🌊 The Red River at Fargo-Moorhead

How high the Red is right now, where the National Weather Service says it's headed, and what closes at each level.

Red River at Fargo - Fri 11:15 PM

14.2 ft

Below flood stage (18.0 ft).

No river forecast is out right now - NWS issues them during high water.

Flood stage (minor)

18.0 ft

Moderate / major

25 ft / 30 ft

Record crest

40.84 ft (2009)

Last 30 days

Long-range flood odds (Oct-Dec): minor 13%, moderate less than 5%, major less than 5%. NWS long-range outlook, issued Sep 24. In late winter this becomes the spring flood outlook.

What happens at each level

The National Weather Service's official impact list for this gauge. Levels at or below the current reading are highlighted.

Show all 19 stages, from 17 ft up to the record

▶ River now: 14.2 ft
17 ft - ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE. Water rises to the edge of the bike path at El Zagal bowl along Elm St N between 14th and 15th Ave (Fargo).
18 ft - MINOR FLOOD. Elm St between 14th and 15th Ave N is closed (Fargo). Storm sewer pump stations are beginning to operate (Fargo).
19 ft - Low-level dam south of Main Ave is closed (Fargo).
21 ft - 3rd Street underpass is closed (Moorhead).
25 ft - MODERATE FLOOD. City parks and recreation areas along the river begin to flood (Fargo). All storm sewer lift stations are in operation (Fargo).
28 ft - Rivershore Drive underpass at I-94 is closed (Moorhead). 12th Avenue N/15th Avenue N bridge over Red River is closed (Fargo/Moorhead).
30 ft - MAJOR FLOOD.
31 ft - 1st Avenue N underpass is closed (Moorhead).
32 ft - Removable floodwalls installed along 2nd Street (Fargo). 1st Avenue N bridge across Red River closed.
33 ft - Wall Street Avenue N is closed (Moorhead).
34 ft - Northern Pacific Ave (Fargo)/Center Ave (Moorhead) bridge clearance.
36 ft - Placing of sandbags starts if the river is forecast to rise above 38 ft (Fargo).
37 ft - Convent Bridge at 52nd Ave S is closed (Fargo).
37.5 ft - Oakport Street N is closed near 50th Avenue N (Moorhead).
38 ft - 28th Avenue North is closed at Ditch #41 (Moorhead).
38.5 ft - 11th Street N is closed near 28th Avenue N (Moorhead).
39 ft - 36th Street S bridge and 40th Avenue S bridge over Drain 27 close (Fargo).
40 ft - 25th Street S bridge over Rose Coulee closes (Fargo).
40.84 ft - RECORD FLOOD. March 28, 2009 (instantaneous measurement).

Biggest floods at Fargo

March 28, 2009 - 40.84 ft
April 18, 1997 - 39.72 ft
April 9, 2011 - 38.81 ft
April 15, 1969 - 37.34 ft
April 5, 2006 - 37.13 ft
March 21, 2010 - 36.99 ft
April 14, 2001 - 36.69 ft
April 9, 1989 - 35.39 ft
April 8, 2019 - 35.04 ft
April 19, 1979 - 34.93 ft

Official sources - use these for decisions

The FM Gazette isn't a flood-warning service. Watches, warnings, and evacuation or sandbagging orders come from the National Weather Service and the cities.

NWS - Red River at Fargo gauge (official stage, forecast, and hydrograph)
City of Fargo - Spring Flooding and Flooding (Emergency Management)
City of Moorhead - Flood Safety and the Flood Stages Interactive Map (enter an address to see which river level affects it)
USGS - Red River of the North at Fargo (05054000) (the gauge's measurements)

More for Fargo-Moorhead

Fargo Snowfall Tracker How much snow has Fargo gotten this winter? Season total vs. normal, snow on the ground, and the biggest winters since 1991 - from official NWS records. Snow Emergency Parking Rules Do you need to move your car? Snow emergency parking rules, fines, and plow trackers for Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead - sourced from each city. Is It Windy in Fargo, ND? Live wind conditions and forecast for Fargo-Moorhead, combining NOAA forecasts with real-time readings from Hector International Airport.