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

Lincoln

119 people, 1,060 ft above sea level in Tama County.

1,060 ftElevation, city center
119People, 2024 estimate
1 sq miLand area
Clear 35°
Clear now Dew point 25° · Calm · high 36°
City of Lincoln River Interstate 2 miles
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The Lincoln 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 Lincoln

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 5:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Iowa Falls Municipal Airport (KIFA) · 5:55 PM
Clear
35° Clear Feels like 35° · high of 36° near 6 PM
WindCalmno gusts
Humidity64%rising to 96% by morning
Pressure30.29 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 25° · Dry38° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Friday70% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 60.05 in · 8 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Tama County
NWS Des Moines and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 6:18 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:00 AM4:50 PM ↓
9 h 50 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 27% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
70
MODERATEAir quality index · fine 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
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
clear day
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
36°
25°
46°
30°
50°
36°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
3
0
1
4
5
6
9
12
10
8
9
8
9
10
12
14
14
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 22 to 38° More humid: 38° 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 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36° 25°
0% rain — SE 0 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
51° 29°
0% rain — S 3 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
55° 36°
0% rain — SSW 10 A
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
57° 41°
0% rain — S 12 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
59° 46°
20% rain — S 13 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
60° 41°
10% rain — W 5 C
FRI Nov. 20 Showers likely Showers likely
61° 50°
70% rain 0.04–0.7″ 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 Lincoln about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Canadian Prairies three days ago, and over the central Plains a day ago, about 1,330 miles back along its path. Near the ground the air came from British Columbia; 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, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 1999 Nov. 14, 1999

The hottest this week has been

80° on Nov. 14, 1999, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1893. Next is 77° in 2012.

77°
80°
20121999
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Grundy Center record since 1893.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Lincoln stands on

Lincoln’s center stands about 1,060 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 960 ft to 1,070 ft, a difference of 110 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Famennian formations (shale, siltstone), from the Late Devonian, 359 to 374 million years old.

The section below crosses 4 rock units mapped at the surface.

Lincoln, cut in half from northwest to southeast

A section northwest to southeast, 24 miles through the town center
900 ft1,000 ft LINCOLN1,060 ftHigh point of the line1,100 ftTraer890 ft ← NWTraer · SE →

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 8 mi of the line.

Famennian formations

Shale, siltstone. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 374 million years old. About 6 mi of the line.

Cedar Valley Group

Limestone, dolostone. Age: Middle Devonian to Late Devonian, 374 to 388 million years old. About 5 mi of the line.

Lime Creek Formation

Shale, limestone, dolostone. Age: Late Devonian, 374 to 384 million years old. About 5 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 Lincoln’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Lincoln reaches the Gulf of America by way of Fourmile Creek, Wolf Creek, the Cedar River, the Iowa and the Mississippi: about 1,620 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Lincoln≈ 1,620 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF LINCOLN ≈ 1,620 mi to the Gulf of America Fourmile Creek → Wolf Creek → Cedar River → Iowa → Mississippi

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Lincoln’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1893 · Grundy Center, 8 mi north-northwest

Lincoln has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 9° in January. A normal year brings about 32 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 37 inches of water.

26°9°31°13°44°24°59°36°70°48°80°59°83°62°81°60°75°51°62°38°45°26°32°15° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY LINCOLN 36.8 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, average26° / 9°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow36.8 inwettest months: June and May
Snow a year32.3 insnowiest: December
Hottest on record108°FAugust 18, 1936
Coldest on record−34°FFebruary 13, 1905
Wettest day on record6.25 inJuly 10, 2000
Snowiest day on record15.0 inJanuary 1, 1942
90° days a year11none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°155and 63 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. 14 to Feb. 20; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 1 to April 7; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 15.0 of the year’s 36.8 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Lincoln normally reaches 46° and falls to 27°. The record high is 80°, in 1999; the record low −5°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 1.30 in, fell in 1902.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high26°31°44°59°70°80°83°81°75°62°45°32°
Normal low9°13°24°36°48°59°62°60°51°38°26°15°
Rain and melt, in0.830.981.883.884.895.654.434.803.282.881.881.44
Snow, inches9.25.93.91.40.00.00.00.00.00.32.19.5
Record high66° (2002)76° (2024)89° (1895)96° (1980)106° (1934)106° (1934)107° (1936)108° (1936)101° (1939)94° (1997)80° (1999)73° (1998)
Record low−32° (1912)−34° (1905)−28° (1962)−1° (1975)20° (1907)35° (1946)40° (2007)37° (1950)20° (1899)−5° (1925)−14° (1977)−27° (1914)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1893 at Grundy Center, 8 miles north-northwest. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Lincoln on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Cedar Falls IA · 21 MI 21 miles northeast Waterloo IA · 24 MI 24 miles northeast Cedar Rapids IA · 56 MI 56 miles east Des Moines IA · 67 MI 67 miles southwest Rochester MN · 121 MI 121 miles north Rockford IL · 186 MI 186 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of Lincoln, Iowa. Explore the plate
IOWA · TAMA

Lincoln

119 people, 1,060 ft above sea level in Tama County.

1,060 ftElevation
119People
1 sq miLand
Clear 35°
ClearDew point 25°
1

Today in Lincoln

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear night 36° 0%
9p mostly clear night 30° 0%
12a mostly clear night 27° 0%
3a mostly clear night 26° 0%
6a partly cloudy night 25° 0%
9a partly cloudy day 32° 0%
Rain
NEXT RAINFriday · 70%
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
25
36
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
29
51
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36
55
A
Tue0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
41
57
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
46
59
B
Thu10%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
41
60
C
Fri70%
Showers likely Showers likely
50
61
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

80°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1893.

2

What Lincoln stands on

Lincoln’s center stands about 1,060 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 960 ft to 1,070 ft, a difference of 110 ft: gently rolling country.

Lincoln, northwest to southeast Lincoln1,060 ftHigh point1,100 ft ← NWSE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,060 ft
Within 3 miles960 to 1,070 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (110 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceFamennian formations
Its ageLate Devonian, 359 to 374 million years old
5

Lincoln’s year

Lincoln has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 9° in January. A normal year brings about 32 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 37 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 36.8 in
July, average83° / 62° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average26° / 9° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow36.8 in · wettest months: June and May
Snow a year32.3 in · snowiest: December
Hottest on record108°F · August 18, 1936
Coldest on record−34°F · February 13, 1905
Wettest day on record6.25 in · July 10, 2000
Snowiest day on record15.0 in · January 1, 1942
90° days a year11 · none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°155 · and 63 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. 14 to Feb. 20; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 1 to April 7; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 15.0 of the year’s 36.8 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Lincoln normally reaches 46° and falls to 27°. The record high is 80°, in 1999; the record low −5°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 1.30 in, fell in 1902.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1893 at Grundy Center, 8 miles north-northwest. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,620 mito the Gulf of AmericaFourmile Creek → Wolf Creek → Cedar River → Iowa → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Lincoln reaches the Gulf of America by way of Fourmile Creek, Wolf Creek, the Cedar River, the Iowa and the Mississippi: about 1,620 river miles.