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

Arnolds Park

1,214 people, 1,420 ft above sea level in Dickinson County.

1,420 ftElevation, city center
1,214People, 2024 estimate
2 sq miLand area
Sunny 45°
Sunny now Dew point 25° · S 9 mph · high 36°
City of Arnolds Park River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Arnolds Park 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 Arnolds Park

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 4:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Spencer Municipal Airport (KSPW) · 3:53 PM
Sunny
45° Sunny Feels like 40° · high of 36° near 4 PM
WindS 9 mphno gusts
Humidity45%rising to 88% by morning
Pressure30.23 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 25° · Dry39° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Friday90% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 30.21 in · 11 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Dickinson County
NWS Sioux Falls and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 4:45 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:12 AM4:57 PM ↓
9 h 44 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
17
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: 41, 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
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear day
clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
windy
TEMPERATURE °F
36°
24°
47°
32°
52°
37°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
7
7
6
6
5
7
12
13
9
10
10
11
12
13
17
18
15
14
13
13
14
17
20
21
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 22 to 26° ↑ Humid air returns More humid: 39° by Tuesday

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 45° / 25°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36° 23°
0% rain — SSE 7 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
49° 29°
0% rain — S 10 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
53° 36°
0% rain — SSW 16, gusts 29 B
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
54° 41°
0% rain — S 17, gusts 26 B
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
57° 41°
20% rain — S 15 C
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
53° 36°
10% rain — WNW 5 C
FRI Nov. 20 Showers likely Showers likely
57° 44°
90% rain 0.2–1.2″ SSE 15 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 Arnolds Park about 5,000 feet above the ground was over British Columbia three days ago, and over the central Plains a day ago, about 1,760 miles back along its path. Most of the nine paths traced from around the city agree. Near the ground the air came from the Canadian Prairies; at 10,000 feet, from the northern Plains. 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 1999 Nov. 13, 1999

The hottest this week has been

74° on Nov. 13, 1999, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1919. Next is 73° in 2001.

73°
74°
20011999
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Milford 4 NW record since 1919.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Arnolds Park stands on

Arnolds Park’s center stands about 1,420 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,380 ft to 1,520 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Dakata and Windrow Formations (sandstone, shale), from the Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous, 94 to 113 million years old.

Arnolds Park, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
1,400 ft1,500 ft ARNOLDS PARK1,420 ftLittle Sioux Riverabout 1,450 ftMilford1,400 ftHigh point of the line1,540 ft ← SWNE →

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

Dakata and Windrow Formations

Sandstone, shale. Age: Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous, 94 to 113 million years old. About 24 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 Arnolds Park’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Arnolds Park reaches the Gulf of America by way of Upper Gar Lake, Milford Creek, the Little Sioux, the Missouri and the Mississippi: about 2,040 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Arnolds Park≈ 2,040 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF ARNOLDS PARK ≈ 2,040 mi to the Gulf of America Upper Gar Lake → Milford Creek → Little Sioux → Missouri → Mississippi

Lake on the way: Upper Gar Lake.

1,170 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Arnolds Park’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1919 · Milford 4 NW, 3 mi west

Arnolds Park has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 7° in January. A normal year brings about 38 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 30 inches of water.

24°7°29°12°42°24°57°35°69°48°79°58°83°62°80°60°74°52°60°39°43°24°29°13° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY ARNOLDS PARK 29.5 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average83° / 62°high / low, the warmest month
January, average24° / 7°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow29.5 inwettest months: June and May
Snow a year38.0 insnowiest: February
Hottest on record103°FJuly 31, 1955
Coldest on record−34°FJanuary 3, 2010
Wettest day on record6.20 inJune 24, 2018
Snowiest day on record14.0 inJanuary 22, 2018
90° days a year10very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°159and 73 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 6, to the last in spring, about May 2 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 6 to Feb. 25; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingOct. 29 to April 8; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 12.1 of the year’s 29.5 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Arnolds Park normally reaches 44° and falls to 25°. The record high is 70°, in 1953; the record low −14°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 0.56 in, fell in 2024.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high24°29°42°57°69°79°83°80°74°60°43°29°
Normal low7°12°24°35°48°58°62°60°52°39°24°13°
Rain and melt, in0.700.741.613.254.214.473.403.473.212.221.380.84
Snow, inches8.79.35.32.50.10.00.00.00.00.53.08.6
Record high63° (1981)65° (2024)85° (2026)93° (2007)98° (2013)102° (1985)103° (1955)102° (1965)100° (1976)92° (1963)78° (2006)67° (1939)
Record low−34° (2010)−28° (1996)−22° (1960)2° (1924)18° (1967)34° (1945)40° (1990)35° (1950)24° (1984)−10° (1925)−14° (2014)−29° (1924)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1919 at Milford 4 NW, 3 miles west. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Arnolds Park on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Sioux Falls SD · 81 MI 81 miles west Sioux City IA · 87 MI 87 miles southwest Rochester MN · 140 MI 140 miles east Des Moines IA · 146 MI 146 miles southeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Arnolds Park, Iowa. Explore the plate
IOWA · DICKINSON

Arnolds Park

1,214 people, 1,420 ft above sea level in Dickinson County.

1,420 ftElevation
1,214People
2 sq miLand
Sunny 45°
SunnyDew point 25°
1

Today in Arnolds Park

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly sunny 36° 0%
7p mostly clear night 33° 0%
10p partly cloudy night 29° 0%
1a partly cloudy night 26° 0%
4a mostly clear night 25° 0%
7a partly cloudy day 24° 0%
Rain
NEXT RAINFriday · 90%
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
23
36
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
29
49
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36
53
B
Tue0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
41
54
B
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
41
57
C
Thu10%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36
53
C
Fri90%
Showers likely Showers likely
44
57
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1999 · NOV. 13, 1999

74°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1919.

2

What Arnolds Park stands on

Arnolds Park’s center stands about 1,420 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,380 ft to 1,520 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country.

Arnolds Park, southwest to northeast Arnolds Park1,420 ftLittle Sioux Riverabout 1,450 ftHigh point1,540 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,420 ft
Within 3 miles1,380 to 1,520 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (140 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceDakata and Windrow Formations
Its ageEarly Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous, 94 to 113 million years old
5

Arnolds Park’s year

Arnolds Park has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 7° in January. A normal year brings about 38 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 30 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 29.5 in
July, average83° / 62° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average24° / 7° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow29.5 in · wettest months: June and May
Snow a year38.0 in · snowiest: February
Hottest on record103°F · July 31, 1955
Coldest on record−34°F · January 3, 2010
Wettest day on record6.20 in · June 24, 2018
Snowiest day on record14.0 in · January 22, 2018
90° days a year10 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°159 · and 73 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 6, to the last in spring, about May 2 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 6 to Feb. 25; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Oct. 29 to April 8; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 12.1 of the year’s 29.5 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Arnolds Park normally reaches 44° and falls to 25°. The record high is 70°, in 1953; the record low −14°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 0.56 in, fell in 2024.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1919 at Milford 4 NW, 3 miles west. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 2,040 mito the Gulf of AmericaUpper Gar Lake → Milford Creek → Little Sioux → Missouri → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Arnolds Park reaches the Gulf of America by way of Upper Gar Lake, Milford Creek, the Little Sioux, the Missouri and the Mississippi: about 2,040 river miles.

Lake on the way: Upper Gar Lake.

1,170 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.