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

Grayslake

21,262 people, 780 ft above sea level in Lake County.

780 ftElevation, city center
21,262People, 2024 estimate
11 sq miLand area
Sunny 46°
Sunny now Dew point 29° · NNW 12 mph · high 42°
City of Grayslake River Interstate 2 miles
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The Grayslake 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 Grayslake

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 3:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Kenosha Regional Airport (KENW) · 2:53 PM
Sunny
46° Sunny Feels like 41° · high of 42° near 3 PM
WindNNW 12 mphno gusts
Humidity51%rising to 96% by morning
Pressure30.25 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 29° · 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. 50.04 in · 9 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Lake County
NWS Chicago and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 3:45 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:41 AM4:31 PM ↓
9 h 50 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
15
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: None, 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
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
partly cloudy night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
42°
29°
46°
30°
49°
34°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
8
5
5
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6
5
3
0
0
0
0
0
2
4
7
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 27 to 35°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 48° / 32°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
42° 28°
0% rain — NNW 8 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
50° 28°
0% rain — NW 2 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
52° 32°
0% rain — SW 7 A
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
54° 36°
0% rain — S 7 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
56° 43°
0% rain — S 10 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
59° 42°
20% rain — WSW 7 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
58° 47°
20% rain — SE 7 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 Grayslake 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 2,270 miles back along its path. It came down from about 12,200 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from British Columbia; at 10,000 feet, from the Pacific Northwest. 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

78° on Nov. 11, 2022, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1948. Next is 74° in 2020.

74°
78°
20202022
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Mchenry Stratton Lock/Dam record since 1948.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Grayslake stands on

Grayslake’s center stands about 780 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 740 ft to 840 ft, a difference of 100 ft: gently rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Gander Mountain, about 960 ft, 13 miles northwest.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Silurian System undivided (dolostone, limestone), from the Silurian, 422 to 445 million years old.

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

Johnsburg to Lake Bluff, cut in half

A section northwest to southeast, 24 miles through the town center
600 ft700 ft800 ft GRAYSLAKE780 ftHigh point of the line870 ftFox Riverabout 730 ftRound Lake Park810 ftGreen Oaks700 ftLake Bluff710 ft ← NW · JohnsburgLake Bluff · 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

Silurian System undivided

Dolostone, limestone. Age: Silurian, 422 to 445 million years old. About 23 mi of the line.

Maquoketa Formation or Group

Shale, limestone. Age: Late Ordovician, 445 to 454 million years old. About 0.2 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 Grayslake’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Grayslake reaches the Gulf of America by way of Mill Creek, the Des Plaines, the Illinois and the Mississippi: about 1,580 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Grayslake≈ 1,580 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF GRAYSLAKE ≈ 1,580 mi to the Gulf of America Mill Creek → Des Plaines → 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 Grayslake; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Grayslake’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1948 · Mchenry Stratton Lock/Dam, 11 mi west

Grayslake has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 84° in July; winter nights fall to about 13° in January. A normal year brings about 34 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 37 inches of water.

31°13°35°16°46°26°59°37°70°47°80°57°84°62°82°60°76°51°63°40°48°29°36°19° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY GRAYSLAKE 37.0 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average84° / 62°high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 13°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow37.0 inwettest months: June and May
Snow a year34.5 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record101°FJuly 6, 2012
Coldest on record−32°FJanuary 31, 2019
Wettest day on record4.77 inJuly 15, 1985
Snowiest day on record17.3 inFebruary 2, 2011
90° days a year11very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°144and 54 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 11, to the last in spring, about April 29 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 29 to Feb. 8; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 7 to April 4; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 13.1 of the year’s 37.0 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Grayslake normally reaches 49° and falls to 30°. The record high is 70°, in 1999; the record low 10°, in 1996. The most rain on this date, 0.59 in, fell in 2024.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high31°35°46°59°70°80°84°82°76°63°48°36°
Normal low13°16°26°37°47°57°62°60°51°40°29°19°
Rain and melt, in1.651.562.213.634.474.813.803.703.613.212.381.94
Snow, inches11.08.93.91.00.00.00.00.00.00.11.48.2
Record high62° (2008)78° (2024)83° (2012)90° (2002)99° (2018)100° (2022)101° (2012)98° (2024)96° (2017)90° (2026)78° (2022)68° (2001)
Record low−32° (2019)−23° (1996)−13° (2015)14° (2018)26° (2020)35° (2003)44° (2001)40° (2009)28° (1995)22° (2020)4° (2019)−19° (2000)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 at Mchenry Stratton Lock/Dam, 11 miles west. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Grayslake on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Elgin IL · 26 MI 26 miles southwest Chicago IL · 39 MI 39 miles southeast Milwaukee WI · 50 MI 50 miles north Madison WI · 88 MI 88 miles northwest Grand Rapids MI · 128 MI 128 miles east Fort Wayne IN · 173 MI 173 miles southeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Grayslake, Illinois. Explore the plate
ILLINOIS · LAKE

Grayslake

21,262 people, 780 ft above sea level in Lake County.

780 ftElevation
21,262People
11 sq miLand
Sunny 46°
SunnyDew point 29°
1

Today in Grayslake

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly sunny 42° 0%
6p mostly clear night 39° 0%
9p mostly clear night 34° 0%
12a mostly clear night 32° 0%
3a mostly clear night 30° 0%
6a mostly clear night 29° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
28
42
A
Sun0%
Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
28
50
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
32
52
A
Tue0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36
54
A
Wed0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
43
56
B
Thu20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
42
59
B
Fri20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
47
58
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

78°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1948.

2

What Grayslake stands on

Grayslake’s center stands about 780 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 740 ft to 840 ft, a difference of 100 ft: gently rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Gander Mountain, about 960 ft, 13 miles northwest.

Grayslake, northwest to southeast Grayslake780 ftFox Riverabout 730 ft ← NWSE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center780 ft
Within 3 miles740 to 840 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (100 ft of relief)
High point nearbyGander Mountain, 960 ft, 13 mi northwest
Rock at the surfaceSilurian System undivided
Its ageSilurian, 422 to 445 million years old
5

Grayslake’s year

Grayslake has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 84° in July; winter nights fall to about 13° in January. A normal year brings about 34 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 37 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 37.0 in
July, average84° / 62° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 13° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow37.0 in · wettest months: June and May
Snow a year34.5 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record101°F · July 6, 2012
Coldest on record−32°F · January 31, 2019
Wettest day on record4.77 in · July 15, 1985
Snowiest day on record17.3 in · February 2, 2011
90° days a year11 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°144 · and 54 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 11, to the last in spring, about April 29 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 29 to Feb. 8; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 7 to April 4; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 13.1 of the year’s 37.0 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Grayslake normally reaches 49° and falls to 30°. The record high is 70°, in 1999; the record low 10°, in 1996. The most rain on this date, 0.59 in, fell in 2024.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 at Mchenry Stratton Lock/Dam, 11 miles west. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,580 mito the Gulf of AmericaMill Creek → Des Plaines → Illinois → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Grayslake reaches the Gulf of America by way of Mill Creek, the Des Plaines, the Illinois and the Mississippi: about 1,580 river miles.

Lake on the way: Peoria Lake.

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