Buffalo River (MN) near Hawley
Observed Thu, Sep 24, 10:45 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 8.00 ft
- Record crest
- 11.30 ft1921
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 11.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 9.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 8.00 ft |
| Action | 7.50 ft |
- 11.00 ftMAJOR FLOOD STAGE.
- 9.00 ftMODERATE FLOOD STAGE. Railroad underpass at US Hwy 10 floods.
- 8.00 ftMINOR FLOOD STAGE. Parts of Hawley City Park begin to flood.
- 7.50 ftACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.
Crest history
83 crests on NOAA’s list since 1921.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 1, 1921 | 11.30 ft |
| 2 | June 22, 2000 | 10.86 ft |
| 3 | April 1, 2006 | 10.82 ft |
| 4 | April 6, 1997 | 10.77 ft |
| 5 | March 25, 2009 | 10.60 ft |
| 6 | March 17, 1966 | 10.58 ft |
| 7 | July 18, 1993 | 10.40 ft |
| 8 | April 8, 2001 | 10.17 ft |
| 9 | April 14, 2023 | 9.80 ft |
| 10 | July 1, 1975 | 9.76 ft |
| 11 | April 9, 2019 | 9.73 ft |
| 12 | May 17, 1998 | 9.69 ft |
| 13 | March 15, 2010 | 9.60 ft |
| 14 | March 16, 1945 | 9.52 ft |
| 15 | April 7, 1978 | 9.44 ft |
| 16 | April 14, 1947 | 9.39 ft |
| 17 | April 9, 1965 | 9.36 ft |
| 18 | April 7, 1950 | 9.32 ft |
| 19 | April 13, 1996 | 9.31 ft |
| 20 | August 5, 1955 | 9.31 ft |
| 21 | April 12, 2011 | 9.16 ft |
| 22 | June 10, 1962 | 9.11 ft |
| 23 | April 5, 1989 | 9.11 ft |
| 24 | April 8, 1952 | 9.10 ft |
| 25 | April 9, 1969 | 9.07 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 13, 2026: 5.16 ft
- August 10, 2025: 5.79 ft
- May 28, 2024: 6.62 ft
- April 14, 2023: 9.80 ft
- April 26, 2022: 8.90 ft
- April 10, 2021: 5.37 ft
- April 2, 2020: 8.69 ft
- October 16, 2019: 7.68 ft
- April 9, 2019: 9.73 ft
- April 21, 2018: 5.54 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
- DownstreamBuffalo River (MN) at Glyndon (CSAH19)
- South Branch Buffalo River at Glyndon (28th Ave S)
- South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin
- Buffalo River (MN) at Dilworth
- South Branch Wild Rice River at CR 27 near Felton
- Red River of the North at Fargo
- Buffalo River (MN) at Georgetown (CR108)
- Wild Rice River (ND) at St. Benedict
What this means
Forecasts by the North Central River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Stage may be affected by ice during winter months.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.