FORECAST CITY
Sign in
Shaded-relief map of Sylvan, Michigan: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
MICHIGAN · WASHTENAW COUNTY

Sylvan

3,579 people, 930 ft above sea level in Washtenaw County.

930 ftElevation, city center
3,579People, 2024 estimate
33 sq miLand area
Sunny 40°
Sunny now Dew point 31° · NNW 15 mph · high 43°
City of Sylvan River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Sylvan 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 Sylvan

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 1:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (KARB) · 1:53 PM
Sunny
40° Sunny Feels like 32° · high of 43° near 2 PM
WindNNW 15 mphgusts 24
Humidity70%falling to 70% this afternoon
Pressure30.10 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 31° · 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. 120.07 in · 2 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Washtenaw County
NWS Detroit/Pontiac and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 2:16 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:25 AM5:16 PM ↓
9 h 50 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
19
GOODAir quality index · ozone
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
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
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
43°
32°
46°
30°
50°
31°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
13
9
8
7
7
6
7
7
6
5
1
1
1
2
3
5
7
5
3
3
4
5
5
7
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 27 to 36° ↑ Humid air returns More humid: 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 48° / 30°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
43° 25°
0% rain — NNW 13 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
47° 24°
0% rain — NNW 7 B
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
51° 24°
0% rain — WSW 5 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
54° 26°
0% rain — SSW 6 B
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
55° 31°
0% rain — SSW 6 A
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
58° 40°
10% rain — SW 7 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
59° 39°
10% rain — S 3 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 Sylvan about 5,000 feet above the ground was over British Columbia three days ago, and over the northern Plains a day ago, about 2,530 miles back along its path. It came down from about 12,300 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from the Gulf of Alaska; 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, SEVEN YEARS AGO Nov. 13, 2019

The coldest this week has been

4° on Nov. 13, 2019, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1944. Next is 8° in 1959.

8°
4°
19592019
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Jackson Reynolds Field record since 1944.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Sylvan stands on

Sylvan’s center stands about 930 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 910 ft to 1,050 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Sugarloaf Hill, about 1,130 ft, 3 miles north-northwest.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Marshall Sandstone, from the Carboniferous, 324 to 359 million years old.

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

Bridgewater to Stockbridge, cut in half

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
900 ft1,000 ft1,100 ft SYLVAN930 ftLow point840 ftSugarloaf Hill1,130 ftStockbridge910 ft ← S · BridgewaterStockbridge · 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

Marshall Sandstone

Sandstone. Age: Carboniferous, 324 to 359 million years old. About 17 mi of the line.

Coldwater Shale

Shale. Age: Carboniferous, 324 to 359 million years old. About 7 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 Sylvan’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Sylvan reaches Lake Erie by way of Letts Creek, North Fork Mill Creek, Mill Creek and the Huron: about 85 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
Sylvan≈ 85 mi · Lake Erie
FROM THE CENTER OF SYLVAN ≈ 85 mi to Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence Letts Creek → North Fork Mill Creek → Mill Creek → Huron

65 miles of the trip are on the Huron.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Sylvan’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1944 · Jackson Reynolds Field, 19 mi west

Sylvan 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°35°19°45°27°58°37°70°48°79°57°83°61°80°59°74°52°61°41°48°32°36°24° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY SYLVAN 32.2 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average83° / 61°high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 17°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year32.2 inwettest months: August and June
Hottest on record103°FJuly 15, 1977
Coldest on record−20°FJanuary 19, 1994
Wettest day on record3.60 inAugust 16, 2016
Snowiest day on record16.0 inMarch 17, 1973
90° days a year8very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°137and 50 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 7, to the last in spring, about May 4 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingJan. 1 to Feb. 7; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 15 to April 3; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchJune through August: 10.7 of the year’s 32.2 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Sylvan normally reaches 48° and falls to 33°. The record high is 67°, in 1956; the record low 12°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 1.01 in, fell in 1957.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high31°35°45°58°70°79°83°80°74°61°48°36°
Normal low17°19°27°37°48°57°61°59°52°41°32°24°
Rain, inches1.671.521.932.943.403.583.353.812.982.922.331.76
Record high71° (2008)73° (2024)85° (2012)88° (1980)95° (2018)101° (1971)103° (1977)102° (1964)100° (1978)90° (1951)79° (1950)69° (2001)
Record low−20° (1994)−19° (2015)−7° (2014)3° (1982)21° (1966)33° (2025)37° (2001)37° (1976)27° (1991)16° (1976)−5° (1950)−14° (2000)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1944 at Jackson Reynolds Field, 19 miles west. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Sylvan on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Ann Arbor MI · 18 MI 18 miles east Lansing MI · 38 MI 38 miles northwest Detroit MI · 50 MI 50 miles east Cleveland OH · 136 MI 136 miles southeast Columbus OH · 169 MI 169 miles south Chicago IL · 188 MI 188 miles west
FORECASTCITY
Map of Sylvan, Michigan. Explore the plate
MICHIGAN · WASHTENAW

Sylvan

3,579 people, 930 ft above sea level in Washtenaw County.

930 ftElevation
3,579People
33 sq miLand
Sunny 40°
SunnyDew point 31°
1

Today in Sylvan

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy day 43° 1%
5p mostly cloudy night 43° 1%
8p mostly cloudy night 40° 1%
11p mostly cloudy night 37° 1%
2a partly cloudy night 34° 1%
5a partly cloudy night 33° 1%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
25
43
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
24
47
B
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
24
51
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
26
54
B
Wed0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
31
55
A
Thu10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
40
58
B
Fri10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
39
59
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. 13, 2019

4°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1944.

2

What Sylvan stands on

Sylvan’s center stands about 930 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 910 ft to 1,050 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Sugarloaf Hill, about 1,130 ft, 3 miles north-northwest.

Sylvan, south to north Sylvan930 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center930 ft
Within 3 miles910 to 1,050 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (140 ft of relief)
High point nearbySugarloaf Hill, 1,130 ft, 3 mi north-northwest
Rock at the surfaceMarshall Sandstone
Its ageCarboniferous, 324 to 359 million years old
5

Sylvan’s year

Sylvan 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 32.2 in
July, average83° / 61° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 17° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year32.2 in · wettest months: August and June
Hottest on record103°F · July 15, 1977
Coldest on record−20°F · January 19, 1994
Wettest day on record3.60 in · August 16, 2016
Snowiest day on record16.0 in · March 17, 1973
90° days a year8 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°137 · and 50 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 7, to the last in spring, about May 4 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Jan. 1 to Feb. 7; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 15 to April 3; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · June through August: 10.7 of the year’s 32.2 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Sylvan normally reaches 48° and falls to 33°. The record high is 67°, in 1956; the record low 12°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 1.01 in, fell in 1957.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1944 at Jackson Reynolds Field, 19 miles west. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 85 mito Lake Erie and the St. LawrenceLetts Creek → North Fork Mill Creek → Mill Creek → Huron

A raindrop that lands in Sylvan reaches Lake Erie by way of Letts Creek, North Fork Mill Creek, Mill Creek and the Huron: about 85 river miles. From there it moves on through the Great Lakes, over Niagara Falls and down the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic.

65 miles of the trip are on the Huron.