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Shaded-relief map of Buffalo Soapstone, Alaska: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
ALASKA · MATANUSKA-SUSITNA BOROUGH

Buffalo Soapstone

1,021 people, 830 ft above sea level in Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

830 ftElevation, city center
1,021People, 2024 estimate
22 sq miLand area
Sunny 20°
Sunny now Dew point 17° · Calm · high 27°
City of Buffalo Soapstone River Interstate 1 miles
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The Buffalo Soapstone plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in Buffalo Soapstone

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 11:00 AM AKST
RIGHT NOW Palmer Municipal Airport (PAAQ) · 10:53 AM
Sunny
20° Sunny Feels like 20° · high of 27° near 5 PM
WindCalmno gusts
Humidity88%falling to 68% this afternoon
Pressure29.26 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index0none after dark
Dew point 17° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Overcast
Tonight, about 10 PMin about 10 hours · 48% chance · rain
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 100.31 in · 4 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
! Dense Fog AdvisoryDense Fog Advisory issued November 14 at 10:59AM AKST until November 14 at 12:00PM AKST by NWS Anchorage AK
NWS Anchorage and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 11:45 AM
SUN & MOON
↑ 9:03 AM4:18 PM ↓
7 h 15 m of daylight, 5 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
51
MODERATEAir quality index · fine particles
No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
overcast
overcast
rain
rain
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
rain
rain
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
partly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
TEMPERATURE °F
24°
22°
29°
30°
33°
27°
CHANCE OF RAIN
78% · 0.04 in Sunday overnight 50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
0
0
3
5
5
3
3
3
6
6
10
12
10
8
7
6
7
5
2
3
2
0
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 18 to 25°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 28° / 15°
SAT Nov. 14 Chance of showers Chance of showers
27° 20°
50% rain — N 0 A
SUN Nov. 15 Showers likely Showers likely
30° 25°
80% rain — ENE 3 C
MON Nov. 16 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
36° 26°
0% rain — ENE 7 C
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
34° 23°
10% rain — ENE 5 B
WED Nov. 18 Chance of showers Chance of showers
37° 31°
40% rain up to 0.09″ ENE 21, gusts 30 B
THU Nov. 19 Showers likely Showers likely
38° 25°
60% rain up to 0.4″ ENE 13 B
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
32° 22°
30% rain — ENE 1 C
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over Buffalo Soapstone about 5,000 feet above the ground was over a point about 8,090 miles to the east three days ago, and over interior Alaska a day ago, about 10,050 miles back along its path. Most of the nine paths traced from around the city agree. It came down from about 18,500 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from the Gulf of Alaska; at 10,000 feet, from a point about 7,230 miles to the east. It has stayed over land, which is why it feels dry. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 2000 Nov. 11, 2000

The hottest this week has been

49° on Nov. 11, 2000, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1984. Next is 47° in 2016.

47°
49°
20162000
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Lazy Mountain record since 1984.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Buffalo Soapstone stands on

Buffalo Soapstone’s center stands about 830 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 260 ft to 1,320 ft, a difference of 1,060 ft: steep hill country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Montana Peak, about 6,620 ft, 14 miles north.

Buffalo Soapstone, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
0 ft2,000 ft4,000 ft6,000 ft BUFFALO SOAPSTONE830 ftLow point210 ftSouth Lakes380 ftGranite Peak6,600 ft ← SW · South LakesNE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 3×.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR.
MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Buffalo Soapstone’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1984 · Lazy Mountain, 5 mi southeast

Buffalo Soapstone has a dry-summer subarctic climate. Summer afternoons average 66° in July; winter nights fall to about 9° in January. A normal year brings about 82 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 18 inches of water.

23°9°29°12°34°14°46°25°58°35°64°43°66°48°63°45°55°37°42°26°28°15°24°11° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY 18.0 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average66° / 48°high / low, the warmest month
January, average23° / 9°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow18.0 inwettest months: August and September
Snow a year82.5 insnowiest: December
Hottest on record85°FJune 16, 2015
Coldest on record−38°FJanuary 29, 1989
Wettest day on record2.42 inJuly 21, 1986
Snowiest day on record15.7 inFebruary 28, 1992
Nights at or below 32°217and 102 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeDry-summer subarcticKöppen Dsc

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Sept. 17, to the last in spring, about May 23 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingNov. 3 to March 13; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingSept. 30 to May 5; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchJuly through September: 7.9 of the year’s 18.0 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Buffalo Soapstone normally reaches 28° and falls to 14°. The record high is 47°, in 2016; the record low −12°, in 1989. The most rain on this date, 0.58 in, fell in 1993.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high23°29°34°46°58°64°66°63°55°42°28°24°
Normal low9°12°14°25°35°43°48°45°37°26°15°11°
Rain and melt, in1.031.000.870.520.841.371.983.002.921.761.221.48
Snow, inches14.713.611.34.80.90.00.00.00.56.011.918.8
Record high51° (2009)56° (2014)55° (2016)72° (2005)79° (2013)85° (2015)84° (2019)84° (2004)71° (1996)66° (2003)53° (2002)53° (1999)
Record low−38° (1989)−34° (1999)−24° (1992)−11° (1985)20° (2013)29° (1985)35° (2012)28° (2015)12° (1992)−3° (1996)−18° (1989)−26° (1990)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1984 at Lazy Mountain, 5 miles southeast. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Buffalo Soapstone on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Knik-Fairview AK · 21 MI 21 miles southwest Anchorage AK · 36 MI 36 miles south
FORECASTCITY
Map of Buffalo Soapstone, Alaska. Explore the plate
ALASKA · MATANUSKA-SUSITNA

Buffalo Soapstone

1,021 people, 830 ft above sea level in Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

830 ftElevation
1,021People
22 sq miLand
Sunny 20°
SunnyDew point 17°
1

Today in Buffalo Soapstone

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy day 24° 0%
2p mostly cloudy day 26° 0%
5p mostly cloudy night 27° 0%
8p overcast 26° 13%
11p rain 25° 47%
2a rain 24° 30%
Overcast
NEXT RAINTonight about 10 PM · 48%
→
Sat50%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
20
27
A
Sun80%
Showers likely Showers likely
25
30
C
Mon0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
26
36
C
Tue10%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
23
34
B
Wed40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
31
37
B
Thu60%
Showers likely Showers likely
25
38
B
Fri30%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
22
32
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 2000 · NOV. 11, 2000

49°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1984.

2

What Buffalo Soapstone stands on

Buffalo Soapstone’s center stands about 830 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 260 ft to 1,320 ft, a difference of 1,060 ft: steep hill country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Montana Peak, about 6,620 ft, 14 miles north.

Buffalo Soapstone, southwest to northeast Buffalo Soapstone830 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 6×.
Elevation, center830 ft
Within 3 miles260 to 1,320 ft
Lie of the landSteep hill country (1,060 ft of relief)
High point nearbyMontana Peak, 6,620 ft, 14 mi north
5

Buffalo Soapstone’s year

Buffalo Soapstone has a dry-summer subarctic climate. Summer afternoons average 66° in July; winter nights fall to about 9° in January. A normal year brings about 82 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 18 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 18.0 in
July, average66° / 48° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average23° / 9° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow18.0 in · wettest months: August and September
Snow a year82.5 in · snowiest: December
Hottest on record85°F · June 16, 2015
Coldest on record−38°F · January 29, 1989
Wettest day on record2.42 in · July 21, 1986
Snowiest day on record15.7 in · February 28, 1992
Nights at or below 32°217 · and 102 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeDry-summer subarctic · Köppen Dsc
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Sept. 17, to the last in spring, about May 23 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Nov. 3 to March 13; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Sept. 30 to May 5; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · July through September: 7.9 of the year’s 18.0 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Buffalo Soapstone normally reaches 28° and falls to 14°. The record high is 47°, in 2016; the record low −12°, in 1989. The most rain on this date, 0.58 in, fell in 1993.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1984 at Lazy Mountain, 5 miles southeast. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.