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Methow River near Pateros

Highest listed crest 12.25 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft43 crests since 1967

The Methow River near Pateros crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 43 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1967 to 2024. The highest, 12.25 ft on May 31, 1972, was major flooding, 2.25 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.25 ft
May 31, 1972; 28,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
1
43rd of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
May 5, 2023
10.57 ft, minor flooding
Location
Okanogan County
Washington

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Methow River near Pateros
Action stage9.07Apr 22, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.08May 5, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.01Jun 17, 1974Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.01May 31, 1972Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

43 crests from 1967 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Methow River near Pateros, 1967 to 2024 68101214ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Jun 22, 1967: 10.61 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1968: 9.81 ft, action stage; 17,100 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1969: 9.03 ft, action stage; 14,000 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1970: 8.87 ft, below flood stage; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1971: 9.97 ft, action stage; 17,500 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1972: 12.25 ft, major flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1974: 11.26 ft, moderate flooding; 24,000 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1975: 8.29 ft, below flood stage; 12,740 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1976: 7.10 ft, below flood stage; 9,250 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1978: 9.27 ft, action stage; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1980: 7.93 ft, below flood stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1981: 7.76 ft, below flood stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1982: 8.96 ft, below flood stage; 15,100 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1983: 10.68 ft, minor flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1984: 8.07 ft, below flood stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1986: 8.78 ft, below flood stage; 14,400 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1987: 8.00 ft, below flood stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1988: 8.77 ft, below flood stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1991: 8.53 ft, below flood stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1993: 7.83 ft, below flood stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1995: 8.97 ft, below flood stage; 14,500 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1996: 8.44 ft, below flood stage; 12,700 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1997: 9.50 ft, action stage; 16,500 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1999: 10.52 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2006: 10.63 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2007: 8.08 ft, below flood stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2008: 10.21 ft, minor flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2009: 7.01 ft, below flood stage; 7,970 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2010: 7.87 ft, below flood stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2011: 9.44 ft, action stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2012: 8.19 ft, below flood stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2013: 8.44 ft, below flood stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2014: 7.70 ft, below flood stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 6.49 ft, below flood stage; 6,970 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2016: 9.50 ft, action stage; 16,300 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2017: 10.31 ft, minor flooding; 19,584 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2018: 10.65 ft, minor flooding; 21,069 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2019: 6.59 ft, below flood stage; 7,230 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2020: 8.00 ft, below flood stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2021: 7.39 ft, below flood stage; 9,360 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2022: 8.27 ft, below flood stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2023: 10.57 ft, minor flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2024: 6.83 ft, below flood stage; 7,820 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.25 ft, May 31, 1972 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Methow River near Pateros 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 2 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Methow River near Pateros
1May 31, 197212.25+2.25Major28,800
2Jun 17, 197411.26+1.26Moderate24,000
3May 31, 198310.68+0.68Minor21,700
4May 10, 201810.65+0.65Minor21,069
5May 19, 200610.63+0.63Minor20,800
6Jun 22, 196710.61+0.61Minor20,800
7May 5, 202310.57+0.57Minor20,700
8Jun 17, 199910.52+0.52Minor20,800
9Jun 1, 201710.31+0.31Minor19,584
10May 19, 200810.21+0.21Minor18,900
11May 13, 19719.97−0.03Action17,500
12May 21, 19689.81−0.19Action17,100
13May 16, 19979.50−0.50Action16,500
14Apr 22, 20169.50−0.50Action16,300
15Jun 8, 20119.44−0.56Action16,100
16Jun 6, 19789.27−0.73Action16,000
17May 24, 19699.03−0.97Action14,000
18May 30, 19958.97−1.03Below flood stage14,500
19Jun 15, 19828.96−1.04Below flood stage15,100
20Jun 4, 19708.87−1.13Below flood stage12,900
21May 31, 19868.78−1.22Below flood stage14,400
22May 7, 19888.77−1.23Below flood stage13,800
23May 21, 19918.53−1.47Below flood stage13,600
24Jun 8, 19968.44−1.56Below flood stage12,700
25May 13, 20138.44−1.56Below flood stage12,500
26Jun 3, 19758.29−1.71Below flood stage12,740
27Jun 6, 20228.27−1.73Below flood stage11,900
28May 16, 20128.19−1.81Below flood stage11,700
29Jun 5, 20078.08−1.92Below flood stage11,000
30Jun 16, 19848.07−1.93Below flood stage12,500
31May 9, 19878.00−2.00Below flood stage11,700
32May 31, 20208.00−2.00Below flood stage11,200
33May 6, 19807.93−2.07Below flood stage11,500
34May 19, 20107.87−2.13Below flood stage10,700
35May 15, 19937.83−2.17Below flood stage11,400
36May 26, 19817.76−2.24Below flood stage11,500
37May 17, 20147.70−2.30Below flood stage10,200
38Jun 3, 20217.39−2.61Below flood stage9,360
39Jun 19, 19767.10−2.90Below flood stage9,250
40May 30, 20097.01−2.99Below flood stage7,970
41May 17, 20246.83−3.17Below flood stage7,820
42May 18, 20196.59−3.41Below flood stage7,230
43May 24, 20156.49−3.51Below flood stage6,970

Other gauges in Okanogan County

Flood gauges in Okanogan County
Tonasket15.022.54 ft, Jun 2, 19728
Nighthawk14.017.97 ft, Jun 1, 19722

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PATW1, 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.