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Winooski River at Montpelier

Highest listed crest 27.10 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft89 crests since 1912

The Winooski River at Montpelier crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 89 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1912 to 2024. The highest, 27.10 ft on November 3, 1927, was major flooding, 12.10 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Winooski River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.10 ft
November 3, 1927; 57,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.5 ft
Crests at major
5
11th of 28 gauges in Vermont
Most recent flood crest
December 18, 2023
16.15 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Washington County
Vermont

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Winooski River at Montpelier
Action stage11.039Jul 11, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.01Mar 11, 1992Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.04Dec 18, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.55Jul 11, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

89 crests from 1912 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Winooski River at Montpelier, 1912 to 2024 51015202530ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 17.5 ft Apr 7, 1912: 17.31 ft, moderate flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1913: 14.60 ft, action stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1915: 16.60 ft, moderate flooding; 6,500 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1916: 10.31 ft, below flood stage; 6,770 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1917: 12.57 ft, action stage; 8,200 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 1917: 11.43 ft, action stage; 8,120 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1919: 14.63 ft, action stage; 12,300 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1920: 12.94 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1922: 14.77 ft, action stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1923: 11.43 ft, action stage; 8,120 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1927: 27.10 ft, major flooding; 57,000 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1930: 9.85 ft, below flood stageApr 11, 1931: 10.18 ft, below flood stage; 6,650 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1932: 12.81 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1933: 14.24 ft, action stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1934: 13.93 ft, action stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1935: 14.89 ft, action stage; 13,500 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1936: 16.57 ft, moderate flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1937: 11.64 ft, action stage; 8,370 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1938: 14.11 ft, action stage; 14,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1939: 10.61 ft, below flood stage; 7,340 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1940: 9.96 ft, below flood stage; 6,490 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1941: 6.93 ft, below flood stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1942: 9.83 ft, below flood stage; 6,440 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1943: 8.05 ft, below flood stage; 4,160 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1944: 9.66 ft, below flood stage; 6,260 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1945: 9.92 ft, below flood stage; 6,600 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1946: 14.10 ft, action stage; 9,000 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1947: 13.90 ft, action stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1948: 8.25 ft, below flood stage; 4,400 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1950: 8.98 ft, below flood stage; 5,180 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1950: 9.60 ft, below flood stage; 5,920 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1952: 14.16 ft, action stage; 10,900 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1953: 9.84 ft, below flood stage; 5,650 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1954: 8.21 ft, below flood stage; 3,970 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1955: 9.36 ft, below flood stage; 5,130 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1956: 8.81 ft, below flood stage; 4,570 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1957: 7.72 ft, below flood stage; 3,550 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1958: 10.51 ft, below flood stage; 6,390 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1959: 9.76 ft, below flood stage; 5,480 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1959: 12.02 ft, action stage; 6,600 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1961: 8.54 ft, below flood stage; 4,170 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1962: 10.59 ft, below flood stage; 6,440 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1963: 9.92 ft, below flood stage; 5,650 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1964: 11.93 ft, action stage; 8,050 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1965: 6.02 ft, below flood stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1966: 8.46 ft, below flood stage; 4,090 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1967: 10.10 ft, below flood stage; 5,850 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1968: 10.32 ft, below flood stage; 6,110 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1969: 12.62 ft, action stage; 7,910 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1970: 10.53 ft, below flood stage; 5,810 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1971: 11.96 ft, action stage; 7,240 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1972: 14.14 ft, action stage; 9,580 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1973: 17.55 ft, major flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1973: 12.00 ft, action stage; 7,280 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1975: 11.17 ft, action stage; 6,450 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1976: 14.97 ft, action stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1976: 12.31 ft, action stage; 7,600 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1977: 12.38 ft, action stage; 7,670 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1978: 13.66 ft, action stage; 4,400 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1979: 12.57 ft, action stage; 4,500 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1980: 7.41 ft, below flood stage; 2,950 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1981: 14.16 ft, action stage; 4,500 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1982: 12.40 ft, action stage; 8,060 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1983: 11.65 ft, action stage; 7,310 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1984: 13.70 ft, action stage; 9,340 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1985: 10.02 ft, below flood stageMar 31, 1986: 10.36 ft, below flood stage; 6,050 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1987: 13.50 ft, action stage; 9,130 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1988: 8.35 ft, below flood stage; 4,110 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1989: 14.40 ft, action stage; 101,005 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1990: 11.50 ft, action stage; 71,905 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1992: 15.70 ft, minor flooding; 15,005 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1993: 8.78 ft, below flood stage; 4,500 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1994: 12.69 ft, action stage; 8,320 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1995: 7.82 ft, below flood stageAug 6, 1995: 6.94 ft, below flood stage; 2,860 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 14.64 ft, action stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1998: 10.37 ft, below flood stage; 6,010 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 9.30 ft, below flood stage; 4,980 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2000: 13.17 ft, action stageMay 10, 2000: 10.54 ft, below flood stage; 6,090 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2002: 10.37 ft, below flood stage; 5,930 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2003: 8.66 ft, below flood stage; 4,430 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2011: 17.59 ft, major flooding; 13,072 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2011: 19.05 ft, major flooding; 14,239 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2023: 21.29 ft, major flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 16.15 ft, moderate flooding; 14,206 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2024: 14.45 ft, action stage; 11,900 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.10 ft, Nov 3, 1927 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Winooski River at Montpelier 1910s: 2 2 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2020s: 2 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 89 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Winooski River at Montpelier
1Nov 3, 192727.10+12.10Major57,000
2Jul 11, 202321.29+6.29Major23,100
3Aug 29, 201119.05+4.05Major14,239
4May 27, 201117.59+2.59Major13,072
5Jun 30, 197317.55+2.55Major13,800
6Apr 7, 191217.31+2.31Moderate17,200
7Feb 25, 191516.60+1.60Moderate6,500
8Mar 18, 193616.57+1.57Moderate20,000
9Dec 18, 202316.15+1.15Moderate14,206
10Mar 11, 199215.70+0.70Minor15,005
11Apr 1, 197614.97−0.03Action10,500
12Jan 10, 193514.89−0.11Action13,500
13Apr 12, 192214.77−0.23Action12,500
14Jan 19, 199614.64−0.36Action10,300
15Mar 28, 191914.63−0.37Action12,300
16Mar 27, 191314.60−0.40Action11,500
17Jul 11, 202414.45−0.55Action11,900
18Aug 5, 198914.40−0.60Action101,005
19Apr 18, 193314.24−0.76Action11,700
20Jun 1, 195214.16−0.84Action10,900
21Feb 12, 198114.16−0.84Action4,500
22May 4, 197214.14−0.86Action9,580
23Sep 22, 193814.11−0.89Action14,000
24Mar 9, 194614.10−0.90Action9,000
25Apr 12, 193413.93−1.07Action11,300
26Jun 3, 194713.90−1.10Action11,300
27Jun 7, 198413.70−1.30Action9,340
28Jan 9, 197813.66−1.34Action4,400
29Mar 31, 198713.50−1.50Action9,130
30Feb 28, 200013.17−1.83Action—
31Apr 13, 192012.94−2.06Action10,000
32Apr 12, 193212.81−2.19Action10,100
33Apr 16, 199412.69−2.31Action8,320
34Apr 19, 196912.62−2.38Action7,910
35Mar 28, 191712.57−2.43Action8,200
36Mar 7, 197912.57−2.43Action4,500
37Apr 18, 198212.40−2.60Action8,060
38Mar 14, 197712.38−2.62Action7,670
39Aug 10, 197612.31−2.69Action7,600
40Nov 28, 195912.02−2.98Action6,600
41Dec 21, 197312.00−3.00Action7,280
42May 4, 197111.96−3.04Action7,240
43Mar 8, 196411.93−3.07Action8,050
44May 4, 198311.65−3.35Action7,310
45May 15, 193711.64−3.36Action8,370
46Oct 24, 199011.50−3.50Action71,905
47Oct 30, 191711.43−3.57Action8,120
48Apr 30, 192311.43−3.57Action8,120
49Apr 19, 197511.17−3.83Action6,450
50Apr 22, 193910.61−4.39Below flood stage7,340

The worst floods along the Winooski River

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

November 3, 1927: 27.10 ft here, major flooding

July 11, 2023: 21.29 ft here, major flooding

August 29, 2011: 19.05 ft here, major flooding

  • WaterburyVT · Aug 29, 2011 · 430.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • Essex JunctionVT · Aug 29, 2011 · 22.19 ft · Major

Gauges on the Winooski River

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

Flood gauges on the Winooski River
Montpelier this gaugeVT15.027.10 ft, Nov 3, 19275
WaterburyVT419.0430.00 ft, Aug 29, 20112
Essex JunctionVT12.051.40 ft, Nov 4, 192711

Other gauges in Washington County

Flood gauges in Washington County
Northfield Falls8.017.26 ft, Aug 28, 20114
Moretown9.019.40 ft, Nov 3, 192711
Montpelier Langdon St.Bridge520.0526.20 ft, Jul 11, 20232
Waterbury419.0430.00 ft, Aug 29, 20112

Washington County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Vermont

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MONV1, 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.