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Saranac River at Plattsburgh

Highest listed crest 12.11 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft69 crests since 1933

The Saranac River at Plattsburgh crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 69 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1933 to 2024. The highest, 12.11 ft on November 9, 1996, was major flooding, 3.11 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.11 ft
November 9, 1996; 14,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
1
98th of 160 gauges in New York
Most recent flood crest
June 12, 2013
9.49 ft, minor flooding
Location
Clinton County
Near Plattsburgh (1.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Saranac River at Plattsburgh
Action stage8.019Dec 19, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.09Jun 12, 2013Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.03Apr 1, 1998Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.01Nov 9, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

69 crests from 1933 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Saranac River at Plattsburgh, 1933 to 2024 468101214ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Apr 17, 1933: 7.90 ft, below flood stage; 5,780 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1936: 7.60 ft, below flood stage; 5,500 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1943: 10.90 ft, moderate flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1944: 8.33 ft, action stage; 6,540 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1947: 9.57 ft, minor flooding; 9,250 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1949: 8.58 ft, action stage; 7,090 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1951: 8.14 ft, action stage; 5,640 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1954: 8.72 ft, action stage; 6,760 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1955: 8.43 ft, action stage; 6,190 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1956: 8.77 ft, action stage; 7,200 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1960: 8.96 ft, action stage; 7,600 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1962: 6.76 ft, below flood stage; 3,630 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1963: 9.00 ft, minor flooding; 7,680 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1964: 6.89 ft, below flood stage; 3,820 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1965: 5.83 ft, below flood stage; 2,410 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1966: 6.40 ft, below flood stage; 3,120 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1967: 6.29 ft, below flood stage; 2,980 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1968: 6.90 ft, below flood stage; 3,840 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1969: 7.89 ft, below flood stage; 5,500 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1970: 7.39 ft, below flood stage; 4,620 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1971: 7.96 ft, below flood stage; 6,010 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1972: 8.33 ft, action stage; 6,630 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1973: 9.39 ft, minor flooding; 8,910 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1974: 7.63 ft, below flood stage; 5,410 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1975: 7.43 ft, below flood stage; 5,070 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1976: 8.33 ft, action stage; 6,710 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1977: 8.04 ft, action stage; 6,160 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1977: 8.52 ft, action stage; 7,090 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1979: 7.92 ft, below flood stage; 5,930 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1979: 5.72 ft, below flood stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1981: 6.66 ft, below flood stage; 3,760 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1982: 9.72 ft, minor flooding; 9,600 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1983: 6.95 ft, below flood stage; 4,220 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1983: 9.32 ft, minor flooding; 8,460 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1984: 10.08 ft, moderate flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1986: 7.94 ft, below flood stage; 5,890 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1987: 7.82 ft, below flood stage; 5,670 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1988: 6.45 ft, below flood stage; 3,410 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1989: 9.45 ft, minor flooding; 8,730 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1990: 8.75 ft, action stage; 7,330 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1991: 7.66 ft, below flood stage; 5,530 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1992: 7.73 ft, below flood stage; 5,640 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1994: 8.94 ft, action stage; 7,800 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1995: 6.13 ft, below flood stage; 3,200 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 1996: 12.11 ft, major flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1998: 7.96 ft, below flood stage; 5,890 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1998: 10.73 ft, moderate flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1999: 6.71 ft, below flood stage; 4,080 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2000: 8.21 ft, action stage; 6,350 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2001: 7.96 ft, below flood stage; 5,940 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2002: 7.64 ft, below flood stage; 5,430 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2003: 7.12 ft, below flood stage; 4,590 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2004: 7.49 ft, below flood stage; 5,200 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2005: 7.66 ft, below flood stage; 5,460 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 2005: 6.89 ft, below flood stage; 4,230 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2007: 6.97 ft, below flood stage; 4,350 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2011: 9.25 ft, minor flooding; 8,200 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2011: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 8,739 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2013: 9.49 ft, minor flooding; 8,660 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2014: 8.89 ft, action stage; 7,538 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2015: 7.94 ft, below flood stage; 5,910 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2016: 6.53 ft, below flood stage; 3,690 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2017: 8.44 ft, action stage; 6,740 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2018: 8.09 ft, action stage; 6,150 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2019: 8.46 ft, action stage; 6,780 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2021: 6.32 ft, below flood stage; 3,340 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2022: 7.12 ft, below flood stage; 4,630 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 8.33 ft, action stage; 6,550 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2024: 6.26 ft, below flood stage; 3,310 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.11 ft, Nov 9, 1996 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Saranac River at Plattsburgh 1930s: 0 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 4 4 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 3 2020s: 0 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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 12.80 ft on Apr 8, 1928.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 69 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Saranac River at Plattsburgh
1Nov 9, 199612.11+3.11Major14,400
2May 12, 194310.90+1.90Moderate11,600
3Apr 1, 199810.73+1.73Moderate11,200
4Dec 30, 198410.08+1.08Moderate10,100
5Apr 18, 19829.72+0.72Minor9,600
6Jun 3, 19479.57+0.57Minor9,250
7Apr 28, 20119.53+0.53Minor8,739
8Jun 12, 20139.49+0.49Minor8,660
9Mar 29, 19899.45+0.45Minor8,730
10Apr 2, 19739.39+0.39Minor8,910
11Dec 14, 19839.32+0.32Minor8,460
12Apr 12, 20119.25+0.25Minor8,200
13Apr 4, 19639.000.00Minor7,680
14Apr 15, 19608.96−0.04Action7,600
15Apr 17, 19948.94−0.06Action7,800
16Apr 16, 20148.89−0.11Action7,538
17Apr 30, 19568.77−0.23Action7,200
18Mar 18, 19908.75−0.25Action7,330
19Apr 17, 19548.72−0.28Action6,760
20Mar 28, 19498.58−0.42Action7,090
21Oct 17, 19778.52−0.48Action7,090
22Apr 20, 20198.46−0.54Action6,780
23Jun 30, 20178.44−0.56Action6,740
24Apr 15, 19558.43−0.57Action6,190
25Apr 25, 19448.33−0.67Action6,540
26May 5, 19728.33−0.67Action6,630
27Mar 28, 19768.33−0.67Action6,710
28Dec 19, 20238.33−0.67Action6,550
29Apr 9, 20008.21−0.79Action6,350
30Mar 31, 19518.14−0.86Action5,640
31Apr 26, 20188.09−0.91Action6,150
32Mar 31, 19778.04−0.96Action6,160
33May 4, 19717.96−1.04Below flood stage6,010
34Jan 10, 19987.96−1.04Below flood stage5,890
35Apr 23, 20017.96−1.04Below flood stage5,940
36Mar 31, 19867.94−1.06Below flood stage5,890
37Jun 13, 20157.94−1.06Below flood stage5,910
38Apr 3, 19797.92−1.08Below flood stage5,930
39Apr 17, 19337.90−1.10Below flood stage5,780
40Apr 11, 19697.89−1.11Below flood stage5,500
41Apr 1, 19877.82−1.18Below flood stage5,670
42Apr 23, 19927.73−1.27Below flood stage5,640
43Apr 22, 19917.66−1.34Below flood stage5,530
44Apr 4, 20057.66−1.34Below flood stage5,460
45Jun 12, 20027.64−1.36Below flood stage5,430
46Apr 15, 19747.63−1.37Below flood stage5,410
47Mar 18, 19367.60−1.40Below flood stage5,500
48Apr 2, 20047.49−1.51Below flood stage5,200
49Apr 19, 19757.43−1.57Below flood stage5,070
50Apr 25, 19707.39−1.61Below flood stage4,620

Other gauges in Clinton County

Flood gauges in Clinton County
Perry Mills9.012.91 ft, Feb 28, 20002
Lake Champlain at Rouses Point99.5102.77 ft, May 6, 201110

Clinton County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New York

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PBGN6, 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.