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Shaded-relief map of Algonquin, Illinois: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
ILLINOIS · MCHENRY COUNTY

Algonquin

30,539 people, 750 ft above sea level in McHenry County.

750 ftElevation, city center
30,539People, 2024 estimate
13 sq miLand area
Sunny 46°
Sunny now Dew point 30° · NNW 13 mph · high 44°
City of Algonquin River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Algonquin 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 Algonquin

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 3:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Pal-Waukee Airport (KPWK) · 2:52 PM
Sunny
46° Sunny Feels like 40° · high of 44° near 3 PM
WindNNW 13 mphgusts 18
Humidity53%rising to 89% by morning
Pressure30.26 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 30° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 110.16 in · 3 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for McHenry County
NWS Chicago and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 3:45 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:42 AM4:33 PM ↓
9 h 50 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
18
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
3p
6p
9p
Mid
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6a
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3a
6a
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Noon
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
clear day
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
44°
32°
49°
31°
50°
35°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
8
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 28 to 34°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 49° / 35°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
44° 32°
0% rain — NNW 8 A
SUN Nov. 15 Sunny; warmer Sunny; warmer
52° 31°
0% rain — NW 1 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
53° 35°
0% rain — SW 7 A
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
55° 39°
0% rain — S 9 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
57° 46°
0% rain — S 14 A
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
61° 46°
10% rain — WSW 10 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
61° 50°
20% rain — 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 Algonquin about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Gulf of Alaska three days ago, and over the northern Plains a day ago, about 2,830 miles back along its path. It came down from about 12,100 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from British Columbia; at 10,000 feet, from the Canadian Prairies. 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, FOUR YEARS AGO Nov. 11, 2022

The hottest this week has been

75° on Nov. 11, 2022, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1983. Next is 74° in 1999.

74°
75°
19992022
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Elgin Water record since 1983.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Algonquin stands on

Algonquin’s center stands about 750 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 720 ft to 930 ft, a difference of 210 ft: rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Maquoketa Formation or Group (shale, limestone), from the Late Ordovician, 445 to 454 million years old.

The section below crosses 2 rock units mapped at the surface.

Streamwood to Bull Valley, cut in half

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
700 ft800 ft900 ft ALGONQUIN750 ftEast Dundee840 ftLow point720 ftLake in the Hills850 ftCrystal Lake910 ftHigh point of the line990 ft ← S · StreamwoodBull Valley · 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

Silurian System undivided

Dolostone, limestone. Age: Silurian, 422 to 445 million years old. About 21 mi of the line.

Maquoketa Formation or Group

Shale, limestone. Age: Late Ordovician, 445 to 454 million years old. About 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 Algonquin’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Algonquin reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Fox River, the Illinois and the Mississippi: about 1,520 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Algonquin≈ 1,520 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF ALGONQUIN ≈ 1,520 mi to the Gulf of America Fox River → Illinois → Mississippi

Lake on the way: Peoria Lake.

1,190 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Algonquin’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1983 · Elgin Water, 7 mi south

Algonquin has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 84° in July; winter nights fall to about 14° in January. A normal year brings about 32 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 40 inches of water.

30°14°34°17°46°26°59°37°70°48°80°58°84°63°82°61°76°53°63°41°48°30°35°20° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY ALGONQUIN 39.9 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average84° / 63°high / low, the warmest month
January, average30° / 14°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow39.9 inwettest months: May and June
Snow a year32.1 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record102°FJuly 8, 2012
Coldest on record−27°FJanuary 20, 1985
Wettest day on record6.47 inJuly 24, 2010
Snowiest day on record12.0 inFebruary 2, 2011
90° days a year15very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°140and 49 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 15, to the last in spring, about April 26 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 27 to Feb. 10; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 9 to April 3; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 13.6 of the year’s 39.9 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Algonquin normally reaches 48° and falls to 31°. The record high is 74°, in 1999; the record low 4°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 0.48 in, fell in 2024.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high30°34°46°59°70°80°84°82°76°63°48°35°
Normal low14°17°26°37°48°58°63°61°53°41°30°20°
Rain and melt, in2.021.872.373.965.124.463.984.333.533.312.682.22
Snow, inches9.58.03.70.80.00.00.00.00.00.01.48.7
Record high63° (2008)74° (2024)83° (2012)91° (1986)97° (2018)101° (1988)102° (2012)98° (2024)95° (2026)89° (2025)76° (2016)68° (2012)
Record low−27° (1985)−25° (2019)−9° (2015)11° (1987)28° (2020)36° (2003)45° (1983)40° (1986)29° (1995)18° (1988)4° (2019)−24° (1983)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1983 at Elgin Water, 7 miles south. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Algonquin on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Aurora IL · 27 MI 27 miles south Chicago IL · 40 MI 40 miles southeast Milwaukee WI · 65 MI 65 miles north Madison WI · 85 MI 85 miles northwest Fort Wayne IN · 180 MI 180 miles southeast Indianapolis IN · 200 MI 200 miles southeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Algonquin, Illinois. Explore the plate
ILLINOIS · MCHENRY

Algonquin

30,539 people, 750 ft above sea level in McHenry County.

750 ftElevation
30,539People
13 sq miLand
Sunny 46°
SunnyDew point 30°
1

Today in Algonquin

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly sunny 44° 0%
6p mostly clear night 41° 0%
9p mostly clear night 37° 0%
12a mostly clear night 35° 0%
3a mostly clear night 32° 0%
6a mostly clear night 32° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
32
44
A
Sun0%
Sunny; warmer Sunny; warmer
31
52
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
35
53
A
Tue0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
39
55
A
Wed0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
46
57
A
Thu10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
46
61
B
Fri20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
50
61
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK, FOUR YEARS AGO · NOV. 11, 2022

75°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1983.

2

What Algonquin stands on

Algonquin’s center stands about 750 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 720 ft to 930 ft, a difference of 210 ft: rolling country.

Algonquin, south to north Algonquin750 ftHigh point990 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center750 ft
Within 3 miles720 to 930 ft
Lie of the landRolling (210 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceMaquoketa Formation or Group
Its ageLate Ordovician, 445 to 454 million years old
5

Algonquin’s year

Algonquin has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 84° in July; winter nights fall to about 14° in January. A normal year brings about 32 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 40 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 39.9 in
July, average84° / 63° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average30° / 14° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow39.9 in · wettest months: May and June
Snow a year32.1 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record102°F · July 8, 2012
Coldest on record−27°F · January 20, 1985
Wettest day on record6.47 in · July 24, 2010
Snowiest day on record12.0 in · February 2, 2011
90° days a year15 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°140 · and 49 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 15, to the last in spring, about April 26 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 27 to Feb. 10; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 9 to April 3; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 13.6 of the year’s 39.9 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Algonquin normally reaches 48° and falls to 31°. The record high is 74°, in 1999; the record low 4°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 0.48 in, fell in 2024.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1983 at Elgin Water, 7 miles south. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,520 mito the Gulf of AmericaFox River → Illinois → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Algonquin reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Fox River, the Illinois and the Mississippi: about 1,520 river miles.

Lake on the way: Peoria Lake.

1,190 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.