New Hampshire, 2003

Flooding in New Hampshire, December 17 to 19, 2003

December 17 to 19, 2003 · NWS GYX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Low pressure developed over north-central North Carolina on the morning of the 17th and moved rapidly northeastward. The low intensified during the day and passed to the west of the state overnight.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$60,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GYX wrote it up.

Low pressure developed over north-central North Carolina on the morning of the 17th and moved rapidly northeastward. The low intensified during the day and passed to the west of the state overnight. The low was accompanied by a deep flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Dewpoints in eastern North Carolina were in the mid 60s to the east of the low. A strong south to southeast wind developed across the state and enhanced the amount of precipitation that fell in the mountains. The southeast flow also caused temperatures to rise into the mid 40s at many locations. Precipitation amounts were heaviest in the mountains where 2 to 3 inches of rain fell. The combined rain and snowmelt caused flooding of the Pemigewasset and Saco Rivers. The Pemigewasset River in Woodstock was in flood from 11:45 pm on the 17th to 6:45 am on the 18th and crested at 10.75 feet at 2:30 am on the 18th. Flood stage is 9 feet. In Plymouth, the Pemigewasset River was in flood from 2:00 am on the 18th to 2:00 am on the 19th and crested at 17.5 feet at 10:00 am on the 18th. Flood stage is 13 feet. Water from the river in Plymouth closed roads and flooded a parking lot at Plymouth State University. About 200 vehicles were removed by students from the parking lot while the waters were rising, but 23 vehicles were inundated. In Holderness, several roads were closed, as was the exit ramp off Interstate 93. Ice was a complicating factor and caused the river to rise 4 feet in 2 hours. The Saco River in Conway was in flood from 3:30 am to 6:15 pm on the 18th, and reached a crest of 12.25 feet at 9 am. Flood stage is 9 feet. The Saco River flooding at Conway caused the evacuation of Transvale Acres mobile home park. Both the West Side Road and River Road were closed during the flooding. Ice was also a complicating factor in Conway. Flooding of the Bearcamp River in the town of Ossipee closed the Covered Bridge Road, Bearcamp Road, and Grizzly Road and lead to the evacuation of 4 families.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Gray, ME wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 17, 9:05 PM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 17, 9:05 PM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Northern Grafton

When
December 17, 11:45 PM EST to December 18, 6:45 AM EST
Where
Northern Grafton forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.941, -71.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Southern Grafton

When
December 18, 2:00 AM EST to December 19, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Grafton forecast zone
Property damage
$60,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.941, -71.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Northern Carroll

When
December 18, 3:00 AM EST to 6:15 PM EST
Where
Northern Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.874, -71.203 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Southern Carroll

When
December 18, 3:00 AM EST to 6:15 PM EST
Where
Southern Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.874, -71.203 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Hampshire in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in New Hampshire, December 2003

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5380095, 5380096, 5380097, 5380098.