Moselle River Water Levels Outlook, Week of December 8, 2025

Published on Jun 22, 2025, 7:37 pm CDTUpdated on Dec 7, 2025, 8:46 pm CST

9 min read

The Moselle is running in a comfortable mid range around Trier, with the Trier UP gauge near 10.6 ft (3.24 m), well above historic low water and well below high water navigation marks, so short term river cruise risk is classed as Normal. ^1,2,3,4,5 Nearby gauges in Germany and Luxembourg, including Grevenmacher and Remich, show similarly moderate levels without active flood warnings, which supports a broadly stable picture along the classic cruising corridor between Trier, Bernkastel, Cochem, and Koblenz. ^4,6,7 Over the next three weeks, the main watch item is not today's level but the fact that December is the wettest month in Trier, so travelers should plan as if cruises are likely to operate normally while still allowing for occasional coach segments or lock related delays, especially given the recent history of infrastructure incidents on the Moselle. ^3,5,8,9,10

Current Conditions

Primary gauge: Trier UP (Pegel Trier UP). This is the standard reference gauge on the German Moselle for both freight navigation and the upstream end of many Moselle cruise itineraries. ^2,5 The federal Pegelonline service reports Trier UP at about 324 cm at 15:00 local time on December 7, which is 3.24 m, roughly 10.6 ft, above gauge zero. ¹ For context, the station sheet lists the lowest known level at 196 cm, about 6.4 ft, and the highest navigation water level at 695 cm, about 22.8 ft, with a first flood mark at 520 cm, about 17.1 ft. ² In plain language, the river today sits well above record low and comfortably below any flood threshold that would force closures or air draft problems under bridges.

Regional dashboards from Rhineland Palatinate show Moselle gauges such as Perl, Trier, and Zeltingen clustered between about 2.4 and 3.3 m, roughly 7.9 to 10.8 ft, with trends described as steady or changing by only a few centimeters over the day. ^3,11 Luxembourg's national flood alert portal lists Moselle stations at Grevenmacher, Remich, Stadtbredimus, and Wasserbillig in the 2.2 to 3.6 m range, about 7.2 to 11.8 ft, again without signaling flood or extreme low water. ^4,6 Taken together, these readings support a Normal navigation risk classification for the Upper and Middle Moselle from the French border through Trier to Koblenz, with captains mainly managing routine winter issues like fog, currents, and traffic density rather than level driven restrictions. ^1,2,3,4,6,7

Seven-Day Outlook

There is no public seven day forecast hydrograph for Trier UP, but the combination of flat to gently varying gauge readings along the Moselle and a quiet Atlantic pattern over western Germany suggests only small level changes in the coming week. ^1,3,7,9 Multi day forecasts for Trier point to typical early winter weather, with daytime highs mostly between 40 and 48 °F, about 4 to 9 °C, nighttime lows close to freezing, and several days with light to moderate rain or drizzle rather than a single intense storm. ^{8,12,13,14,15}

Climate records show that December is the wettest month of the year in Trier, with average precipitation around 4.1 in, roughly 105 mm, spread over about 17 days, which loosely translates into on the order of 0.7 to 1.2 in, about 18 to 30 mm, of rain in a typical week. ^5,13,16 Forecast discussions for the second week of December, however, indicate a mix of passing fronts and ridging that favors showers and cloud rather than a persistent heavy rain train, so there is no strong signal for a sharp flood pulse on the Moselle as of December 7. ^8,9,12,15 Seven day navigation risk call for Moselle cruises between Trier and Koblenz: Normal, with low probability that water levels alone will force significant rerouting, even though fog or lock work can still cause local delays. ^{1,2,3,4,6,8,9,10}

Three-Week Risk Forecast

Period	Likelihood of Disruption	Confidence
Days 1 to 7	Normal	High
Days 8 to 14	Caution	Medium
Days 15 to 21	Caution	Low

Hydrology and climate analyses for the Moselle and wider Rhine basin highlight a growing tendency toward swings between low flow drought conditions and episodic floods, as warmer winters reshape snowpack and increase the share of rainfall versus snow in the catchment. ^9,10,17,18 December sits at the intersection of those forces, with wetter average conditions but also cool temperatures that slow runoff unless a series of strong Atlantic storms line up.

Ensemble model guidance into mid December hints at periods of above normal precipitation over parts of western Germany and the Ardennes, but with substantial spread in timing and intensity, which is why the table shades weeks two and three to Caution rather than keeping the whole three week window at Normal. ^9,15,17 For travelers, the practical implication is simple. Do not try to game the river based on long range rainfall maps, but if your Moselle sailing is in two or three weeks and you want maximum flexibility, use this period to decide whether Cancel For Any Reason style coverage fits your risk tolerance and check how your cruise contract treats itinerary changes versus outright cancellation. ^10,18,19

Cruise-Line Responses

Spokesperson for Viking, which sells combined Rhine and Moselle itineraries and Christmas sailings that include Moselle towns such as Trier and Cochem, continues to market December 2025 departures without Moselle specific water level warnings, while reminding guests in general terms that high or low water may require port or timing changes and that any such adjustments will be communicated directly. ^20,21

Spokesperson for AmaWaterways, promoting 2025 and 2026 wine themed journeys such as Vineyards of the Rhine and Moselle and Rhine and Moselle delights, likewise lists Moselle segments and tasting stops in Bernkastel and Cochem as planned, backed by standard high and low water clauses that allow for ship swaps, adjusted docking points, or coach use if levels fall outside safe navigation bands. ^22,23

Spokesperson for Avalon Waterways, which brands the Moselle as the "Rhine's peaceful little sister" and features it in itineraries like The Rhine and Moselle and Canals, Vineyards and Castles, notes that operations in late 2025 are back to normal after the Sankt Aldegund lock accident, with navigation authorities confirming in July 2025 that a damaged lock is working safely, albeit with added inspections, and that the resulting freight closure has ended. ^7,11,24,25 River cruise companies continue to monitor that stretch closely, since future technical issues at single chamber locks can still disrupt traffic even when water levels are ideal. ^7,11,24,25

Traveler Advice

If you are already booked on a Moselle related cruise in the next seven days, treat current river levels as a green light, but plan for ordinary winter travel friction. Build buffer time into your rail or air connections into Trier, Luxembourg, or Cologne, pack warm layers, a waterproof shell, and shoes with good grip for wet cobblestones and slick decks, and watch for last minute updates from your cruise line or advisor about fog delays, small timing tweaks, or lock maintenance windows. ^{1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10}

If you are shopping for a December 2025 or early 2026 itinerary, frame Moselle water levels as one factor in a larger decision rather than a reason to avoid the river. The combination of scenic vineyard slopes and historic towns is a major draw, and operators have proven playbooks for handling both high and low water that rely on port swaps, coach segments, and ship positioning changes rather than canceling entire cruises whenever conditions shift. ^{10,18,19,20,22,23,24} Ask each provider how they handled past high water or lock incidents, including the 2024 and 2025 Moselle closures, and decide in advance whether their fallback plan still looks like good value for you if it ends up being used.

For travelers looking more than three weeks out, especially into the 2026 and 2027 seasons, it is helpful to think of the Moselle as a slightly more delicate system than the main Rhine trunk. Structural issues like lock damage can sit alongside climate driven low or high water episodes, so a resilient plan layers several tools together, including flexible flights, clear expectations about potential coach use on Moselle heavy days, and insurance that can respond to supplier schedule changes. ^{7,10,18,19,24,25} Checking this spoke and its updates in the month before you sail, and pairing that with fresh guidance from your advisor, is more effective than trying to infer your risk from a single headline about European river levels.

Methodology

This outlook uses real time and daily gauge data for Trier and other Moselle stations from Pegelonline and federal German waterway services, regional overviews from Rhineland Palatinate and Luxembourg flood alert portals, December climate statistics and short range forecasts for Trier, river cruise industry guidance on Moselle itineraries and water level contingencies, and public reporting on 2024 and 2025 Moselle lock incidents, with conversions to U S units based on 3.281 ft per meter and 0.039 in per millimeter. ^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,13,16,18,20,22,24,25}

Disclaimer

Forecasts beyond ten days are probabilistic and may change without notice. This information does not constitute financial or insurance advice.