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Shaded-relief map of Stanford, Minnesota: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
MINNESOTA · ISANTI COUNTY

Stanford

2,356 people, 930 ft above sea level in Isanti County.

930 ftElevation, city center
2,356People, 2024 estimate
38 sq miLand area
Clear 38°
Clear now Dew point 23° · SE 3 mph · high 34°
City of Stanford River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Stanford 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 Stanford

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 5:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW St. Cloud Regional Airport (KSTC) · 4:53 PM
Clear
38° Clear Feels like 36° · high of 34° near 5 PM
WindSE 3 mphno gusts
Humidity55%rising to 92% by morning
Pressure30.27 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 23° · Dry39° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Friday80% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 110.03 in · 3 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Isanti County
NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 5:46 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:11 AM4:45 PM ↓
9 h 34 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% 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
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
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear day
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
TEMPERATURE °F
34°
27°
46°
36°
54°
42°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
5
3
2
2
5
7
10
10
8
9
8
9
9
10
14
14
10
10
9
9
9
12
15
15
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 23 to 39° More humid: 39° by Tuesday

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 40° / 23°
SAT Nov. 14 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
34° 23°
0% rain — SE 3 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
48° 32°
0% rain — S 8 A
MON Nov. 16 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
55° 39°
0% rain — SSW 12 B
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
55° 43°
0% rain — S 12 B
WED Nov. 18 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
57° 44°
20% rain — S 12 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
52° 35°
10% rain — WNW 5 C
FRI Nov. 20 Showers likely Showers likely
53° 42°
80% rain 0.1–1.1″ ESE 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 Stanford about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the open Pacific three days ago, and over the Canadian Prairies a day ago, about 2,900 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 Pacific north of Hawaii. 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 1996 Nov. 15–16, 1996

The wettest two days this week has seen

3.76 inches of rain fell in two days, the most for this week of the year since records began in 1892. The next wettest, 1.80 inches, fell in 1971.

1.80″
3.76″
19711996
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Cambridge record since 1892.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Stanford stands on

Stanford’s center stands about 930 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 910 ft to 980 ft, a difference of 70 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Middle and Upper Cambrian (sandstone, siltstone, shale), from the Middle Cambrian to Cambrian, 487 to 521 million years old.

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

Stanford, cut in half from west to east

A section west to east, 24 miles through the town center
900 ft1,000 ft STANFORD930 ftHigh point of the line1,100 ftIsanti940 ftIsanti970 ft ← WIsanti · 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

Middle and Upper Cambrian

Sandstone, siltstone, shale. Age: Middle Cambrian to Cambrian, 487 to 521 million years old. About 20 mi of the line.

Upper Cambrian

Sandstone, siltstone, shale. Age: Cambrian, 487 to 497 million years old. About 4 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 Stanford’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Stanford reaches the Gulf of America by way of Seelye Brook, the Rum and the Mississippi: about 1,880 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Stanford≈ 1,880 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF STANFORD ≈ 1,880 mi to the Gulf of America Seelye Brook → Rum → Mississippi

Lake on the way: Lake Pepin.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Stanford’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1892 · Cambridge, 11 mi northeast

Stanford has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 82° in July; winter nights fall to about 4° in January. A normal year brings about 44 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 30 inches of water.

22°4°27°8°40°20°56°34°69°46°77°57°82°61°80°58°72°50°58°37°41°25°27°11° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY STANFORD 29.7 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average82° / 61°high / low, the warmest month
January, average22° / 4°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow29.7 inwettest months: July and June
Snow a year44.1 insnowiest: December
Hottest on record109°FJuly 14, 1936
Coldest on record−42°FJanuary 23, 1935
Wettest day on record5.47 inJuly 22, 1972
Snowiest day on record17.0 inNovember 1, 1991
90° days a year4on average, 1991–2020
Nights at or below 32°170and 83 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeWarm-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfb

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 3, to the last in spring, about May 6 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 2 to Feb. 28; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingOct. 29 to April 13; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchJune through August: 12.1 of the year’s 29.7 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Stanford normally reaches 42° and falls to 26°. The record high is 69°, in 1999; the record low −3°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 0.72 in, fell in 1988.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high22°27°40°56°69°77°82°80°72°58°41°27°
Normal low4°8°20°34°46°57°61°58°50°37°25°11°
Rain and melt, in0.740.721.382.713.594.204.223.633.072.801.610.99
Snow, inches5.410.07.44.00.00.00.00.00.00.54.512.3
Record high53° (2012)61° (2024)79° (1968)92° (1980)107° (1934)104° (1934)109° (1936)102° (1947)99° (2016)90° (2025)75° (2022)62° (1939)
Record low−42° (1935)−41° (1996)−33° (1962)0° (1975)18° (1967)32° (1993)40° (1958)32° (1893)19° (1893)8° (1976)−22° (1964)−41° (1983)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1892 at Cambridge, 11 miles northeast. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Stanford on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Minneapolis MN · 34 MI 34 miles south St. Paul MN · 37 MI 37 miles southeast Bloomington MN · 43 MI 43 miles south Rochester MN · 109 MI 109 miles southeast Duluth MN · 110 MI 110 miles northeast Fargo ND · 191 MI 191 miles northwest
FORECASTCITY
Map of Stanford, Minnesota. Explore the plate
MINNESOTA · ISANTI

Stanford

2,356 people, 930 ft above sea level in Isanti County.

930 ftElevation
2,356People
38 sq miLand
Clear 38°
ClearDew point 23°
1

Today in Stanford

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly clear night 34° 0%
8p partly cloudy night 31° 0%
11p partly cloudy night 29° 0%
2a partly cloudy night 28° 0%
5a partly cloudy night 27° 0%
8a partly cloudy day 28° 0%
Rain
NEXT RAINFriday · 80%
→
Sat0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
23
34
A
Sun0%
Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
32
48
A
Mon0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
39
55
B
Tue0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
43
55
B
Wed20%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
44
57
B
Thu10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
35
52
C
Fri80%
Showers likely Showers likely
42
53
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1996 · NOV. 15–16, 1996

3.76 inches in two days, the most for this week since 1892.

2

What Stanford stands on

Stanford’s center stands about 930 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 910 ft to 980 ft, a difference of 70 ft: gently rolling country.

Stanford, west to east Stanford930 ftHigh point1,100 ft ← WE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center930 ft
Within 3 miles910 to 980 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (70 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceMiddle and Upper Cambrian
Its ageMiddle Cambrian to Cambrian, 487 to 521 million years old
5

Stanford’s year

Stanford has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 82° in July; winter nights fall to about 4° in January. A normal year brings about 44 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 30 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 29.7 in
July, average82° / 61° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average22° / 4° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow29.7 in · wettest months: July and June
Snow a year44.1 in · snowiest: December
Hottest on record109°F · July 14, 1936
Coldest on record−42°F · January 23, 1935
Wettest day on record5.47 in · July 22, 1972
Snowiest day on record17.0 in · November 1, 1991
90° days a year4 · on average, 1991–2020
Nights at or below 32°170 · and 83 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeWarm-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfb
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 3, to the last in spring, about May 6 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 2 to Feb. 28; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Oct. 29 to April 13; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · June through August: 12.1 of the year’s 29.7 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Stanford normally reaches 42° and falls to 26°. The record high is 69°, in 1999; the record low −3°, in 1959. The most rain on this date, 0.72 in, fell in 1988.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1892 at Cambridge, 11 miles northeast. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,880 mito the Gulf of AmericaSeelye Brook → Rum → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Stanford reaches the Gulf of America by way of Seelye Brook, the Rum and the Mississippi: about 1,880 river miles.

Lake on the way: Lake Pepin.