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Cowlitz River at Kelso

Highest listed crest 29.50 ftFlood stage 21.5 ft32 crests since 1933

The Cowlitz River at Kelso crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 32 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1933 to 2026. The highest, 29.50 ft on February 9, 1996, was major flooding, 8.00 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Cowlitz River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.50 ft
February 9, 1996
Flood stage
21.5 ft
Major flooding from 26.5 ft
Crests at major
3
34th of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
March 14, 2026
23.50 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cowlitz County
Near Kelso (2.3 mi), Longview (2.3 mi)
Identifiers
NWS KELW1
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cowlitz River at Kelso
Action stage19.53Dec 10, 1987The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)21.526Mar 14, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.53Feb 9, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

32 crests from 1933 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cowlitz River at Kelso, 1933 to 2026 202224262830ft Flood stage 21.5 ftMajor 26.5 ft Dec 10, 1933: 24.20 ft, minor floodingDec 23, 1933: 28.86 ft, major floodingDec 15, 1946: 23.40 ft, minor floodingJun 10, 1948: 24.30 ft, minor floodingDec 11, 1953: 21.50 ft, minor floodingDec 22, 1955: 21.00 ft, action stageJun 8, 1956: 21.20 ft, action stageJan 21, 1971: 21.70 ft, minor floodingDec 2, 1977: 21.50 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 1980: 22.60 ft, minor floodingNov 19, 1983: 23.14 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 1986: 21.50 ft, minor floodingNov 24, 1986: 22.00 ft, minor floodingDec 10, 1987: 21.00 ft, action stageJan 9, 1990: 22.10 ft, minor floodingNov 25, 1990: 21.90 ft, minor floodingNov 30, 1995: 27.00 ft, major floodingFeb 9, 1996: 29.50 ft, major floodingFeb 1, 2003: 22.90 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 2006: 22.80 ft, minor floodingJan 30, 2006: 23.10 ft, minor floodingNov 7, 2006: 23.10 ft, minor floodingDec 4, 2007: 21.70 ft, minor floodingJan 8, 2009: 24.20 ft, minor floodingJan 17, 2011: 21.50 ft, minor floodingNov 18, 2015: 22.10 ft, minor floodingDec 9, 2015: 24.20 ft, minor floodingNov 13, 2021: 21.90 ft, minor floodingJan 7, 2022: 24.00 ft, minor floodingDec 6, 2023: 22.10 ft, minor floodingDec 19, 2025: 23.60 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 2026: 23.50 ft, minor flooding Highest, 29.50 ft, Feb 9, 1996 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cowlitz River at Kelso 1930s: 2 1940s: 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 4 1990s: 4 2000s: 6 6 2010s: 3 2020s: 5 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

Highest listed crests, Cowlitz River at Kelso
1Feb 9, 199629.50+8.00Major—
2Dec 23, 193328.86+7.36Major—
3Nov 30, 199527.00+5.50Major—
4Jun 10, 194824.30+2.80Minor—
5Dec 10, 193324.20+2.70Minor—
6Jan 8, 200924.20+2.70Minor—
7Dec 9, 201524.20+2.70Minor—
8Jan 7, 202224.00+2.50Minor—
9Dec 19, 202523.60+2.10Minor—
10Mar 14, 202623.50+2.00Minor—
11Dec 15, 194623.40+1.90Minor—
12Nov 19, 198323.14+1.64Minor—
13Jan 30, 200623.10+1.60Minor—
14Nov 7, 200623.10+1.60Minor—
15Feb 1, 200322.90+1.40Minor—
16Jan 10, 200622.80+1.30Minor—
17May 19, 198022.60+1.10Minor—
18Jan 9, 199022.10+0.60Minor—
19Nov 18, 201522.10+0.60Minor—
20Dec 6, 202322.10+0.60Minor—
21Nov 24, 198622.00+0.50Minor—
22Nov 25, 199021.90+0.40Minor—
23Nov 13, 202121.90+0.40Minor—
24Jan 21, 197121.70+0.20Minor—
25Dec 4, 200721.70+0.20Minor—
26Dec 11, 195321.500.00Minor—
27Dec 2, 197721.500.00Minor—
28Feb 24, 198621.500.00Minor—
29Jan 17, 201121.500.00Minor—
30Jun 8, 195621.20−0.30Action—
31Dec 22, 195521.00−0.50Action—
32Dec 10, 198721.00−0.50Action—

The worst floods along the Cowlitz River

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

February 9, 1996: 29.50 ft here, major flooding

  • RandleWA · Feb 9, 1996 · 24.90 ft · Major
  • Castle RockWA · Feb 8, 1996 · 55.76 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • PackwoodWA · Feb 8, 1996 · 10.86 ft · Minor

December 23, 1933: 28.86 ft here, major flooding

  • PackwoodWA · Dec 21, 1933 · 13.00 ft · Major

November 30, 1995: 27.00 ft here, major flooding

  • RandleWA · Nov 30, 1995 · 23.58 ft · Major
  • Castle RockWA · Nov 30, 1995 · 55.16 ft · Moderate
  • PackwoodWA · Nov 29, 1995 · 10.72 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Cowlitz River

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

Flood gauges on the Cowlitz River
Castle RockWA48.055.76 ft, Feb 8, 19960
Kelso this gaugeWA21.529.50 ft, Feb 9, 19963
PackwoodWA10.514.59 ft, Nov 6, 20069
RandleWA18.025.24 ft, Nov 7, 200610

Other gauges in Cowlitz County

Flood gauges in Cowlitz County
Longview13.524.00 ft, Jun 7, 18945
Castle Rock48.055.76 ft, Feb 8, 19960
Woodland24.034.50 ft, Feb 9, 19961
Tower Road near Silver Lake137.0145.01 ft, Dec 3, 19829

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge KELW1, 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.