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Yellowstone River at Billings

Highest listed crest 16.37 ftFlood stage 13.5 ft62 crests since 1963

The Yellowstone River at Billings crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 62 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1963 to 2024. The highest, 16.37 ft on June 15, 2022, was major flooding, 2.87 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.37 ft
June 15, 2022; 83,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.5 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
2
20th of 93 gauges in Montana
Most recent flood crest
June 15, 2022
16.37 ft, major flooding
Location
Yellowstone County
Near Billings (4.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Yellowstone River at Billings
Action stage12.58Jun 2, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.52Jul 2, 2011Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.51Jun 19, 1974Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.02Jun 15, 2022Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

62 crests from 1963 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Yellowstone River at Billings, 1963 to 2024 681012141618ft Flood stage 13.5 ftMajor 15.0 ft Jun 16, 1963: 9.49 ft, below flood stage; 46,100 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1964: 9.18 ft, below flood stage; 43,100 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1965: 9.11 ft, below flood stage; 46,600 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1966: 7.18 ft, below flood stage; 31,500 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1967: 12.20 ft, below flood stage; 66,100 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1968: 12.66 ft, action stage; 49,800 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1969: 11.00 ft, below flood stage; 37,300 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1970: 12.51 ft, action stage; 48,600 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1971: 12.99 ft, action stage; 53,800 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1972: 12.08 ft, below flood stage; 46,700 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1973: 10.61 ft, below flood stage; 37,700 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1974: 14.60 ft, moderate flooding; 69,500 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1975: 13.48 ft, action stage; 67,600 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1976: 10.56 ft, below flood stage; 39,900 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1977: 8.45 ft, below flood stage; 26,600 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1978: 11.91 ft, below flood stage; 50,200 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1979: 10.04 ft, below flood stage; 35,200 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1980: 10.03 ft, below flood stage; 34,700 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1981: 12.14 ft, below flood stage; 49,600 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1982: 13.25 ft, action stage; 56,600 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1983: 10.48 ft, below flood stage; 36,300 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1984: 10.47 ft, below flood stage; 36,200 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1985: 9.20 ft, below flood stage; 28,000 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1986: 11.83 ft, below flood stage; 45,600 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 1986: 10.28 ft, below flood stage; 35,100 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1988: 9.48 ft, below flood stage; 30,500 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1989: 10.67 ft, below flood stage; 37,700 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1990: 10.07 ft, below flood stage; 33,600 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1991: 12.44 ft, below flood stage; 51,500 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1992: 10.70 ft, below flood stage; 37,600 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1993: 10.92 ft, below flood stage; 39,700 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1994: 9.53 ft, below flood stage; 29,400 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1995: 12.33 ft, below flood stage; 50,600 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1996: 13.73 ft, minor flooding; 61,900 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1997: 15.00 ft, major flooding; 82,000 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1998: 9.85 ft, below flood stage; 32,200 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1999: 11.25 ft, below flood stage; 42,100 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2000: 9.64 ft, below flood stage; 30,800 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2001: 8.08 ft, below flood stage; 21,500 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2002: 11.31 ft, below flood stage; 42,600 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2003: 12.04 ft, below flood stage; 48,200 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2004: 9.14 ft, below flood stage; 27,800 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2005: 10.13 ft, below flood stage; 35,900 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2006: 9.78 ft, below flood stage; 33,000 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2007: 9.35 ft, below flood stage; 30,200 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2008: 11.68 ft, below flood stage; 46,800 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2009: 10.97 ft, below flood stage; 41,400 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2010: 11.73 ft, below flood stage; 47,800 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2011: 14.37 ft, minor flooding; 70,600 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2012: 11.19 ft, below flood stage; 43,700 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2013: 9.60 ft, below flood stage; 32,600 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2014: 13.04 ft, action stage; 58,600 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2015: 10.50 ft, below flood stage; 38,700 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2016: 8.96 ft, below flood stage; 28,500 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2017: 11.58 ft, below flood stage; 48,200 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2018: 13.47 ft, action stage; 63,200 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2019: 12.42 ft, below flood stage; 53,500 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2020: 13.22 ft, action stage; 60,200 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2021: 10.31 ft, below flood stage; 38,200 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2022: 16.37 ft, major flooding; 83,600 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2023: 10.09 ft, below flood stage; 36,800 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2024: 11.50 ft, below flood stage; 46,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.37 ft, Jun 15, 2022 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Yellowstone River at Billings 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 2 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 12.50 ft on Jun 27, 1944; 11.07 ft on Jun 3, 1956.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 62 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Yellowstone River at Billings
1Jun 15, 202216.37+2.87Major83,600
2Jun 12, 199715.00+1.50Major82,000
3Jun 19, 197414.60+1.10Moderate69,500
4Jul 2, 201114.37+0.87Minor70,600
5Jun 12, 199613.73+0.23Minor61,900
6Jul 7, 197513.48−0.02Action67,600
7May 28, 201813.47−0.03Action63,200
8Jun 30, 198213.25−0.25Action56,600
9Jun 2, 202013.22−0.28Action60,200
10May 30, 201413.04−0.46Action58,600
11Jun 25, 197112.99−0.51Action53,800
12Jun 21, 196812.66−0.84Action49,800
13Jun 8, 197012.51−0.99Action48,600
14Jun 7, 199112.44−1.06Below flood stage51,500
15Jun 8, 201912.42−1.08Below flood stage53,500
16Jun 7, 199512.33−1.17Below flood stage50,600
17Jun 16, 196712.20−1.30Below flood stage66,100
18Jun 10, 198112.14−1.36Below flood stage49,600
19Jun 9, 197212.08−1.42Below flood stage46,700
20Jun 2, 200312.04−1.46Below flood stage48,200
21May 19, 197811.91−1.59Below flood stage50,200
22Jun 6, 198611.83−1.67Below flood stage45,600
23Jun 6, 201011.73−1.77Below flood stage47,800
24Jun 26, 200811.68−1.82Below flood stage46,800
25Jun 7, 201711.58−1.92Below flood stage48,200
26Jun 11, 202411.50−2.00Below flood stage46,300
27Jun 3, 200211.31−2.19Below flood stage42,600
28Jun 23, 199911.25−2.25Below flood stage42,100
29Jun 7, 201211.19−2.31Below flood stage43,700
30Jun 26, 196911.00−2.50Below flood stage37,300
31Jun 2, 200910.97−2.53Below flood stage41,400
32May 22, 199310.92−2.58Below flood stage39,700
33Jun 17, 199210.70−2.80Below flood stage37,600
34Jun 17, 198910.67−2.83Below flood stage37,700
35Jun 11, 197310.61−2.89Below flood stage37,700
36Jun 12, 197610.56−2.94Below flood stage39,900
37Jun 2, 201510.50−3.00Below flood stage38,700
38Jun 12, 198310.48−3.02Below flood stage36,300
39Jul 1, 198410.47−3.03Below flood stage36,200
40Jun 7, 202110.31−3.19Below flood stage38,200
41Nov 14, 198610.28−3.22Below flood stage35,100
42May 22, 200510.13−3.37Below flood stage35,900
43May 25, 202310.09−3.41Below flood stage36,800
44Jun 12, 199010.07−3.43Below flood stage33,600
45Jun 15, 197910.04−3.46Below flood stage35,200
46May 24, 198010.03−3.47Below flood stage34,700
47Jul 4, 19989.85−3.65Below flood stage32,200
48Jun 10, 20069.78−3.72Below flood stage33,000
49May 30, 20009.64−3.86Below flood stage30,800
50Jun 13, 20139.60−3.90Below flood stage32,600

Yellowstone County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Montana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BILM8, 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.