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

Mystic

318 people, 930 ft above sea level in Appanoose County.

930 ftElevation, city center
318People, 2024 estimate
3 sq miLand area
Clear 28°
Clear now Dew point 25° · Calm · high 37°
City of Mystic River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Mystic 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 Mystic

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 5:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Centerville Municipal Airport (KTVK) · 6:35 PM
Clear
28° Clear Feels like 28° · high of 37° near 6 PM
WindCalmno gusts
Humidity86%rising to 92% by morning
Pressure30.30 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 25° · Dry36° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Showers
Friday40% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 50.02 in · 9 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Appanoose County
NWS Des Moines and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 6:45 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:57 AM4:55 PM ↓
9 h 57 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 27% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
31
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: None, 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
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
37°
26°
49°
30°
53°
36°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
0
0
1
2
2
3
5
7
6
3
3
4
5
5
8
10
9
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 24 to 36°

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 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
37° 25°
0% rain — E 0 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
52° 28°
0% rain — SSE 1 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
55° 34°
0% rain — SSW 5 A
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
57° 40°
0% rain — SSE 6 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
60° 49°
20% rain — S 12 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
63° 46°
10% rain — WSW 1 C
FRI Nov. 20 Chance of showers Chance of showers
65° 53°
40% rain up to 0.2″ SSE 8 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 Mystic about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the central Plains three days ago, and over the southern Plains a day ago, about 630 miles back along its path. The nine paths traced from around the city fan out, so treat that as a best guess. Near the ground the air came from the Canadian Prairies; at 10,000 feet, from the central Plains. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 1999 Nov. 15, 1999

The hottest this week has been

78° on Nov. 15, 1999, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1970. Next is 76° in 2001.

76°
78°
20011999
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Rathbun Dam record since 1970.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Mystic stands on

Mystic’s center stands about 930 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 890 ft to 1,010 ft, a difference of 120 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Marmaton Group (shale, limestone), from the Middle Pennsylvanian, 307 to 315 million years old.

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

Promise City to Unionville, cut in half

A section west to east, 24 miles through the town center
900 ft1,000 ft MYSTIC930 ftHigh point of the line1,060 ftChariton Riverabout 900 ftLow point840 ft ← W · Promise CityUnionville · 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

Marmaton Group

Shale, limestone. Age: Middle Pennsylvanian, 307 to 315 million years old. About 17 mi of the line.

Lower Cherokee Group and Raccoon Creek Group

Shale, sandstone, siltstone. Age: Early Pennsylvanian to Middle Pennsylvanian, 307 to 324 million years old. About 5 mi of the line.

Upper Cherokee Group

Shale, siltstone. Age: Middle Pennsylvanian, 307 to 315 million years old. About 2 mi of the line.

Bronson Group

Limestone, shale. Age: Middle Pennsylvanian to Late Pennsylvanian, 299 to 315 million years old. About 0.6 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 Mystic’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Mystic reaches the Gulf of America by way of Walnut Creek, the Chariton, the Missouri and the Mississippi: about 1,550 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Mystic≈ 1,550 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF MYSTIC ≈ 1,550 mi to the Gulf of America Walnut Creek → Chariton → Missouri → Mississippi

1,170 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Mystic’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1970 · Rathbun Dam, 4 mi northeast

Mystic has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 85° in July; winter nights fall to about 13° in January. About 39 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

31°13°37°16°50°28°62°39°71°51°81°61°85°66°84°64°77°54°65°42°50°29°37°19° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 TODAY MYSTIC 38.6 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, average31° / 13°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year38.6 inwettest months: May and June
Hottest on record106°FJuly 24, 2012
Coldest on record−28°FJanuary 13, 1974
Wettest day on record12.3 inAugust 24, 2007
Snowiest day on record9.0 inJanuary 5, 1971
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Highs below freezingJan. 2 to Feb. 2; normal highs stay below 32°
2Lows below freezingNov. 8 to March 27; normal lows fall below 32°
3Wettest stretchMay through July: 15.2 of the year’s 38.6 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Mystic normally reaches 50° and falls to 30°. The record high is 73°, in 1989; the record low 4°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 0.81 in, fell in 1972.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high31°37°50°62°71°81°85°84°77°65°50°37°
Normal low13°16°28°39°51°61°66°64°54°42°29°19°
Rain, inches1.091.492.033.935.365.244.574.623.812.932.041.46
Record high67° (2003)76° (2024)91° (2026)89° (1989)97° (2018)103° (1988)106° (2012)104° (1984)99° (2013)92° (2023)79° (1999)74° (2021)
Record low−28° (1974)−26° (1996)−11° (1978)12° (2018)28° (1989)41° (1989)43° (1971)43° (1971)30° (1984)16° (1972)−8° (1991)−26° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1970 at Rathbun Dam, 4 miles northeast. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Mystic on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Ottumwa IA · 32 MI 32 miles northeast Des Moines IA · 65 MI 65 miles northwest Cedar Rapids IA · 105 MI 105 miles northeast Omaha NE · 166 MI 166 miles west Lincoln NE · 195 MI 195 miles west
FORECASTCITY
Map of Mystic, Iowa. Explore the plate
IOWA · APPANOOSE

Mystic

318 people, 930 ft above sea level in Appanoose County.

930 ftElevation
318People
3 sq miLand
Clear 28°
ClearDew point 25°
1

Today in Mystic

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly clear night 37° 0%
9p mostly clear night 31° 0%
12a mostly clear night 29° 0%
3a mostly clear night 27° 0%
6a partly cloudy night 26° 0%
9a partly cloudy day 35° 0%
Showers
NEXT RAINFriday · 40%
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
25
37
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
28
52
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
34
55
A
Tue0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
40
57
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
49
60
B
Thu10%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
46
63
C
Fri40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
53
65
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1999 · NOV. 15, 1999

78°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1970.

2

What Mystic stands on

Mystic’s center stands about 930 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 890 ft to 1,010 ft, a difference of 120 ft: gently rolling country.

Mystic, west to east Mystic930 ftHigh point1,060 ftChariton Riverabout 900 ft ← WE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center930 ft
Within 3 miles890 to 1,010 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (120 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceMarmaton Group
Its ageMiddle Pennsylvanian, 307 to 315 million years old
5

Mystic’s year

Mystic has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 85° in July; winter nights fall to about 13° in January. About 39 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 38.6 in
July, average85° / 66° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 13° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year38.6 in · wettest months: May and June
Hottest on record106°F · July 24, 2012
Coldest on record−28°F · January 13, 1974
Wettest day on record12.3 in · August 24, 2007
Snowiest day on record9.0 in · January 5, 1971
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Highs below freezing · Jan. 2 to Feb. 2; normal highs stay below 32°
2Lows below freezing · Nov. 8 to March 27; normal lows fall below 32°
3Wettest stretch · May through July: 15.2 of the year’s 38.6 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Mystic normally reaches 50° and falls to 30°. The record high is 73°, in 1989; the record low 4°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 0.81 in, fell in 1972.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1970 at Rathbun Dam, 4 miles northeast. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,550 mito the Gulf of AmericaWalnut Creek → Chariton → Missouri → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Mystic reaches the Gulf of America by way of Walnut Creek, the Chariton, the Missouri and the Mississippi: about 1,550 river miles.

1,170 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.