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

Burlington

23,637 people, 650 ft above sea level in Des Moines County.

650 ftElevation, city center
23,637People, 2024 estimate
14 sq miLand area
Clear 41°
Clear now Dew point 25° · N 3 mph · high 41°
City of Burlington River Interstate 2 miles
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The Burlington 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 Burlington

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 4:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Burlington Regional Airport (KBRL) · 4:53 PM
Clear
41° Clear Feels like 39° · high of 41° near 5 PM
WindN 3 mphno gusts
Humidity53%rising to 88% by morning
Pressure30.30 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 25° · Dry35° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Partly cloudy
Friday30% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 50.06 in · 9 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Des Moines County
NWS Quad Cities and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 5:15 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:50 AM4:47 PM ↓
9 h 57 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
69
MODERATEAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: 40, 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
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear day
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
partly cloudy day
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
41°
28°
49°
31°
52°
35°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
7
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 25 to 35°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 50° / 33°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
41° 27°
0% rain — W 0 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
51° 29°
0% rain — N 0 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
54° 34°
0% rain — SSW 5 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
57° 38°
0% rain — SSE 8 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
59° 48°
20% rain — S 12 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
62° 46°
20% rain — W 5 C
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
63° 52°
30% rain — SSE 10 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 Burlington about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Gulf of Alaska three days ago, and over the central Plains a day ago, about 2,660 miles back along its path. It came down from about 15,900 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. It feels dry all the same. 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 1959 Nov. 17, 1959

The coldest this week has been

0° on Nov. 17, 1959, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1897. Next is 4° in 1940.

4°
0°
19401959
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Burlington Area threaded record since 1897.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Burlington stands on

Burlington’s center stands about 650 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 510 ft to 710 ft, a difference of 200 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Augusta Group (dolostone, limestone), from the Early Mississippian to Middle Mississippian, 331 to 359 million years old.

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

Dallas City to Sperry, cut in half

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
500 ft600 ft700 ft BURLINGTON650 ftLow point520 ftSkunk Riverabout 520 ftMississippi Riverabout 520 ftHigh point of the line760 ft ← S · Dallas CitySperry · N →

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

Famennian formations

Shale, siltstone. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 374 million years old. About 10 mi of the line.

Augusta Group

Dolostone, limestone. Age: Early Mississippian to Middle Mississippian, 331 to 359 million years old. About 7 mi of the line.

New Albany Shale, Blocher Shale, Sylamore Sandstone, Selmier Shale, Sweetland Creek Shale, Grassy Creek Shale, Saverton Shale, and Louisiana Limestone

Shale. Age: Middle Devonian to Late Devonian, 359 to 388 million years old. About 4 mi of the line.

Meppen Limestone, Fern Glen Formation, and Burlington-Keokuk Limestone

Limestone. Age: Early Mississippian to Middle Mississippian, 331 to 359 million years old. About 2 mi of the line.

Kinderhookian formations

Dolostone, limestone, siltstone. Age: Early Mississippian, 347 to 359 million years old. About 0.8 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 Burlington’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Burlington reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Mississippi: about 1,380 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Burlington≈ 1,380 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF BURLINGTON ≈ 1,380 mi to the Gulf of America Mississippi

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Burlington’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1897 · Burlington Municipal Airport, 3 mi south-southwest

Burlington has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 85° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. About 38 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

32°16°37°21°50°31°63°42°73°53°82°63°85°66°83°64°78°56°65°44°50°32°37°22° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY BURLINGTON 37.9 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average85° / 66°high / low, the warmest month
January, average32° / 16°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year37.9 inwettest months: May and June
Hottest on record111°FJuly 15, 1936
Coldest on record−27°FFebruary 13, 1905
Wettest day on record6.28 inJune 29, 1933
Snowiest day on record13.5 inJanuary 26, 1967
90° days a year23very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°119and 38 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 17, to the last in spring, about April 14 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingJan. 6 to Jan. 27; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 15 to March 20; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 13.8 of the year’s 37.9 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Burlington normally reaches 50° and falls to 33°. The record high is 75°, in 1964; the record low 6°, in 1940. The most rain on this date, 1.26 in, fell in 1968.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high32°37°50°63°73°82°85°83°78°65°50°37°
Normal low16°21°31°42°53°63°66°64°56°44°32°22°
Rain, inches1.451.692.433.924.934.874.023.773.533.092.291.87
Record high70° (1989)77° (2024)88° (1986)93° (1930)103° (1934)105° (1934)111° (1936)110° (1934)103° (1913)95° (2006)86° (1899)73° (2021)
Record low−24° (1957)−27° (1905)−13° (1960)11° (1982)26° (1907)39° (1913)46° (1971)41° (1950)23° (1899)10° (1925)−2° (1991)−22° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1897 from the Burlington Area threaded record (Burlington Municipal Airport, 2 miles south-southwest). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Burlington on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Cedar Rapids IA · 85 MI 85 miles north Des Moines IA · 140 MI 140 miles west St. Louis MO · 157 MI 157 miles south Joliet IL · 163 MI 163 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of Burlington, Iowa. Explore the plate
IOWA · DES MOINES

Burlington

23,637 people, 650 ft above sea level in Des Moines County.

650 ftElevation
23,637People
14 sq miLand
Clear 41°
ClearDew point 25°
1

Today in Burlington

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear night 41° 0%
8p clear night 34° 0%
11p clear night 32° 0%
2a clear night 30° 0%
5a partly cloudy night 28° 0%
8a partly cloudy day 31° 0%
Partly cloudy
NEXT RAINFriday · 30%
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
27
41
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
29
51
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
34
54
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
38
57
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
48
59
B
Thu20%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
46
62
C
Fri30%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
52
63
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1959 · NOV. 17, 1959

0°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1897.

2

What Burlington stands on

Burlington’s center stands about 650 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 510 ft to 710 ft, a difference of 200 ft: gently rolling country.

Burlington, south to north Burlington650 ftSkunk Riverabout 520 ftMississippi Riverabout 520 ftHigh point760 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center650 ft
Within 3 miles510 to 710 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (200 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceAugusta Group
Its ageEarly Mississippian to Middle Mississippian, 331 to 359 million years old
5

Burlington’s year

Burlington has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 85° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. About 38 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 37.9 in
July, average85° / 66° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average32° / 16° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year37.9 in · wettest months: May and June
Hottest on record111°F · July 15, 1936
Coldest on record−27°F · February 13, 1905
Wettest day on record6.28 in · June 29, 1933
Snowiest day on record13.5 in · January 26, 1967
90° days a year23 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°119 · and 38 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 17, to the last in spring, about April 14 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Jan. 6 to Jan. 27; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 15 to March 20; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 13.8 of the year’s 37.9 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Burlington normally reaches 50° and falls to 33°. The record high is 75°, in 1964; the record low 6°, in 1940. The most rain on this date, 1.26 in, fell in 1968.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1897 from the Burlington Area threaded record (Burlington Municipal Airport, 2 miles south-southwest). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,380 mito the Gulf of AmericaMississippi

A raindrop that lands in Burlington reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Mississippi: about 1,380 river miles.