TidalMapPotomac River at Hancock, MD Water Level Today
NWS river forecast
| When | Stage | Flow |
|---|
Forecast from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service. Issued a few times a day and only while a forecast is active. Not for navigation.
Last 30 days
About this gauge
USGS gauge 01613000 sits on the Potomac River and reads everything draining 4,064 square miles of the Conococheague-Opequon basin. Its datum sits 383 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1933, 94 years of it.
Where this gauge sits in the drainage
One gauged site sits upstream of here. The closest is Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV, reading 3,129 square miles. This gauge adds the 935 square miles that drain in between.
Normal flows here
The Potomac River runs a median of 2,205 cfs at this gauge across 94 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 6,060 cfs, and September the leanest at 727 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 261,000 cfs in 1936, and the lowest is 184 cfs in 1933.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3,290 cfs | 149% |
| Feb | 4,110 cfs | 186% |
| Mar | 6,060 cfs | 275% |
| Apr | 5,005 cfs | 227% |
| May | 3,890 cfs | 176% |
| Jun | 1,905 cfs | 86% |
| Jul | 1,070 cfs | 49% |
| Aug | 853 cfs | 39% |
| Sep | 727 cfs | 33% |
| Oct | 774 cfs | 35% |
| Nov | 1,280 cfs | 58% |
| Dec | 2,590 cfs | 117% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1933 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The Potomac River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 25 feet. NWS starts watching it at 21 feet. The highest crest on record is 47.6 feet, in March 1936.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 21 ft |
| Minor flooding | 25 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 33 ft |
| Major flooding | 35 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| March 1936 | 47.6 ft |
| November 1985 | 41.2 ft |
| June 1889 | 40 ft |
| October 1942 | 36.6 ft |
| January 1996 | 36.3 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HNKM2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Tonoloway Creek near Hancock, MD
- Licking Creek at Pectonville, MD
- Sideling Hill Creek near Bellegrove, MD
- Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV
- Conococheague Creek at Fairview, MD
- Town Creek near Oldtown, MD
- Marsh Run at Grimes, MD
- Hogue Creek near Hayfield, VA
- Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, MD
- Dry Marsh Run near Berryville, VA
- Opequon Creek near Berryville, VA
- Antietam Creek near Waynesboro, PA
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01613000. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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