Cold River at Alstead, NH
River level and flood forecast · Cheshire County
The river is 7.3 ft below flood stage (9 ft).
Flow: 15 cubic feet per second (USGS).
Normal for October 13.
Usual for October 13: 11 to 46 cubic feet per second (the middle half of 17 years).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 7 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Cold River at Alstead to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 11 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 10 ft |
| Flood stage | 9 ft |
| Action stage | 8 ft |
| Record crest (July 29, 2021) | 11.78 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 12 ftWater up to Route 123 bridge.
- 11.75 ftFlood comparable to the one in July 2021.
- 11 ftRoute 123 in Acworth and Alstead flooded. Several properties near the river imapacted.
- 10 ftProperty near the dam in Alstead inundated.
- 9 ftWarren Brook likely to cause flooding along Route 123 or Forest Road east of Alstead.
- 8 ftFlooding in Acworth in the headwaters of the Cold River.
- 7 ftRiver out of banks.
Highest crests on record
- 11.78 ft — July 29, 2021
- 11.67 ft — July 11, 2023
- 11.67 ft — July 10, 2023
- 7.8 ft — October 9, 24
Recent crests: 11.67 ft (July 11, 2023) · 11.67 ft (July 10, 2023) · 11.78 ft (July 29, 2021) · 7.8 ft (October 9, 24)
Highest flow on record
10,500 cubic feet per second — July 30, 2021. From the USGS's yearly peaks since 2009.
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (ASTN3); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.