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Shaded-relief map of Battle Creek, Michigan: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
MICHIGAN · CALHOUN COUNTY

Battle Creek

52,205 people, 850 ft above sea level in Calhoun County.

850 ftElevation, city center
52,205People, 2024 estimate
43 sq miLand area
Sunny 44°
Sunny now Dew point 33° · NW 14 mph · high 44°
City of Battle Creek River Interstate 2 miles
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The Battle Creek 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 Battle Creek

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 3:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Battle Creek Executive Airport (KBTL) · 3:11 PM
Sunny
44° Sunny Feels like 37° · high of 44° near 3 PM
WindNW 14 mphno gusts
Humidity65%rising to 92% by morning
Pressure30.14 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 33° · 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. 120.17 in · 2 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Calhoun County
NWS Grand Rapids and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 3:46 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:30 AM5:20 PM ↓
9 h 50 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% 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
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3a
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9a
Noon
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly 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
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
44°
33°
45°
30°
49°
32°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
12
9
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 30 to 36°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 48° / 33°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
44° 30°
0% rain — NW 12 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
49° 28°
0% rain — N 5 B
MON Nov. 16 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
52° 30°
0% rain — WSW 6 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
55° 32°
0% rain — SSW 7 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
56° 39°
0% rain — S 9 A
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
59° 43°
10% rain — SW 10 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
60° 44°
10% rain — SSE 6 B
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 Battle Creek about 5,000 feet above the ground was over British Columbia three days ago, and over the northern Plains a day ago, about 2,480 miles back along its path. It came down from about 12,600 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from British Columbia; at 10,000 feet, from the open Pacific. 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 1997 Nov. 16, 1997

The coldest this week has been

8° on Nov. 16, 1997, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1895. Next is 8° in 2019.

8°
8°
20191997
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Battle Creek Area threaded record since 1895.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Battle Creek stands on

Battle Creek’s center stands about 850 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 820 ft to 960 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country.

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

Galesburg to Convis, cut in half

A section west to east, 24 miles through the town center
800 ft900 ft1,000 ft BATTLE CREEK850 ftHigh point of the line1,050 ftBrownlee Park910 ftConvis960 ft ← W · GalesburgConvis · E →

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

Marshall Sandstone

Sandstone. Age: Carboniferous, 324 to 359 million years old. About 11 mi of the line.

Coldwater Shale

Shale. Age: Carboniferous, 324 to 359 million years old. About 11 mi of the line.

Michigan Formation

Shale. Age: Carboniferous, 324 to 359 million years old. About 3 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 Battle Creek’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Battle Creek reaches Lake Michigan by way of Minges Brook and the Kalamazoo: about 100 river miles. From there it moves on through the Great Lakes, over Niagara Falls and down the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Battle Creek≈ 100 mi · Lake Michigan
FROM THE CENTER OF BATTLE CREEK ≈ 100 mi to Lake Michigan and the St. Lawrence Minges Brook → Kalamazoo

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Battle Creek’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1895 · Battle Creek Kellogg Airport, 3 mi west-southwest

Battle Creek has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 17° in January. About 32 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

31°17°34°19°45°27°59°37°70°49°79°58°83°62°81°61°74°53°61°42°47°32°36°24° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY BATTLE CREEK 31.5 in rain a year
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, average31° / 17°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year31.5 inwettest months: May and October
Hottest on record104°FJuly 14, 1936
Coldest on record−24°FFebruary 12, 1899
Wettest day on record6.44 inJune 26, 1978
Snowiest day on record21.1 inJanuary 26, 1967
90° days a year9very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°135and 49 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 May 4 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingJan. 2 to Feb. 9; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 15 to April 2; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 10.5 of the year’s 31.5 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Battle Creek normally reaches 48° and falls to 33°. The record high is 68°, in 1902; the record low 11°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 1.45 in, fell in 1957.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high31°34°45°59°70°79°83°81°74°61°47°36°
Normal low17°19°27°37°49°58°62°61°53°42°32°24°
Rain, inches1.581.211.672.883.723.413.353.363.233.552.131.43
Record high68° (1906)73° (2024)84° (2012)90° (1899)95° (1911)101° (1971)104° (1936)103° (1918)99° (1953)91° (1963)80° (1950)68° (2001)
Record low−20° (1994)−24° (1899)−11° (1943)5° (1982)22° (1989)30° (1993)42° (2001)37° (1986)25° (1991)16° (1988)−6° (1950)−18° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1895 from the Battle Creek Area threaded record (Battle Creek Kellogg Airport, 3 miles west-southwest). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Battle Creek on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Kalamazoo MI · 18 MI 18 miles west Portage MI · 20 MI 20 miles west Detroit MI · 109 MI 109 miles east Chicago IL · 130 MI 130 miles west Milwaukee WI · 149 MI 149 miles west Columbus OH · 198 MI 198 miles southeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Battle Creek, Michigan. Explore the plate
MICHIGAN · CALHOUN

Battle Creek

52,205 people, 850 ft above sea level in Calhoun County.

850 ftElevation
52,205People
43 sq miLand
Sunny 44°
SunnyDew point 33°
1

Today in Battle Creek

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy day 44° 0%
6p mostly cloudy night 43° 1%
9p mostly cloudy night 39° 0%
12a mostly cloudy night 36° 1%
3a mostly cloudy night 34° 1%
6a partly cloudy night 33° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
30
44
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
28
49
B
Mon0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
30
52
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
32
55
A
Wed0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
39
56
A
Thu10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
43
59
B
Fri10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
44
60
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1997 · NOV. 16, 1997

8°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1895.

2

What Battle Creek stands on

Battle Creek’s center stands about 850 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 820 ft to 960 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country.

Battle Creek, west to east Battle Creek850 ftHigh point1,050 ft ← WE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center850 ft
Within 3 miles820 to 960 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (140 ft of relief)
5

Battle Creek’s year

Battle Creek has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 17° in January. About 32 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 31.5 in
July, average83° / 62° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 17° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year31.5 in · wettest months: May and October
Hottest on record104°F · July 14, 1936
Coldest on record−24°F · February 12, 1899
Wettest day on record6.44 in · June 26, 1978
Snowiest day on record21.1 in · January 26, 1967
90° days a year9 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°135 · and 49 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 May 4 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Jan. 2 to Feb. 9; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 15 to April 2; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 10.5 of the year’s 31.5 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Battle Creek normally reaches 48° and falls to 33°. The record high is 68°, in 1902; the record low 11°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 1.45 in, fell in 1957.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1895 from the Battle Creek Area threaded record (Battle Creek Kellogg Airport, 3 miles west-southwest). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 100 mito Lake MichiganMinges Brook → Kalamazoo

A raindrop that lands in Battle Creek reaches Lake Michigan by way of Minges Brook and the Kalamazoo: about 100 river miles. From there it moves on through the Great Lakes, over Niagara Falls and down the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic.