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Saco River near Conway

Highest listed crest 17.71 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft74 crests since 1930

The Saco River near Conway crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 74 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1930 to 2024. The highest, 17.71 ft on December 19, 2023, was major flooding, 8.71 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Saco River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.71 ft
December 19, 2023; 61,649 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
6
2nd of 34 gauges in New Hampshire
Most recent flood crest
April 13, 2024
11.58 ft, minor flooding
Location
Carroll County
New Hampshire

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Saco River near Conway
Action stage7.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.051Apr 13, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.517May 1, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.06Dec 19, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

74 crests from 1930 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Saco River near Conway, 1930 to 2024 81012141618ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Apr 7, 1930: 10.05 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1931: 10.12 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1932: 10.35 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1933: 9.11 ft, minor flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1934: 10.25 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1936: 14.33 ft, moderate flooding; 22,300 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1936: 16.45 ft, major flooding; 44,500 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1937: 11.00 ft, minor flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1938: 11.54 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1940: 11.30 ft, minor flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 1943: 11.60 ft, minor flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1945: 9.17 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1946: 9.06 ft, minor flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1948: 9.31 ft, minor flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1950: 11.21 ft, minor flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1950: 13.84 ft, moderate flooding; 32,800 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1952: 12.01 ft, minor flooding; 22,700 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1953: 17.20 ft, major flooding; 47,200 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1954: 12.55 ft, moderate flooding; 24,900 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1954: 9.96 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1957: 11.17 ft, minor flooding; 19,500 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1959: 16.39 ft, major flooding; 43,800 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 1962: 11.71 ft, minor flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1963: 12.70 ft, moderate flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1966: 13.46 ft, moderate flooding; 28,500 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1968: 13.65 ft, moderate flooding; 29,300 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1969: 10.02 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1969: 10.49 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1971: 9.89 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1973: 15.06 ft, moderate flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1973: 13.06 ft, moderate flooding; 26,900 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1976: 10.77 ft, minor flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1977: 15.61 ft, moderate flooding; 40,500 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1978: 11.41 ft, minor flooding; 20,400 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1979: 13.25 ft, moderate flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1980: 10.34 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1981: 10.21 ft, minor flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1982: 9.06 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1983: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1984: 12.41 ft, minor flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1986: 13.73 ft, moderate flooding; 29,500 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1987: 17.04 ft, major flooding; 46,600 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1988: 11.66 ft, minor flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1989: 11.72 ft, minor flooding; 23,200 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1990: 10.42 ft, minor flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 1990: 12.38 ft, minor flooding; 26,200 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 1991: 9.76 ft, minor flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1993: 11.15 ft, minor flooding; 20,600 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1993: 10.49 ft, minor flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 1995: 12.08 ft, minor flooding; 24,800 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 1995: 13.35 ft, moderate flooding; 30,600 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1996: 11.54 ft, minor flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1998: 14.67 ft, moderate flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 11.92 ft, minor flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2000: 10.59 ft, minor flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2000: 10.93 ft, minor flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2002: 11.47 ft, minor flooding; 22,700 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2003: 12.86 ft, moderate flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2005: 12.11 ft, minor flooding; 25,200 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2006: 9.98 ft, minor flooding; 16,211 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 2006: 11.79 ft, minor flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2008: 9.91 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2011: 17.23 ft, major flooding; 55,856 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2012: 10.78 ft, minor flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2012: 10.59 ft, minor flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2014: 13.13 ft, moderate flooding; 31,900 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2017: 9.60 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2017: 15.04 ft, moderate flooding; 43,326 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2021: 9.77 ft, minor flooding; 15,571 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2022: 10.23 ft, minor flooding; 17,599 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2022: 10.54 ft, minor flooding; 18,957 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2023: 13.60 ft, moderate flooding; 34,600 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 17.71 ft, major flooding; 61,649 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2024: 11.58 ft, minor flooding; 23,818 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.71 ft, Dec 19, 2023 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Saco River near Conway 1930s: 9 1940s: 5 1950s: 8 1960s: 6 1970s: 7 1980s: 9 1990s: 10 10 2000s: 8 2010s: 6 2020s: 6 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 74 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Saco River near Conway
1Dec 19, 202317.71+8.71Major61,649
2Aug 29, 201117.23+8.23Major55,856
3Mar 27, 195317.20+8.20Major47,200
4Apr 1, 198717.04+8.04Major46,600
5Mar 19, 193616.45+7.45Major44,500
6Oct 24, 195916.39+7.39Major43,800
7Mar 14, 197715.61+6.61Moderate40,500
8Jun 30, 197315.06+6.06Moderate35,000
9Oct 30, 201715.04+6.04Moderate43,326
10Jun 14, 199814.67+5.67Moderate36,500
11Mar 12, 193614.33+5.33Moderate22,300
12Nov 26, 195013.84+4.84Moderate32,800
13Jan 28, 198613.73+4.73Moderate29,500
14Apr 25, 196813.65+4.65Moderate29,300
15May 1, 202313.60+4.60Moderate34,600
16Nov 3, 196613.46+4.46Moderate28,500
17Nov 12, 199513.35+4.35Moderate30,600
18Apr 27, 197913.25+4.25Moderate27,600
19Apr 16, 201413.13+4.13Moderate31,900
20Dec 21, 197313.06+4.06Moderate26,900
21Dec 18, 200312.86+3.86Moderate28,400
22Nov 8, 196312.70+3.70Moderate25,500
23May 9, 195412.55+3.55Moderate24,900
24Apr 6, 198412.41+3.41Minor24,300
25Dec 24, 199012.38+3.38Minor26,200
26Apr 25, 200512.11+3.11Minor25,200
27Oct 28, 199512.08+3.08Minor24,800
28Jun 2, 195212.01+3.01Minor22,700
29Sep 17, 199911.92+2.92Minor24,500
30Oct 29, 200611.79+2.79Minor23,100
31May 12, 198911.72+2.72Minor23,200
32Oct 7, 196211.71+2.71Minor21,600
33Apr 29, 198811.66+2.66Minor22,900
34Nov 9, 194311.60+2.60Minor21,000
35Apr 13, 202411.58+2.58Minor23,818
36Sep 21, 193811.54+2.54Minor20,800
37Oct 22, 199611.54+2.54Minor23,000
38Apr 14, 200211.47+2.47Minor22,700
39Jan 9, 197811.41+2.41Minor20,400
40May 3, 194011.30+2.30Minor20,000
41Apr 21, 195011.21+2.21Minor19,600
42Dec 21, 195711.17+2.17Minor19,500
43Apr 17, 199311.15+2.15Minor20,600
44May 7, 193711.00+2.00Minor18,800
45Dec 18, 200010.93+1.93Minor20,300
46Jun 3, 201210.78+1.78Minor20,000
47Apr 2, 197610.77+1.77Minor17,900
48Apr 9, 200010.59+1.59Minor18,900
49Oct 30, 201210.59+1.59Minor19,200
50Dec 24, 202210.54+1.54Minor18,957

The worst floods along the Saco River

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

December 19, 2023: 17.71 ft here, major flooding

  • BartlettNH · Dec 18, 2023 · 13.87 ft · Major

August 29, 2011: 17.23 ft here, major flooding

  • BartlettNH · Aug 28, 2011 · 14.83 ft · Major · its highest

March 27, 1953: 17.20 ft here, major flooding

  • CornishME · Mar 29, 1953 · 20.51 ft · Major

Gauges on the Saco River

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

Flood gauges on the Saco River
BartlettNH10.014.83 ft, Aug 28, 20113
Conway this gaugeNH9.017.71 ft, Dec 19, 20236
CornishME13.521.90 ft, Mar 21, 19363

Other gauges in Carroll County

Flood gauges in Carroll County
Bartlett10.014.83 ft, Aug 28, 20113

Carroll County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New Hampshire

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CNWN3, 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.