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

Britt

2,001 people, 1,230 ft above sea level in Hancock County.

1,230 ftElevation, city center
2,001People, 2024 estimate
1 sq miLand area
Sunny 45°
Sunny now Dew point 21° · Calm · high 42°
City of Britt River Interstate 2 miles
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The Britt 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 Britt

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 2:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Forest City Municipal Airport (KFXY) · 2:55 PM
Sunny
45° Sunny Feels like 45° · high of 42° near 3 PM
WindCalmno gusts
Humidity39%rising to 92% by morning
Pressure30.26 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 21° · Dry37° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Friday80% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 61.74 in · 8 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Hancock County
NWS Des Moines and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 3:16 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:06 AM4:52 PM ↓
9 h 46 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
51
MODERATEAir 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
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
clear day
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear day
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
TEMPERATURE °F
42°
25°
46°
31°
51°
38°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
9
7
5
6
7
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9
12
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16
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 22 to 37° More humid: 37° 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° / 62°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
42° 23°
0% rain — S 0 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
48° 28°
0% rain — S 6 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
52° 35°
0% rain — SSW 12 A
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
54° 40°
0% rain — S 13 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
55° 44°
20% rain — S 12 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
54° 37°
20% rain — WNW 5 C
FRI Nov. 20 Showers likely Showers likely
57° 46°
80% rain 0.09–0.9″ SSE 12 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 Britt about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Canadian Prairies three days ago, and over the central Plains a day ago, about 1,230 miles back along its path. Most of the nine paths traced from around the city agree. It rose from near the ground on the way. Near the ground the air came from British Columbia; at 10,000 feet, from the northern Rockies. 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.

MILE2
THE GROUND

What Britt stands on

Britt’s center stands about 1,230 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,180 ft to 1,270 ft, a difference of 90 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Lime Creek Formation (shale, limestone, dolostone), from the Late Devonian, 374 to 384 million years old.

The section below crosses 5 rock units mapped at the surface.

Britt, cut in half from south to north

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
1,200 ft1,300 ft BRITT1,230 ftKanawha1,160 ftHigh point of the line1,320 ft ← S · KanawhaN →

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

Lime Creek Formation

Shale, limestone, dolostone. Age: Late Devonian, 374 to 384 million years old. About 11 mi of the line.

Kinderhookian formations

Dolostone, limestone, siltstone. Age: Early Mississippian, 347 to 359 million years old. About 6 mi of the line.

Dakata and Windrow Formations

Sandstone, shale. Age: Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous, 94 to 113 million years old. About 5 mi of the line.

Cedar Valley Group

Limestone, dolostone. Age: Middle Devonian to Late Devonian, 374 to 388 million years old. About 1 mi of the line.

Famennian formations

Shale, siltstone. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 374 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 Britt’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Britt reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Middle Branch Boone, the Boone, the Des Moines and the Mississippi: about 1,710 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Britt≈ 1,710 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF BRITT ≈ 1,710 mi to the Gulf of America Middle Branch Boone → Boone → Des Moines → Mississippi

Lakes on the way: Roberts Creek and Big Creek Pounding Area.

1,330 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.

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

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Britt on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Mason City IA · 31 MI 31 miles east Des Moines IA · 106 MI 106 miles south Minneapolis MN · 131 MI 131 miles north Cedar Rapids IA · 134 MI 134 miles southeast Sioux Falls SD · 151 MI 151 miles west
FORECASTCITY
Map of Britt, Iowa. Explore the plate
IOWA · HANCOCK

Britt

2,001 people, 1,230 ft above sea level in Hancock County.

1,230 ftElevation
2,001People
1 sq miLand
Sunny 45°
SunnyDew point 21°
1

Today in Britt

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear day 42° 0%
6p clear night 36° 0%
9p partly cloudy night 30° 0%
12a partly cloudy night 28° 0%
3a partly cloudy night 26° 0%
6a partly cloudy night 25° 0%
Rain
NEXT RAINFriday · 80%
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
23
42
A
Sun0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
28
48
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
35
52
A
Tue0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
40
54
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
44
55
B
Thu20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
37
54
C
Fri80%
Showers likely Showers likely
46
57
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
2

What Britt stands on

Britt’s center stands about 1,230 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,180 ft to 1,270 ft, a difference of 90 ft: gently rolling country.

Britt, south to north Britt1,230 ftHigh point1,320 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,230 ft
Within 3 miles1,180 to 1,270 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (90 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceLime Creek Formation
Its ageLate Devonian, 374 to 384 million years old
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,710 mito the Gulf of AmericaMiddle Branch Boone → Boone → Des Moines → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Britt reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Middle Branch Boone, the Boone, the Des Moines and the Mississippi: about 1,710 river miles.

Lakes on the way: Roberts Creek and Big Creek Pounding Area.

1,330 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.