River stage
Albuquerque, Rio Grande
- River level
- 2.95 ft
- Status
- Below flood stage
- 7-day change
- -0.75 ft
- Recent high
- 4.22 ft
- Recent low
- 0.40 ft
Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS ABQN5
- 30-day change
- +1.88 ft
- Average
- 1.48 ft
- Readings
- 120
- Data span
- 120 days
- Record crest
- 12.30 ft
In brief
The Rio Grande at Albuquerque, NM read 2.95 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 5.05 ft below action stage. That is 1.88 ft higher than 30 days earlier.
Source: National Weather Service gauge ABQN5
River level timeline
Stage threshold profile
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Crest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.30 ft | 1942-04-24 |
| 2 | 7.82 ft | 1967-08-10 |
| 3 | 7.21 ft | 1985-04-24 |
| 4 | 7.17 ft | 1984-05-28 |
| 5 | 6.97 ft | 1979-06-01 |
| 6 | 6.80 ft | 1958-05-30 |
| 7 | 6.65 ft | 1994-05-11 |
| 8 | 6.61 ft | 1948-05-28 |
Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.
What happens at each level
- 8.00 ft
Dikes and levees constructed after the floods of 1942 protect developed and personal property near the river in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Levee heights range from 8 to 12 feet. Further upriver and downriver from the dikes and levees, water is flowing over natural banks flooding agricultural and grazing lowlands. Sustained flows of 8000 to 10,000 cubic feet per second over a period of 5 to 10 days would likely result in significant bank erosion outside of levee protected areas.
- 10.00 ft
Significant lowland flooding is occurring mainly outside of levee protected areas. Even those areas protected by levees and dikes should be closely monitored as the river flow now exceeds any experienced since the mid 1940s.
- 12.50 ft
River levels have risen to the top of most levees and dikes and has overtopped them in several areas of the city. The flow now exceeds that observed during the big flood of 1942.
Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Rio Grande flooding at Albuquerque?
No. The Rio Grande at Albuquerque is at 2.95 ft, 5.05 ft below action stage.
What is the flood stage at Albuquerque?
The National Weather Service sets action stage 8 ft, minor flooding 8 ft, moderate flooding 10 ft and major flooding 12.5 ft.
What is the highest the Rio Grande has been at Albuquerque?
The highest crest on record is 12.3 ft, on 1942-04-24.
Is the Rio Grande high or low right now at Albuquerque?
At 2.95 ft it is higher than 85% of readings over the last 120 days.
Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge ABQN5); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 08330000). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.