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Shaded-relief map of Alexander, Iowa: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
IOWA · FRANKLIN COUNTY

Alexander

165 people, 1,250 ft above sea level in Franklin County.

1,250 ftElevation, city center
165People, 2024 estimate
4 sq miLand area
Sunny 43°
Sunny now Dew point 23° · WSW 5 mph · high 42°
City of Alexander River Interstate 2 miles
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The Alexander 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 Alexander

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 12:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Hampton Municipal Airport (KHPT) · 1:55 PM
Sunny
43° Sunny Feels like 40° · high of 42° near 3 PM
WindWSW 5 mphno gusts
Humidity45%falling to 47% this afternoon
Pressure30.27 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 23° · Dry36° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Friday80% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 50.1 in · 9 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Franklin County
NWS Des Moines and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 2:15 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:04 AM4:52 PM ↓
9 h 47 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
46
GOODAir quality index · coarse particles
Tomorrow: 49, good. 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
clear day
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
clear day
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
41°
25°
46°
30°
50°
37°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
6
5
3
3
5
5
6
8
12
12
8
8
8
8
9
10
15
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 19 to 36° More humid: 36° by Tuesday

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 46° / 26°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
42° 24°
0% rain — S 1 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
49° 28°
0% rain — S 4 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
53° 35°
0% rain — SSW 10 B
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
56° 41°
0% rain — S 12 B
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
57° 46°
20% rain — S 12 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
57° 40°
10% rain — WNW 2 C
FRI Nov. 20 Showers likely Showers likely
59° 48°
80% rain 0.09–0.8″ SE 8 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 Alexander about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Canadian Prairies three days ago, and over the central Plains a day ago, about 1,410 miles back along its path. It came down from about 8,900 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from British Columbia; at 10,000 feet, from the central Plains. It has stayed over land, which is why it feels dry. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 1999 Nov. 14, 1999

The hottest this week has been

76° on Nov. 14, 1999, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1893. Next is 76° in 2012.

76°
76°
20121999
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Hampton record since 1893.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Alexander stands on

Alexander’s center stands about 1,250 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,210 ft to 1,280 ft, a difference of 70 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Kinderhookian formations (dolostone, limestone, siltstone), from the Early Mississippian, 347 to 359 million years old.

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

Alexander, cut in half from west to east

A section west to east, 24 miles through the town center
1,100 ft1,200 ft ALEXANDER1,250 ftIowa Riverabout 1,190 ftHigh point of the line1,280 ftLow point1,130 ft ← WChapin · E →

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

Kinderhookian formations

Dolostone, limestone, siltstone. Age: Early Mississippian, 347 to 359 million years old. About 18 mi of the line.

Gilmore City Formation

Limestone. Age: Early Mississippian to Middle Mississippian, 331 to 359 million years old. About 5 mi of the line.

Dakata and Windrow Formations

Sandstone, shale. Age: Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous, 94 to 113 million years old. About 1 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 Alexander’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Alexander reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Iowa and the Mississippi: about 1,710 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Alexander≈ 1,710 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF ALEXANDER ≈ 1,710 mi to the Gulf of America Iowa → Mississippi

1,410 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Alexander’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1893 · Hampton, 14 mi east-southeast

Alexander has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 84° in July; winter nights fall to about 8° in January. About 38 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

25°8°30°12°43°24°58°35°70°48°80°58°84°62°81°59°75°50°62°38°45°25°31°15° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY ALEXANDER 38.1 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average84° / 62°high / low, the warmest month
January, average25° / 8°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year38.1 inwettest months: June and May
Hottest on record109°FJuly 24, 1901
Coldest on record−35°FMarch 1, 1962
Wettest day on record6.47 inJuly 17, 1968
Snowiest day on record12.0 inNovember 21, 2015
90° days a year12very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°156and 67 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 4, to the last in spring, about April 29 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 13 to Feb. 21; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingOct. 30 to April 9; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 16.0 of the year’s 38.1 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Alexander normally reaches 46° and falls to 26°. The record high is 76°, in 1999; the record low −6°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 0.95 in, fell in 1926.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high25°30°43°58°70°80°84°81°75°62°45°31°
Normal low8°12°24°35°48°58°62°59°50°38°25°15°
Rain, inches0.971.312.094.265.256.064.704.243.302.541.801.59
Record high65° (2002)77° (2024)88° (1895)95° (1980)107° (1934)106° (1934)109° (1901)105° (1936)102° (1939)96° (1963)80° (1931)70° (2021)
Record low−34° (1912)−31° (1996)−35° (1962)9° (2018)22° (1931)35° (1935)40° (1895)36° (1967)22° (1942)−1° (1925)−14° (1977)−23° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1893 at Hampton, 14 miles east-southeast, 140 ft lower. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Alexander on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Mason City IA · 28 MI 28 miles northeast Des Moines IA · 85 MI 85 miles south Rochester MN · 97 MI 97 miles northeast Cedar Rapids IA · 109 MI 109 miles southeast Sioux Falls SD · 172 MI 172 miles west
FORECASTCITY
Map of Alexander, Iowa. Explore the plate
IOWA · FRANKLIN

Alexander

165 people, 1,250 ft above sea level in Franklin County.

1,250 ftElevation
165People
4 sq miLand
Sunny 43°
SunnyDew point 23°
1

Today in Alexander

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear day 41° 0%
5p clear night 37° 0%
8p mostly clear night 31° 0%
11p partly cloudy night 28° 0%
2a partly cloudy night 27° 0%
5a partly cloudy night 25° 0%
Rain
NEXT RAINFriday · 80%
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
24
42
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
28
49
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
35
53
B
Tue0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
41
56
B
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
46
57
B
Thu10%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
40
57
C
Fri80%
Showers likely Showers likely
48
59
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1999 · NOV. 14, 1999

76°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1893.

2

What Alexander stands on

Alexander’s center stands about 1,250 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,210 ft to 1,280 ft, a difference of 70 ft: gently rolling country.

Alexander, west to east Alexander1,250 ftIowa Riverabout 1,190 ftHigh point1,280 ft ← WE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,250 ft
Within 3 miles1,210 to 1,280 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (70 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceKinderhookian formations
Its ageEarly Mississippian, 347 to 359 million years old
5

Alexander’s year

Alexander has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 84° in July; winter nights fall to about 8° in January. About 38 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 38.1 in
July, average84° / 62° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average25° / 8° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year38.1 in · wettest months: June and May
Hottest on record109°F · July 24, 1901
Coldest on record−35°F · March 1, 1962
Wettest day on record6.47 in · July 17, 1968
Snowiest day on record12.0 in · November 21, 2015
90° days a year12 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°156 · and 67 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 4, to the last in spring, about April 29 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 13 to Feb. 21; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Oct. 30 to April 9; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 16.0 of the year’s 38.1 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Alexander normally reaches 46° and falls to 26°. The record high is 76°, in 1999; the record low −6°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 0.95 in, fell in 1926.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1893 at Hampton, 14 miles east-southeast, 140 ft lower. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,710 mito the Gulf of AmericaIowa → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Alexander reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Iowa and the Mississippi: about 1,710 river miles.

1,410 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.