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

Osage

3,559 people, 1,180 ft above sea level in Mitchell County.

1,180 ftElevation, city center
3,559People, 2024 estimate
2 sq miLand area
Clear 39°
Clear now Dew point 23° · Calm · high 36°
City of Osage River Interstate 2 miles
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The Osage 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 Osage

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 5:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Charles City (KCCY) · 5:55 PM
Clear
39° Clear Feels like 39° · high of 36° near 6 PM
WindCalmno gusts
Humidity52%rising to 100% by morning
Pressure30.29 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 23° · Dry37° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Friday70% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 50.02 in · 9 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Mitchell County
NWS La Crosse and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 6:18 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:03 AM4:48 PM ↓
9 h 45 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
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
36°
25°
45°
29°
50°
37°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
6
6
6
7
7
8
10
13
12
10
10
10
10
11
13
16
14
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 24 to 37° More humid: 37° by Tuesday

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
36° 25°
0% rain — ESE 0 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
48° 29°
0% rain — S 4 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
52° 37°
0% rain — SSW 11 B
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
55° 41°
0% rain — S 13 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
56° 47°
20% rain — S 14 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
57° 41°
20% rain — W 5 C
FRI Nov. 20 Showers likely Showers likely
58° 50°
70% rain 0.01–0.7″ SSE 12 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 Osage about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Canadian Prairies three days ago, and over the central Plains a day ago, about 920 miles back along its path. The nine paths traced from around the city fan out, so treat that as a best guess. 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 2012 Nov. 11, 2012

The hottest this week has been

75° on Nov. 11, 2012, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1893. Next is 72° in 1999.

72°
75°
19992012
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Osage record since 1893.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Osage stands on

Osage’s center stands about 1,180 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,060 ft to 1,200 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Cedar Valley Group (limestone, dolostone), from the Middle Devonian to Late Devonian, 374 to 388 million years old.

Osage, cut in half from south to north

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
1,100 ft1,200 ft OSAGE1,180 ftLow point1,050 ftCedar Riverabout 1,060 ftHigh point of the line1,260 ft ← SStacyville · 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

Cedar Valley Group

Limestone, dolostone. Age: Middle Devonian to Late Devonian, 374 to 388 million years old. About 24 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 Osage’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Osage reaches the Gulf of America by way of Sugar Creek, the Cedar River, the Iowa and the Mississippi: about 1,700 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Osage≈ 1,700 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF OSAGE ≈ 1,700 mi to the Gulf of America Sugar Creek → 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 Osage; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Osage’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1893 · Osage

Osage has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 82° in July; winter nights fall to about 6° in January. A normal year brings about 40 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 38 inches of water.

23°6°28°10°41°23°56°35°68°47°78°58°82°62°79°59°73°50°60°38°43°25°29°14° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY OSAGE 37.6 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average82° / 62°high / low, the warmest month
January, average23° / 6°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow37.6 inwettest months: June and May
Snow a year39.6 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record107°FJuly 14, 1936
Coldest on record−35°FFebruary 1, 1996
Wettest day on record6.37 inAugust 10, 1980
Snowiest day on record15.0 inDecember 27, 1904
90° days a year8none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°156and 72 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 7, to the last in spring, about April 29 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 7 to Feb. 27; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingOct. 29 to April 9; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 15.7 of the year’s 37.6 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Osage normally reaches 43° and falls to 26°. The record high is 69°, in 1990; the record low −2°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 1.00 in, fell in 1902.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high23°28°41°56°68°78°82°79°73°60°43°29°
Normal low6°10°23°35°47°58°62°59°50°38°25°14°
Rain and melt, in1.171.251.914.015.195.574.973.953.512.731.841.51
Snow, inches9.99.26.22.20.40.00.00.00.00.21.99.6
Record high61° (2002)73° (2024)84° (1986)92° (1980)105° (1934)105° (1934)107° (1936)103° (1930)101° (1913)93° (1997)78° (2006)68° (2001)
Record low−35° (1912)−35° (1996)−27° (1962)6° (1982)21° (1945)34° (1945)42° (1915)37° (1958)20° (1899)−4° (1925)−15° (1977)−30° (1950)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1893 at Osage, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Osage on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Mason City IA · 22 MI 22 miles southwest Austin MN · 28 MI 28 miles north St. Paul MN · 116 MI 116 miles north Minneapolis MN · 118 MI 118 miles north Des Moines IA · 125 MI 125 miles south Madison WI · 171 MI 171 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of Osage, Iowa. Explore the plate
IOWA · MITCHELL

Osage

3,559 people, 1,180 ft above sea level in Mitchell County.

1,180 ftElevation
3,559People
2 sq miLand
Clear 39°
ClearDew point 23°
1

Today in Osage

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear night 36° 0%
9p mostly clear night 30° 0%
12a partly cloudy night 27° 0%
3a partly cloudy night 25° 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%
Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
29
48
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
37
52
B
Tue0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
41
55
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
47
56
B
Thu20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
41
57
C
Fri70%
Showers likely Showers likely
50
58
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 2012 · NOV. 11, 2012

75°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1893.

2

What Osage stands on

Osage’s center stands about 1,180 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,060 ft to 1,200 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country.

Osage, south to north Osage1,180 ftCedar Riverabout 1,060 ftHigh point1,260 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,180 ft
Within 3 miles1,060 to 1,200 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (140 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceCedar Valley Group
Its ageMiddle Devonian to Late Devonian, 374 to 388 million years old
5

Osage’s year

Osage has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 82° in July; winter nights fall to about 6° in January. A normal year brings about 40 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 38 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 37.6 in
July, average82° / 62° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average23° / 6° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow37.6 in · wettest months: June and May
Snow a year39.6 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record107°F · July 14, 1936
Coldest on record−35°F · February 1, 1996
Wettest day on record6.37 in · August 10, 1980
Snowiest day on record15.0 in · December 27, 1904
90° days a year8 · none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°156 · and 72 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 7, to the last in spring, about April 29 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 7 to Feb. 27; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Oct. 29 to April 9; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 15.7 of the year’s 37.6 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Osage normally reaches 43° and falls to 26°. The record high is 69°, in 1990; the record low −2°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 1.00 in, fell in 1902.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1893 at Osage, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,700 mito the Gulf of AmericaSugar Creek → Cedar River → Iowa → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Osage reaches the Gulf of America by way of Sugar Creek, the Cedar River, the Iowa and the Mississippi: about 1,700 river miles.

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