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Shaded-relief map of Crystal Lake, Florida: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
FLORIDA · POLK COUNTY

Crystal Lake

5,768 people, 150 ft above sea level in Polk County.

150 ftElevation, city center
5,768People, 2024 estimate
3 sq miLand area
Sunny 65°
Sunny now Dew point 31° · N 10 mph · high 65°
City of Crystal Lake River Interstate 2 miles
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The Crystal Lake 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 Crystal Lake

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 1:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Winter Havens Gilbert Airport (KGIF) · 1:53 PM
Sunny
65° Sunny Feels like 65° · high of 65° near 2 PM
WindN 10 mphno gusts
Humidity28%falling to 34% this afternoon
Pressure30.04 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 31° · Dry63° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 100.02 in · 4 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Polk County
NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 2:45 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:48 AM5:35 PM ↓
10 h 47 m of daylight, 1 minute less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
36
GOODAir quality index · ozone
Tomorrow: None, moderate. 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
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
mostly sunny
partly cloudy night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
TEMPERATURE °F
65°
49°
73°
56°
75°
61°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
10
7
7
8
9
9
10
10
9
10
10
9
10
10
11
13
15
13
11
10
10
11
12
15
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 36 to 63° More humid: 61° by Tuesday

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 80° / 60°
SAT Nov. 14 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
65° 49°
0% rain — NNW 9 A
SUN Nov. 15 Sunny; warmer Sunny; warmer
75° 56°
0% rain — N 10 B
MON Nov. 16 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
77° 61°
0% rain — ENE 13, gusts 25 B
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
77° 62°
10% rain — NE 13 B
WED Nov. 18 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
80° 64°
20% rain — NE 13 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
81° 65°
20% rain — NE 14 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
82° 66°
20% rain — NE 13 B
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 Crystal Lake about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Caribbean three days ago, and over the eastern Gulf of America a day ago, about 600 miles back along its path. Near the ground the air came from the Carolinas; at 10,000 feet, from a point about 440 miles to the south. Air off the water carries moisture, which is why it feels humid. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK, SIX YEARS AGO Nov. 11–12, 2020

The wettest two days this week has seen

4.24 inches of rain fell in two days, the most for this week of the year since records began in 1948. The next wettest, 4.18 inches, fell in 1994.

4.18″
4.24″
19942020
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Lakeland Area threaded record since 1948.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Crystal Lake stands on

Crystal Lake’s center stands about 150 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 100 ft to 220 ft, a difference of 120 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Hawthorn Group, Peace River Formation, Bone Valley Member (sand, clay, phosphorite), from the Middle Miocene to Pliocene, 2.6 to 16 million years old.

The section below crosses 3 rock units mapped at the surface.

Crystal Lake, cut in half from south to north

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
100 ft200 ft300 ft CRYSTAL LAKE150 ftHigh point of the line350 ftLow point100 ftCombee Settlement150 ft ← SN →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 64×. The colored band under the surface is the rock the state geologic map shows at the surface, not a picture of what lies beneath.

Rock at the surface along the line

Hawthorn Group, Peace River Formation, Bone Valley Member

Sand, clay, phosphorite. Age: Middle Miocene to Pliocene, 2.6 to 16 million years old. About 12 mi of the line.

Cypresshead Formation

Sand. Age: Late Pliocene, 2.6 to 3.6 million years old. About 7 mi of the line.

Reworked Cypresshead sediments

Sand. Age: Late Pliocene to Pleistocene, less than 3.6 million years old. About 5 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR; rock from the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation.

MILE3
THE WATER

Where Crystal Lake’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Crystal Lake reaches the Gulf of America by way of Saddle Creek and the Peace: about 120 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Crystal Lake≈ 120 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF CRYSTAL LAKE ≈ 120 mi to the Gulf of America Saddle Creek → Peace

Lake on the way: Hancock, Lake.

Traced down the USGS NHDPlus V2.1 river network from the Census center point of Crystal Lake; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Crystal Lake’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1948 · Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, 9 mi west-southwest

Crystal Lake has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 92° in July; winter nights fall to about 50° in January. About 57 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

74°50°77°53°80°56°85°61°89°67°91°72°92°74°92°74°90°73°86°67°80°59°76°54° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY CRYSTAL LAKE 56.8 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month
July, average92° / 74°high / low, the warmest month
January, average74° / 50°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year56.8 inwettest months: August and July
Hottest on record105°FJune 4, 1985
Coldest on record20°FJanuary 22, 1985
Wettest day on record8.93 inOctober 10, 2024
Snowiest day on record1.0 inJanuary 19, 1977
90° days a year121very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°2a year, on average
Climate typeHumid subtropicalKöppen Cfa

AROUND THE RING

1Highs of 90° and upMay 15 to Sept. 24; normal highs reach 90°
2Wettest stretchJune through August: 26.6 of the year’s 56.8 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Crystal Lake normally reaches 80° and falls to 59°. The record high is 88°, in 2008; the record low 40°, in 1963. The most rain on this date, 1.72 in, fell in 1997.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high74°77°80°85°89°91°92°92°90°86°80°76°
Normal low50°53°56°61°67°72°74°74°73°67°59°54°
Rain, inches2.992.333.062.823.808.698.859.087.623.041.932.61
Record high88° (2026)90° (2026)92° (2023)96° (2017)103° (1989)105° (1985)102° (2010)100° (1995)98° (1990)96° (1986)93° (1986)89° (2016)
Record low20° (1985)24° (2026)25° (1980)35° (1987)47° (1992)56° (1984)64° (1981)63° (1957)61° (2006)38° (2008)28° (1970)20° (1962)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 from the Lakeland Area threaded record (Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, 9 miles west-southwest). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Crystal Lake on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Lakeland FL · 4 MI 4 miles west Tampa FL · 36 MI 36 miles west Orlando FL · 47 MI 47 miles northeast St. Petersburg FL · 49 MI 49 miles southwest Jacksonville FL · 160 MI 160 miles north Miami FL · 188 MI 188 miles southeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Crystal Lake, Florida. Explore the plate
FLORIDA · POLK

Crystal Lake

5,768 people, 150 ft above sea level in Polk County.

150 ftElevation
5,768People
3 sq miLand
Sunny 65°
SunnyDew point 31°
1

Today in Crystal Lake

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now partly cloudy day 65° 0%
5p partly cloudy day 62° 0%
8p clear night 54° 0%
11p clear night 51° 0%
2a clear night 50° 0%
5a clear night 49° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
49
65
A
Sun0%
Sunny; warmer Sunny; warmer
56
75
B
Mon0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
61
77
B
Tue10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
62
77
B
Wed20%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
64
80
B
Thu20%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
65
81
B
Fri20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
66
82
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK, SIX YEARS AGO · NOV. 11–12, 2020

4.24 inches in two days, the most for this week since 1948.

2

What Crystal Lake stands on

Crystal Lake’s center stands about 150 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 100 ft to 220 ft, a difference of 120 ft: gently rolling country.

Crystal Lake, south to north Crystal Lake150 ftHigh point350 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center150 ft
Within 3 miles100 to 220 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (120 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceHawthorn Group, Peace River Formation, Bone Valley Member
Its ageMiddle Miocene to Pliocene, 2.6 to 16 million years old
5

Crystal Lake’s year

Crystal Lake has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 92° in July; winter nights fall to about 50° in January. About 57 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 56.8 in
July, average92° / 74° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average74° / 50° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year56.8 in · wettest months: August and July
Hottest on record105°F · June 4, 1985
Coldest on record20°F · January 22, 1985
Wettest day on record8.93 in · October 10, 2024
Snowiest day on record1.0 in · January 19, 1977
90° days a year121 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°2 · a year, on average
Climate typeHumid subtropical · Köppen Cfa
1Highs of 90° and up · May 15 to Sept. 24; normal highs reach 90°
2Wettest stretch · June through August: 26.6 of the year’s 56.8 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Crystal Lake normally reaches 80° and falls to 59°. The record high is 88°, in 2008; the record low 40°, in 1963. The most rain on this date, 1.72 in, fell in 1997.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 from the Lakeland Area threaded record (Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, 9 miles west-southwest). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 120 mito the Gulf of AmericaSaddle Creek → Peace

A raindrop that lands in Crystal Lake reaches the Gulf of America by way of Saddle Creek and the Peace: about 120 river miles.

Lake on the way: Hancock, Lake.