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Shaded-relief map of West Burlington, Iowa: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
IOWA · DES MOINES COUNTY

West Burlington

3,249 people, 700 ft above sea level in Des Moines County.

700 ftElevation, city center
3,249People, 2024 estimate
5 sq miLand area
Sunny 45°
Sunny now Dew point 25° · NNW 3 mph · high 44°
City of West Burlington River Interstate 2 miles
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The West Burlington 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 West Burlington

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 3:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Burlington Regional Airport (KBRL) · 3:53 PM
Sunny
45° Sunny Feels like 44° · high of 44° near 4 PM
WindNNW 3 mphno gusts
Humidity45%rising to 88% by morning
Pressure30.30 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 25° · Dry35° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Partly cloudy
Friday30% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 50.06 in · 9 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Des Moines County
NWS Quad Cities and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 4:15 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:50 AM4:47 PM ↓
9 h 57 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
138
UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPSAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: 40, 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
clear night
clear night
clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear day
clear day
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
44°
28°
49°
31°
52°
35°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
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0
0
0
0
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 25 to 35°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 50° / 33°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
44° 27°
0% rain — W 0 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
51° 29°
0% rain — N 0 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
54° 34°
0% rain — SSW 5 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
57° 38°
0% rain — SSE 8 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
59° 48°
20% rain — S 12 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
62° 46°
20% rain — W 5 C
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
63° 52°
30% rain — 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 West Burlington about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Gulf of Alaska three days ago, and over the central Plains a day ago, about 2,660 miles back along its path. It came down from about 15,800 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. It feels dry all the same. 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 1959 Nov. 17, 1959

The coldest this week has been

0° on Nov. 17, 1959, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1897. Next is 4° in 1940.

4°
0°
19401959
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Burlington Area threaded record since 1897.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What West Burlington stands on

West Burlington’s center stands about 700 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 530 ft to 720 ft, a difference of 190 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Augusta Group (dolostone, limestone), from the Early Mississippian to Middle Mississippian, 331 to 359 million years old.

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

Dallas City to Mediapolis, cut in half

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
500 ft600 ft700 ft WEST BURLINGTON700 ftMississippi Riverabout 520 ftSkunk Riverabout 520 ftMediapolis770 ft ← S · Dallas CityMediapolis · 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

Famennian formations

Shale, siltstone. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 374 million years old. About 12 mi of the line.

Augusta Group

Dolostone, limestone. Age: Early Mississippian to Middle Mississippian, 331 to 359 million years old. About 10 mi of the line.

Kinderhookian formations

Dolostone, limestone, siltstone. Age: Early Mississippian, 347 to 359 million years old. About 3 mi of the line.

New Albany Shale, Blocher Shale, Sylamore Sandstone, Selmier Shale, Sweetland Creek Shale, Grassy Creek Shale, Saverton Shale, and Louisiana Limestone

Shale. Age: Middle Devonian to Late Devonian, 359 to 388 million years old. About 0.1 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 West Burlington’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in West Burlington reaches the Gulf of America by way of Flint Creek and the Mississippi: about 1,390 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
West Burlington≈ 1,390 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF WEST BURLINGTON ≈ 1,390 mi to the Gulf of America Flint Creek → Mississippi

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

West Burlington’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1897 · Burlington Municipal Airport, 4 mi south-southeast

West Burlington has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 85° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. About 38 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

32°16°37°21°50°31°63°42°73°53°82°63°85°66°83°64°78°56°65°44°50°32°37°22° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY 37.9 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, average32° / 16°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year37.9 inwettest months: May and June
Hottest on record111°FJuly 15, 1936
Coldest on record−27°FFebruary 13, 1905
Wettest day on record6.28 inJune 29, 1933
Snowiest day on record13.5 inJanuary 26, 1967
90° days a year23very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°119and 38 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 17, to the last in spring, about April 14 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingJan. 6 to Jan. 27; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 15 to March 20; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 13.8 of the year’s 37.9 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 West Burlington normally reaches 50° and falls to 33°. The record high is 75°, in 1964; the record low 6°, in 1940. The most rain on this date, 1.26 in, fell in 1968.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high32°37°50°63°73°82°85°83°78°65°50°37°
Normal low16°21°31°42°53°63°66°64°56°44°32°22°
Rain, inches1.451.692.433.924.934.874.023.773.533.092.291.87
Record high70° (1989)77° (2024)88° (1986)93° (1930)103° (1934)105° (1934)111° (1936)110° (1934)103° (1913)95° (2006)86° (1899)73° (2021)
Record low−24° (1957)−27° (1905)−13° (1960)11° (1982)26° (1907)39° (1913)46° (1971)41° (1950)23° (1899)10° (1925)−2° (1991)−22° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1897 from the Burlington Area threaded record (Burlington Municipal Airport, 4 miles south-southeast). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around West Burlington on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Cedar Rapids IA · 83 MI 83 miles north Des Moines IA · 137 MI 137 miles west St. Louis MO · 159 MI 159 miles south Joliet IL · 165 MI 165 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of West Burlington, Iowa. Explore the plate
IOWA · DES MOINES

West Burlington

3,249 people, 700 ft above sea level in Des Moines County.

700 ftElevation
3,249People
5 sq miLand
Sunny 45°
SunnyDew point 25°
1

Today in West Burlington

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear day 44° 0%
7p clear night 36° 0%
10p clear night 32° 0%
1a clear night 31° 0%
4a partly cloudy night 29° 0%
7a partly cloudy day 28° 0%
Partly cloudy
NEXT RAINFriday · 30%
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
27
44
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
29
51
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
34
54
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
38
57
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
48
59
B
Thu20%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
46
62
C
Fri30%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
52
63
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1959 · NOV. 17, 1959

0°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1897.

2

What West Burlington stands on

West Burlington’s center stands about 700 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 530 ft to 720 ft, a difference of 190 ft: gently rolling country.

West Burlington, south to north West Burlington700 ftMississippi Riverabout 520 ftSkunk Riverabout 520 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center700 ft
Within 3 miles530 to 720 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (190 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceAugusta Group
Its ageEarly Mississippian to Middle Mississippian, 331 to 359 million years old
5

West Burlington’s year

West Burlington has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 85° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. About 38 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 37.9 in
July, average85° / 66° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average32° / 16° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year37.9 in · wettest months: May and June
Hottest on record111°F · July 15, 1936
Coldest on record−27°F · February 13, 1905
Wettest day on record6.28 in · June 29, 1933
Snowiest day on record13.5 in · January 26, 1967
90° days a year23 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°119 · and 38 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 17, to the last in spring, about April 14 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Jan. 6 to Jan. 27; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 15 to March 20; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 13.8 of the year’s 37.9 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 West Burlington normally reaches 50° and falls to 33°. The record high is 75°, in 1964; the record low 6°, in 1940. The most rain on this date, 1.26 in, fell in 1968.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1897 from the Burlington Area threaded record (Burlington Municipal Airport, 4 miles south-southeast). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,390 mito the Gulf of AmericaFlint Creek → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in West Burlington reaches the Gulf of America by way of Flint Creek and the Mississippi: about 1,390 river miles.