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

Stanford

588 people, 680 ft above sea level in McLean County.

680 ftElevation, city center
588People, 2024 estimate
1 sq miLand area
Sunny 45°
Sunny now Dew point 24° · WNW 5 mph · high 44°
City of Stanford River Interstate 2 miles
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The Stanford 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 Stanford

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 3:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Peoria - General Downing-Peoria International Airport (KPIA) · 3:54 PM
Sunny
45° Sunny Feels like 43° · high of 44° near 4 PM
WindWNW 5 mphno gusts
Humidity44%rising to 92% by morning
Pressure30.30 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 24° · Dry35° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 50.07 in · 9 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for McLean County
NWS Lincoln and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 4:16 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:41 AM4:40 PM ↓
9 h 59 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
13
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
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
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
clear day
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
44°
28°
49°
30°
51°
33°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
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4
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 24 to 35° More humid: 32° by Tuesday

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 52° / 34°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
44° 27°
0% rain — NW 3 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
51° 29°
0% rain — N 0 A
MON Nov. 16 Sunny Sunny
53° 33°
0% rain — SSW 3 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
56° 36°
0% rain — SSE 6 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
58° 45°
10% rain — S 12 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
62° 46°
20% rain — WSW 6 C
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
63° 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 Stanford about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the open Pacific three days ago, and over the central Plains a day ago, about 2,630 miles back along its path. It came down from about 14,900 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK, SEVEN YEARS AGO Nov. 12, 2019

The coldest this week has been

5° on Nov. 12, 2019, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1935. Next is 12° in 1996.

12°
5°
19962019
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Congerville 2 NW record since 1935.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Stanford stands on

Stanford’s center stands about 680 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 630 ft to 700 ft, a difference of 70 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Shelburn-Patoka Formations undivided (shale, limestone), from the Late Pennsylvanian, 304 to 307 million years old.

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

Stanford, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
600 ft700 ft800 ft STANFORD680 ftSugar Creekabout 620 ftDanvers820 ftCarlock760 ft ← SWCarlock · NE →

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

Shelburn-Patoka Formations undivided

Shale, limestone. Age: Late Pennsylvanian, 304 to 307 million years old. About 23 mi of the line.

Carbondale Formation

Shale, sandstone, coal. Age: Middle Pennsylvanian to Late Pennsylvanian, 304 to 315 million years old. About 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 Stanford’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Stanford reaches the Gulf of America by way of Sugar Creek, Salt Creek, the Sangamon, the Illinois and the Mississippi: about 1,370 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Stanford≈ 1,370 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF STANFORD ≈ 1,370 mi to the Gulf of America Sugar Creek → Salt Creek → Sangamon → Illinois → Mississippi

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Stanford’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1935 · Congerville 2 NW, 13 mi north

Stanford has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 86° in July; winter nights fall to about 17° in January. A normal year brings about 22 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 38 inches of water.

33°17°38°21°50°31°63°41°74°52°83°61°86°65°84°63°80°54°67°42°51°32°39°23° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 TODAY STANFORD 37.5 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Rain by month Freezing
July, average86° / 65°high / low, the warmest month
January, average33° / 17°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow37.5 inwettest months: May and June
Snow a year22.3 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record104°FJuly 8, 2012
Coldest on record−36°FJanuary 5, 1999
Wettest day on record4.92 inJuly 16, 2020
90° days a year24very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°133and 35 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 12, to the last in spring, about April 27 (median dates)
2Lows below freezingNov. 16 to March 20; normal lows fall below 32°
3Wettest stretchMay through July: 12.7 of the year’s 37.5 inches
MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high33°38°50°63°74°83°86°84°80°67°51°39°
Normal low17°21°31°41°52°61°65°63°54°42°32°23°
Rain and melt, in2.051.762.443.774.774.053.863.743.213.142.642.04
Snow, inches6.85.22.80.80.00.00.00.00.00.01.55.2

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1935 at Congerville 2 NW, 13 miles north. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Stanford on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Bloomington IL · 14 MI 14 miles east Peoria IL · 30 MI 30 miles northwest Aurora IL · 104 MI 104 miles northeast Chicago IL · 126 MI 126 miles northeast St. Louis MO · 136 MI 136 miles southwest Indianapolis IN · 169 MI 169 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of Stanford, Illinois. Explore the plate
ILLINOIS · MCLEAN

Stanford

588 people, 680 ft above sea level in McLean County.

680 ftElevation
588People
1 sq miLand
Sunny 45°
SunnyDew point 24°
1

Today in Stanford

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear day 44° 0%
7p clear night 36° 0%
10p clear night 32° 0%
1a clear night 30° 0%
4a mostly clear night 28° 0%
7a partly cloudy day 28° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
27
44
A
Sun0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
29
51
A
Mon0%
Sunny Sunny
33
53
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
36
56
A
Wed10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
45
58
B
Thu20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
46
62
C
Fri20%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
50
63
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK, SEVEN YEARS AGO · NOV. 12, 2019

5°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1935.

2

What Stanford stands on

Stanford’s center stands about 680 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 630 ft to 700 ft, a difference of 70 ft: gently rolling country.

Stanford, southwest to northeast Stanford680 ftSugar Creekabout 620 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center680 ft
Within 3 miles630 to 700 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (70 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceShelburn-Patoka Formations undivided
Its ageLate Pennsylvanian, 304 to 307 million years old
5

Stanford’s year

Stanford has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 86° in July; winter nights fall to about 17° in January. A normal year brings about 22 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 38 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 37.5 in
July, average86° / 65° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average33° / 17° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow37.5 in · wettest months: May and June
Snow a year22.3 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record104°F · July 8, 2012
Coldest on record−36°F · January 5, 1999
Wettest day on record4.92 in · July 16, 2020
90° days a year24 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°133 · and 35 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 12, to the last in spring, about April 27 (median dates)
2Lows below freezing · Nov. 16 to March 20; normal lows fall below 32°
3Wettest stretch · May through July: 12.7 of the year’s 37.5 inches
Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1935 at Congerville 2 NW, 13 miles north. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,370 mito the Gulf of AmericaSugar Creek → Salt Creek → Sangamon → Illinois → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Stanford reaches the Gulf of America by way of Sugar Creek, Salt Creek, the Sangamon, the Illinois and the Mississippi: about 1,370 river miles.