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

Coulter

220 people, 1,240 ft above sea level in Franklin County.

1,240 ftElevation, city center
220People, 2024 estimate
2 sq miLand area
Sunny 39°
Sunny now Dew point 23° · SE 3 mph · high 37°
City of Coulter River Interstate 2 miles
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The Coulter 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 Coulter

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 4:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Hampton Municipal Airport (KHPT) · 4:35 PM
Sunny
39° Sunny Feels like 37° · high of 37° near 4 PM
WindSE 3 mphno gusts
Humidity52%rising to 85% by morning
Pressure30.28 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 23° · Dry34° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Friday70% 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 4:45 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:03 AM4:52 PM ↓
9 h 48 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
52
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
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
37°
25°
46°
31°
50°
37°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
6
3
3
4
5
5
7
10
12
9
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 19 to 34° 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° / 26°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
37° 24°
0% rain — SSE 1 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
49° 29°
0% rain — S 4 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
53° 36°
0% rain — SSW 10 A
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
56° 41°
0% rain — S 12 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
57° 46°
20% rain — S 13 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
58° 40°
20% rain — W 2 C
FRI Nov. 20 Showers likely Showers likely
59° 49°
70% rain 0.03–0.7″ 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 Coulter about 5,000 feet above the ground was over British Columbia three days ago, and over the central Plains a day ago, about 1,930 miles back along its path. It came down from about 15,100 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 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

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 Coulter stands on

Coulter’s center stands about 1,240 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,210 ft to 1,270 ft, a difference of 60 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.

Galt to Hansell, cut in half

A section west to east, 24 miles through the town center
1,100 ft1,200 ft COULTER1,240 ftIowa Riverabout 1,190 ftHampton1,140 ftLow point1,050 ft ← W · GaltHansell · 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 22 mi of the line.

Famennian formations

Shale, siltstone. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 374 million years old. About 2 mi of the line.

Gilmore City Formation

Limestone. Age: Early Mississippian to Middle Mississippian, 331 to 359 million years old. About 0.4 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 Coulter’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Coulter reaches the Gulf of America by way of Maynes Creek, the West Fork Cedar, the Cedar River, the Iowa and the Mississippi: about 1,680 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Coulter≈ 1,680 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF COULTER ≈ 1,680 mi to the Gulf of America Maynes Creek → West Fork Cedar → Cedar River → 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 Coulter; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Coulter’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1893 · Hampton, 9 mi east

Coulter 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 COULTER 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 Coulter 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, 9 miles east, 140 ft lower. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Coulter on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Mason City IA · 30 MI 30 miles north Des Moines IA · 81 MI 81 miles south Rochester MN · 99 MI 99 miles northeast Cedar Rapids IA · 101 MI 101 miles southeast Sioux Falls SD · 179 MI 179 miles west
FORECASTCITY
Map of Coulter, Iowa. Explore the plate
IOWA · FRANKLIN

Coulter

220 people, 1,240 ft above sea level in Franklin County.

1,240 ftElevation
220People
2 sq miLand
Sunny 39°
SunnyDew point 23°
1

Today in Coulter

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear day 37° 0%
7p mostly clear night 33° 0%
10p mostly clear night 29° 0%
1a partly cloudy night 27° 0%
4a partly cloudy night 26° 0%
7a partly cloudy day 25° 0%
Rain
NEXT RAINFriday · 70%
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
24
37
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
29
49
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36
53
A
Tue0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
41
56
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
46
57
B
Thu20%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
40
58
C
Fri70%
Showers likely Showers likely
49
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 Coulter stands on

Coulter’s center stands about 1,240 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,210 ft to 1,270 ft, a difference of 60 ft: gently rolling country.

Coulter, west to east Coulter1,240 ftIowa Riverabout 1,190 ft ← WE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,240 ft
Within 3 miles1,210 to 1,270 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (60 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceKinderhookian formations
Its ageEarly Mississippian, 347 to 359 million years old
5

Coulter’s year

Coulter 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 Coulter 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, 9 miles east, 140 ft lower. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,680 mito the Gulf of AmericaMaynes Creek → West Fork Cedar → Cedar River → Iowa → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Coulter reaches the Gulf of America by way of Maynes Creek, the West Fork Cedar, the Cedar River, the Iowa and the Mississippi: about 1,680 river miles.

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