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Shaded-relief map of Columbia City, Indiana: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
INDIANA · WHITLEY COUNTY

Columbia City

10,185 people, 860 ft above sea level in Whitley County.

860 ftElevation, city center
10,185People, 2024 estimate
5 sq miLand area
Clear 42°
Clear now Dew point 40° · WNW 8 mph · high 43°
City of Columbia City River Interstate 2 miles
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The Columbia City 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 Columbia City

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 6:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Fort Wayne International Airport (KFWA) · 7:40 PM
Clear
42° Clear Feels like 37° · high of 43° near 7 PM
WindWNW 8 mphno gusts
Humidity92%rising to 96% by morning
Pressure30.22 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 40° · Dry29° by Tuesday: drier air arrives
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 130.01 in · 1 dry day
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Whitley County
NWS Northern Indiana and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 7:46 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:28 AM5:24 PM ↓
9 h 55 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 27% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
28
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
7p
10p
1a
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mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
clear day
clear night
TEMPERATURE °F
43°
35°
47°
31°
50°
31°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
8
6
5
3
1
5
7
5
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 29 to 40° ↑ Humid air returns Drier: 37° by Tuesday

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 50° / 33°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
43° 32°
0% rain — WNW 8 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
49° 28°
0% rain — NNW 5 B
MON Nov. 16 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
51° 29°
0% rain — SW 2 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
54° 31°
0% rain — S 5 A
WED Nov. 18 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
57° 37°
0% rain — S 7 A
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
61° 43°
10% rain — SW 8 B
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
62° 44°
10% rain — S 5 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 Columbia City about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the open Pacific three days ago, and over the northern Plains a day ago, about 3,180 miles back along its path. It came down from about 13,900 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 2007 Nov. 11, 2007

The coldest this week has been

0° on Nov. 11, 2007, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1948. Next is 3° in 2019.

3°
0°
20192007
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Columbia City record since 1948.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Columbia City stands on

Columbia City’s center stands about 860 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 800 ft to 920 ft, a difference of 120 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Muscatatuck Group (limestone, dolostone), from the Devonian, 359 to 422 million years old.

The section below crosses 3 rock units mapped at the surface.

Columbia City, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
800 ft900 ft1,000 ft COLUMBIA CITY860 ftEel Riverabout 810 ftBlue Babe Branchabout 830 ftTri-Lakes920 ftHigh point of the line1,000 ft ← SWMerriam · 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

Muscatatuck Group

Limestone, dolostone. Age: Devonian, 359 to 422 million years old. About 13 mi of the line.

Antrim Shale

Black-shale. Age: Devonian, 359 to 422 million years old. About 10 mi of the line.

Wabash Formation

Limestone, dolostone. Age: Silurian, 422 to 445 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 Columbia City’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Columbia City reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Blue River, the Eel, the Wabash, Big Bayou, the Wabash River Old Channel, the Old Channel Wabash, the Ohio and the Mississippi: about 1,520 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Columbia City≈ 1,520 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF COLUMBIA CITY ≈ 1,520 mi to the Gulf of America Blue River → Eel → … → Old Channel Wabash → Ohio → Mississippi

970 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Columbia City’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1948 · Columbia City

Columbia City has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. A normal year brings about 21 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 39 inches of water.

32°16°36°19°46°27°59°38°70°49°79°59°83°62°81°60°75°52°63°42°49°31°37°22° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 TODAY 39.1 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average83° / 62°high / low, the warmest month
January, average32° / 16°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow39.1 inwettest months: June and May
Snow a year21.4 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record103°FJune 26, 1988
Coldest on record−24°FJanuary 19, 1994
Wettest day on record5.00 inJune 1, 2013
Snowiest day on record11.0 inDecember 20, 1973
90° days a year8very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°134and 44 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 17, to the last in spring, about April 27 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingJan. 3 to Feb. 3; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 12 to April 1; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Columbia City normally reaches 49° and falls to 32°. The record high is 70°, in 1989; the record low 0°, in 2007. The most rain on this date, 1.78 in, fell in 1978.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high32°36°46°59°70°79°83°81°75°63°49°37°
Normal low16°19°27°38°49°59°62°60°52°42°31°22°
Rain and melt, in2.541.952.623.814.344.623.864.073.002.852.982.43
Snow, inches7.06.53.00.30.00.00.00.00.00.01.23.4
Record high66° (1995)72° (2000)84° (2012)88° (1986)94° (2012)103° (1988)101° (1999)98° (1988)96° (2011)89° (2019)77° (2020)70° (1982)
Record low−24° (1994)−17° (2019)−6° (2015)7° (1982)24° (2020)35° (2024)39° (2014)36° (1986)27° (1995)17° (1988)0° (2007)−22° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 at Columbia City, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Columbia City on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Fort Wayne IN · 18 MI 18 miles east Goshen IN · 34 MI 34 miles northwest Indianapolis IN · 102 MI 102 miles south Chicago IL · 123 MI 123 miles west Columbus OH · 154 MI 154 miles southeast Milwaukee WI · 183 MI 183 miles northwest
FORECASTCITY
Map of Columbia City, Indiana. Explore the plate
INDIANA · WHITLEY

Columbia City

10,185 people, 860 ft above sea level in Whitley County.

860 ftElevation
10,185People
5 sq miLand
Clear 42°
ClearDew point 40°
1

Today in Columbia City

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy night 43° 2%
10p mostly cloudy night 40° 1%
1a mostly cloudy night 38° 0%
4a mostly cloudy night 36° 0%
7a mostly cloudy day 35° 0%
10a mostly cloudy day 42° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
32
43
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
28
49
B
Mon0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
29
51
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
31
54
A
Wed0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
37
57
A
Thu10%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
43
61
B
Fri10%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
44
62
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 2007 · NOV. 11, 2007

0°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1948.

2

What Columbia City stands on

Columbia City’s center stands about 860 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 800 ft to 920 ft, a difference of 120 ft: gently rolling country.

Columbia City, southwest to northeast Columbia City860 ftEel Riverabout 810 ftHigh point1,000 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center860 ft
Within 3 miles800 to 920 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (120 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceMuscatatuck Group
Its ageDevonian, 359 to 422 million years old
5

Columbia City’s year

Columbia City has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. A normal year brings about 21 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 39 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 39.1 in
July, average83° / 62° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average32° / 16° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow39.1 in · wettest months: June and May
Snow a year21.4 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record103°F · June 26, 1988
Coldest on record−24°F · January 19, 1994
Wettest day on record5.00 in · June 1, 2013
Snowiest day on record11.0 in · December 20, 1973
90° days a year8 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°134 · and 44 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 17, to the last in spring, about April 27 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Jan. 3 to Feb. 3; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 12 to April 1; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Columbia City normally reaches 49° and falls to 32°. The record high is 70°, in 1989; the record low 0°, in 2007. The most rain on this date, 1.78 in, fell in 1978.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 at Columbia City, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,520 mito the Gulf of AmericaBlue River → Eel → … → Old Channel Wabash → Ohio → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Columbia City reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Blue River, the Eel, the Wabash, Big Bayou, the Wabash River Old Channel, the Old Channel Wabash, the Ohio and the Mississippi: about 1,520 river miles.

970 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.