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

Zion

24,583 people, 660 ft above sea level in Lake County.

660 ftElevation, city center
24,583People, 2024 estimate
10 sq miLand area
Clear 42°
Clear now Dew point 29° · NW 5 mph · high 40°
City of Zion River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Zion 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 Zion

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 4:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Chicago/Waukegan Regional Airport (KUGN) · 4:51 PM
Clear
42° Clear Feels like 39° · high of 40° near 5 PM
WindNW 5 mphno gusts
Humidity59%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 5:15 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:41 AM4:30 PM ↓
9 h 49 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
16
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
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly 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
clear day
clear day
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
40°
29°
46°
30°
49°
34°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
5
5
5
6
6
5
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
6
8
8
7
7
7
7
7
8
10
9
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 27 to 36° 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 48° / 32°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
40° 28°
0% rain — NW 5 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 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
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 Zion about 5,000 feet above the ground was over British Columbia three days ago, and over the northern Plains a day ago, about 2,170 miles back along its path. It came down from about 10,400 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. It has stayed over land, which is why it feels dry. 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 1964 Nov. 11, 1964

The hottest this week has been

72° on Nov. 11, 1964, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1944. Next is 71° in 1971.

71°
72°
19711964
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Kenosha Wwtp record since 1944.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Zion stands on

Zion’s center stands about 660 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 570 ft to 750 ft, a difference of 180 ft: gently rolling country.

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

Zion, cut in half from west to east

A section west to east, 24 miles through the town center
600 ft700 ft800 ft ZION660 ftHigh point of the line880 ftWadsworth680 ftBeach Park750 ftLow point570 ft ← W · Lake VillaE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 62×. 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 14 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 Zion’s rain goes

Rain that falls on Zion runs straight into Lake Michigan. From there it moves on through the Great Lakes, over Niagara Falls and down the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic.

FROM THE CENTER OF ZION < 2 mi to Lake Michigan and the St. Lawrence straight to the shore

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Zion’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1944 · Kenosha Wwtp, 8 mi north

Zion has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 80° in July; winter nights fall to about 17° in January. A normal year brings about 36 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 38 inches of water.

31°17°34°20°43°29°53°37°64°47°73°57°80°64°79°64°72°56°60°44°47°33°36°23° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY ZION 37.6 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average80° / 64°high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 17°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow37.6 inwettest months: April and June
Snow a year36.2 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record105°FJuly 4, 2012
Coldest on record−31°FJanuary 20, 1985
Wettest day on record5.66 inOctober 21, 1965
Snowiest day on record16.8 inFebruary 2, 2011
90° days a year7very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°122and 45 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 25, to the last in spring, about April 21 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 30 to Feb. 9; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 17 to March 30; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchApril through June: 12.4 of the year’s 37.6 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Zion normally reaches 48° and falls to 33°. The record high is 71°, in 1971; the record low 10°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 1.09 in, fell in 1957.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high31°34°43°53°64°73°80°79°72°60°47°36°
Normal low17°20°29°37°47°57°64°64°56°44°33°23°
Rain and melt, in1.921.832.674.194.124.133.413.683.533.512.422.19
Snow, inches11.39.85.70.80.00.00.00.00.00.11.57.0
Record high65° (2008)74° (2024)83° (1986)90° (1980)94° (1975)102° (1953)105° (2012)102° (1947)100° (1953)89° (1967)81° (1944)70° (2001)
Record low−31° (1985)−23° (1996)−9° (1962)10° (1982)26° (1977)33° (1984)41° (1983)40° (1978)30° (1984)20° (1981)−5° (1976)−29° (1983)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1944 at Kenosha Wwtp, 8 miles north. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Zion on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Kenosha WI · 9 MI 9 miles north Elgin IL · 38 MI 38 miles southwest Milwaukee WI · 42 MI 42 miles north Chicago IL · 44 MI 44 miles south Madison WI · 91 MI 91 miles northwest Fort Wayne IN · 169 MI 169 miles southeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Zion, Illinois. Explore the plate
ILLINOIS · LAKE

Zion

24,583 people, 660 ft above sea level in Lake County.

660 ftElevation
24,583People
10 sq miLand
Clear 42°
ClearDew point 29°
1

Today in Zion

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly clear night 40° 0%
8p mostly clear night 35° 0%
11p mostly clear night 33° 0%
2a mostly clear night 31° 0%
5a mostly clear night 29° 0%
8a mostly sunny 33° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
28
40
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%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
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 IN 1964 · NOV. 11, 1964

72°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1944.

2

What Zion stands on

Zion’s center stands about 660 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 570 ft to 750 ft, a difference of 180 ft: gently rolling country.

Zion, west to east Zion660 ft ← WE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 118×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center660 ft
Within 3 miles570 to 750 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (180 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceSilurian System undivided
Its ageSilurian, 422 to 445 million years old
5

Zion’s year

Zion has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 80° in July; winter nights fall to about 17° in January. A normal year brings about 36 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 38 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 37.6 in
July, average80° / 64° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 17° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow37.6 in · wettest months: April and June
Snow a year36.2 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record105°F · July 4, 2012
Coldest on record−31°F · January 20, 1985
Wettest day on record5.66 in · October 21, 1965
Snowiest day on record16.8 in · February 2, 2011
90° days a year7 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°122 · and 45 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 25, to the last in spring, about April 21 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 30 to Feb. 9; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 17 to March 30; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · April through June: 12.4 of the year’s 37.6 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Zion normally reaches 48° and falls to 33°. The record high is 71°, in 1971; the record low 10°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 1.09 in, fell in 1957.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1944 at Kenosha Wwtp, 8 miles north. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

< 2 mito Lake Michiganstraight to the shore

Rain that falls on Zion runs straight into Lake Michigan. From there it moves on through the Great Lakes, over Niagara Falls and down the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic.