvarado106.0110.88 ft, Apr 20, 19975

Marshall County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Minnesota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OSLM5, 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.