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

Towanda

426 people, 780 ft above sea level in McLean County.

780 ftElevation, city center
426People, 2024 estimate
1 sq miLand area
Sunny 46°
Sunny now Dew point 27° · WNW 6 mph · high 44°
City of Towanda River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Towanda 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 Towanda

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 2:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (KBMI) · 1:56 PM
Sunny
46° Sunny Feels like 43° · high of 44° near 2 PM
WindWNW 6 mphno gusts
Humidity47%falling to 51% this afternoon
Pressure30.27 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 27° · Dry37° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 120.05 in · 2 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for McLean County
NWS Lincoln and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 2:46 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:40 AM4:39 PM ↓
9 h 58 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
9
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
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
clear day
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
44°
28°
48°
31°
50°
34°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
8
6
5
0
3
2
0
0
5
0
0
0
0
0
5
7
5
3
6
7
7
7
8
10
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 27 to 37° More humid: 36° 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 Sunny Sunny
44° 27°
0% rain — NW 8 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
53° 30°
0% rain — N 1 A
MON Nov. 16 Sunny Sunny
55° 33°
0% rain — SW 5 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
57° 36°
0% rain — S 8 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
60° 44°
0% rain — S 14 A
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
63° 45°
10% rain — SW 9 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
65° 49°
10% 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 Towanda 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 2,620 miles back along its path. It came down from about 17,400 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

2° on Nov. 17, 1959, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1893. Next is 5° in 1986.

5°
2°
19861959
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Normal 4 NE record since 1893.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Towanda stands on

Towanda’s center stands about 780 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 750 ft to 820 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.

Towanda, cut in half from south to north

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
700 ft800 ft900 ft TOWANDA780 ftHigh point of the line930 ftMackinaw Riverabout 700 ft ← SEl Paso · 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

Bond Formation

Shale, sandstone, limestone. Age: Late Pennsylvanian, 304 to 307 million years old. About 13 mi of the line.

Shelburn-Patoka Formations undivided

Shale, limestone. Age: Late Pennsylvanian, 304 to 307 million years old. About 11 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 Towanda’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Towanda reaches the Gulf of America by way of Money Creek, the Mackinaw, the Illinois and the Mississippi: about 1,440 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Towanda≈ 1,440 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF TOWANDA ≈ 1,440 mi to the Gulf of America Money Creek → Mackinaw → Illinois → Mississippi

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 Towanda; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Towanda’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1893 · Normal 4 NE, 3 mi west-southwest

Towanda has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 86° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. A normal year brings about 20 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 39 inches of water.

33°16°38°19°50°28°63°38°74°50°83°60°86°63°84°61°79°53°66°42°50°31°38°21° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY TOWANDA 39.4 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average86° / 63°high / low, the warmest month
January, average33° / 16°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow39.4 inwettest months: May and July
Snow a year20.1 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record114°FJuly 15, 1936
Coldest on record−24°FFebruary 13, 1905
Wettest day on record6.10 inAugust 3, 1943
Snowiest day on record20.0 inFebruary 28, 1900
90° days a year26very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°135and 38 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 14, to the last in spring, about April 21 (median dates)
2Lows below freezingNov. 11 to April 1; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Towanda normally reaches 51° and falls to 31°. The record high is 74°, in 1989; the record low 7°, in 1940. The most rain on this date, 1.10 in, fell in 1926.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high33°38°50°63°74°83°86°84°79°66°50°38°
Normal low16°19°28°38°50°60°63°61°53°42°31°21°
Rain and melt, in2.431.992.613.724.814.084.123.833.223.482.802.30
Snow, inches7.55.52.20.50.00.00.00.00.00.00.83.6
Record high69° (1950)76° (2024)88° (2026)95° (1899)103° (1934)106° (1934)114° (1936)105° (1936)103° (1899)93° (1897)82° (1950)72° (2012)
Record low−24° (1894)−24° (1905)−15° (1943)5° (2018)21° (1966)31° (1894)41° (1894)38° (1915)22° (1899)9° (1925)−7° (1893)−22° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1893 at Normal 4 NE, 3 miles west-southwest. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Towanda on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Bloomington IL · 7 MI 7 miles southwest Peoria IL · 40 MI 40 miles west Aurora IL · 89 MI 89 miles north Naperville IL · 90 MI 90 miles northeast Chicago IL · 108 MI 108 miles northeast Indianapolis IN · 155 MI 155 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of Towanda, Illinois. Explore the plate
ILLINOIS · MCLEAN

Towanda

426 people, 780 ft above sea level in McLean County.

780 ftElevation
426People
1 sq miLand
Sunny 46°
SunnyDew point 27°
1

Today in Towanda

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear day 44° 0%
5p clear night 40° 0%
8p clear night 34° 0%
11p clear night 31° 0%
2a mostly clear night 30° 0%
5a mostly clear night 28° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
27
44
A
Sun0%
Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
30
53
A
Mon0%
Sunny Sunny
33
55
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
36
57
A
Wed0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
44
60
A
Thu10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
45
63
B
Fri10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
49
65
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

2°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1893.

2

What Towanda stands on

Towanda’s center stands about 780 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 750 ft to 820 ft, a difference of 70 ft: gently rolling country.

Towanda, south to north Towanda780 ftHigh point930 ftMackinaw Riverabout 700 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center780 ft
Within 3 miles750 to 820 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

Towanda’s year

Towanda has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 86° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. A normal year brings about 20 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 39 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 39.4 in
July, average86° / 63° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average33° / 16° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow39.4 in · wettest months: May and July
Snow a year20.1 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record114°F · July 15, 1936
Coldest on record−24°F · February 13, 1905
Wettest day on record6.10 in · August 3, 1943
Snowiest day on record20.0 in · February 28, 1900
90° days a year26 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°135 · and 38 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 14, to the last in spring, about April 21 (median dates)
2Lows below freezing · Nov. 11 to April 1; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Towanda normally reaches 51° and falls to 31°. The record high is 74°, in 1989; the record low 7°, in 1940. The most rain on this date, 1.10 in, fell in 1926.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1893 at Normal 4 NE, 3 miles west-southwest. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,440 mito the Gulf of AmericaMoney Creek → Mackinaw → Illinois → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Towanda reaches the Gulf of America by way of Money Creek, the Mackinaw, the Illinois and the Mississippi: about 1,440 river miles.

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