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

Cascade

2,396 people, 820 ft above sea level in Dubuque County.

820 ftElevation, city center
2,396People, 2024 estimate
2 sq miLand area
Sunny 43°
Sunny now Dew point 26° · N 6 mph · high 41°
City of Cascade River Interstate 2 miles
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The Cascade 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 Cascade

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 3:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Dubuque Regional Airport (KDBQ) · 2:53 PM
Sunny
43° Sunny Feels like 39° · high of 41° near 3 PM
WindN 6 mphno gusts
Humidity51%rising to 85% by morning
Pressure30.28 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 26° · Dry35° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Showers
Friday40% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 110.32 in · 3 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Dubuque County
NWS Quad Cities and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 3:45 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:53 AM4:43 PM ↓
9 h 50 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
36
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: 53, 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
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
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9p
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9a
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3p
6p
9p
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3a
6a
9a
Noon
clear day
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
41°
27°
46°
30°
49°
35°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
1
0
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 23 to 35° More humid: 34° 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° / 29°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
41° 24°
0% rain — NW 1 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
48° 27°
0% rain — WSW 1 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
51° 32°
0% rain — SSW 9 A
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
54° 36°
0% rain — S 10 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
55° 45°
20% rain — S 14 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
58° 41°
20% rain — WSW 6 C
FRI Nov. 20 Chance of showers Chance of showers
58° 49°
40% rain up to 0.2″ 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 Cascade about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Canadian Prairies three days ago, and over the central Plains a day ago, about 1,000 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 Pacific Northwest. 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. 14, 1999

The hottest this week has been

73° on Nov. 14, 1999, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1942. Next is 72° in 1964.

72°
73°
19641999
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Cascade record since 1942.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Cascade stands on

Cascade’s center stands about 820 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 800 ft to 1,000 ft, a difference of 200 ft: rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Chimney Rock, about 970 ft, 6 miles south-southwest.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Hopkinton, Blanding, Tete Des Morts, Mosalem formations (dolostone), from the Late Ordovician to Silurian, 434 to 447 million years old.

The section below crosses 2 rock units mapped at the surface.

Onslow to Farley, cut in half

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
800 ft900 ft1,000 ft1,100 ft CASCADE820 ftMaquoketa Riverabout 750 ftFarley1,110 ft ← S · OnslowFarley · N →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 48×. 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

Hopkinton, Blanding, Tete Des Morts, Mosalem formations

Dolostone. Age: Late Ordovician to Silurian, 434 to 447 million years old. About 23 mi of the line.

Scotch Grove Formation

Dolostone. Age: Silurian, 431 to 440 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 Cascade’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Cascade reaches the Gulf of America by way of the North Fork Maquoketa, the Maquoketa and the Mississippi: about 1,600 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Cascade≈ 1,600 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF CASCADE ≈ 1,600 mi to the Gulf of America North Fork Maquoketa → Maquoketa → Mississippi

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Cascade’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1942 · Cascade

Cascade has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 12° in January. A normal year brings about 31 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 39 inches of water.

27°12°32°15°45°26°59°37°70°49°80°60°83°63°81°60°75°51°62°38°46°28°33°18° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY CASCADE 39.3 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average83° / 63°high / low, the warmest month
January, average27° / 12°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow39.3 inwettest months: June and August
Snow a year31.1 insnowiest: February
Hottest on record103°FJuly 26, 2012
Coldest on record−35°FJanuary 10, 1982
Wettest day on record7.55 inAugust 22, 2002
Snowiest day on record14.0 inJanuary 27, 1996
90° days a year11very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°154and 59 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 April 29 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 16 to Feb. 17; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 3 to April 2; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchJune through August: 15.1 of the year’s 39.3 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Cascade normally reaches 47° and falls to 29°. The record high is 73°, in 1999; the record low 4°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 0.76 in, fell in 2024.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high27°32°45°59°70°80°83°81°75°62°46°33°
Normal low12°15°26°37°49°60°63°60°51°38°28°18°
Rain and melt, in1.261.452.153.974.215.964.534.653.793.262.331.75
Snow, inches8.38.84.20.90.00.00.00.00.00.21.86.9
Record high59° (2002)73° (2017)87° (1986)95° (1980)96° (2018)101° (1988)103° (2012)103° (1988)98° (2013)92° (1997)77° (2001)69° (2021)
Record low−35° (1982)−33° (1996)−26° (1962)−3° (1982)20° (2005)35° (1972)42° (1972)35° (1950)21° (1949)10° (1952)−14° (1977)−28° (1983)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1942 at Cascade, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Cascade on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Dubuque IA · 20 MI 20 miles northeast Marion IA · 35 MI 35 miles southwest Madison WI · 97 MI 97 miles northeast Des Moines IA · 143 MI 143 miles west Milwaukee WI · 163 MI 163 miles east Chicago IL · 173 MI 173 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of Cascade, Iowa. Explore the plate
IOWA · DUBUQUE

Cascade

2,396 people, 820 ft above sea level in Dubuque County.

820 ftElevation
2,396People
2 sq miLand
Sunny 43°
SunnyDew point 26°
1

Today in Cascade

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear day 41° 0%
6p clear night 37° 0%
9p clear night 32° 0%
12a mostly clear night 30° 0%
3a partly cloudy night 28° 0%
6a partly cloudy night 27° 0%
Showers
NEXT RAINFriday · 40%
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
24
41
A
Sun0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
27
48
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
32
51
A
Tue0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36
54
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
45
55
B
Thu20%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
41
58
C
Fri40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
49
58
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

73°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1942.

2

What Cascade stands on

Cascade’s center stands about 820 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 800 ft to 1,000 ft, a difference of 200 ft: rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Chimney Rock, about 970 ft, 6 miles south-southwest.

Cascade, south to north Cascade820 ftMaquoketa Riverabout 750 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 92×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center820 ft
Within 3 miles800 to 1,000 ft
Lie of the landRolling (200 ft of relief)
High point nearbyChimney Rock, 970 ft, 6 mi south-southwest
Rock at the surfaceHopkinton, Blanding, Tete Des Morts, Mosalem formations
Its ageLate Ordovician to Silurian, 434 to 447 million years old
5

Cascade’s year

Cascade has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 12° in January. A normal year brings about 31 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 39 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 39.3 in
July, average83° / 63° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average27° / 12° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow39.3 in · wettest months: June and August
Snow a year31.1 in · snowiest: February
Hottest on record103°F · July 26, 2012
Coldest on record−35°F · January 10, 1982
Wettest day on record7.55 in · August 22, 2002
Snowiest day on record14.0 in · January 27, 1996
90° days a year11 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°154 · and 59 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 April 29 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 16 to Feb. 17; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 3 to April 2; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · June through August: 15.1 of the year’s 39.3 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Cascade normally reaches 47° and falls to 29°. The record high is 73°, in 1999; the record low 4°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 0.76 in, fell in 2024.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1942 at Cascade, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,600 mito the Gulf of AmericaNorth Fork Maquoketa → Maquoketa → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Cascade reaches the Gulf of America by way of the North Fork Maquoketa, the Maquoketa and the Mississippi: about 1,600 river miles.