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

Viola

532 people, 1,230 ft above sea level in Olmsted County.

1,230 ftElevation, city center
532People, 2024 estimate
36 sq miLand area
Sunny 41°
Sunny now Dew point 23° · WSW 3 mph · high 41°
City of Viola River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Viola 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 Viola

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 11:00 AM CST
RIGHT NOW Rochester - St. Mary's Hospital Heliport (K9MN) · 11:55 AM
Sunny
41° Sunny Feels like 39° · high of 41° near 2 PM
WindWSW 3 mphno gusts
Humidity49%falling to 55% this afternoon
Pressure30.30 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 23° · Dry35° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Friday70% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 50.07 in · 9 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Olmsted County
NWS La Crosse and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 12:16 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:02 AM4:44 PM ↓
9 h 41 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 24% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
24
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
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
clear day
clear day
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
39°
26°
45°
33°
49°
39°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
6
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7
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HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 24 to 35° More humid: 35° by Tuesday

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 80° / 62°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
41° 26°
0% rain — WSW 0 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
48° 33°
0% rain — S 4 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
52° 39°
0% rain — SSW 12 B
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
55° 44°
0% rain — S 12 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
56° 48°
20% rain — S 12 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
56° 42°
20% rain — W 5 C
FRI Nov. 20 Showers likely Showers likely
57° 49°
70% rain 0.01–0.7″ SE 9 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 Viola about 5,000 feet above the ground was over British Columbia three days ago, and over the northern Rockies a day ago, about 1,550 miles back along its path. 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 1953 Nov. 16, 1953

The hottest this week has been

71° on Nov. 16, 1953, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1886. Next is 71° in 1999.

71°
71°
19991953
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Rochester Area threaded record since 1886.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Viola stands on

Viola’s center stands about 1,230 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,080 ft to 1,310 ft, a difference of 230 ft: rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Upper Ordovician (limestone, dolostone), from the Late Ordovician, 445 to 459 million years old.

The section below crosses 4 rock units mapped at the surface.

Cascade to Elba, cut in half

A section west to east, 24 miles through the town center
800 ft1,000 ft1,200 ft VIOLA1,230 ftSouth Fork Zumbro Riverabout 980 ftHigh point of the line1,280 ftQuincy1,180 ftElba1,150 ft ← W · CascadeElba · E →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 40×. 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 Ordovician

Shale, limestone, sandstone. Age: Middle Ordovician to Late Ordovician, 445 to 471 million years old. About 8 mi of the line.

Lower Ordovician

Dolostone, sandstone. Age: Early Ordovician, 471 to 487 million years old. About 8 mi of the line.

Upper Ordovician

Limestone, dolostone. Age: Late Ordovician, 445 to 459 million years old. About 8 mi of the line.

Upper Cambrian

Sandstone, siltstone, shale. Age: Cambrian, 487 to 497 million years old. About 0.4 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 Viola’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Viola reaches the Gulf of America by way of the North Fork Whitewater, the Whitewater and the Mississippi: about 1,770 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Viola≈ 1,770 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF VIOLA ≈ 1,770 mi to the Gulf of America North Fork Whitewater → Whitewater → Mississippi

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Viola’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1886 · Rochester International Airport, 16 mi southwest

Viola has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 80° in July; winter nights fall to about 7° in January. A normal year brings about 53 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 35 inches of water.

22°7°27°11°40°23°55°35°68°47°78°57°80°61°78°58°72°50°58°38°42°26°28°14° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY VIOLA 34.7 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average80° / 61°high / low, the warmest month
January, average22° / 7°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow34.7 inwettest months: June and May
Snow a year53.1 insnowiest: December
Hottest on record108°FJuly 14, 1936
Coldest on record−42°FJanuary 7, 1887
Wettest day on record7.47 inJuly 11, 1981
Snowiest day on record19.8 inMarch 18, 2005
90° days a year5none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°156and 78 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeWarm-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfb

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 5, to the last in spring, about April 28 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 4 to March 1; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingOct. 30 to April 8; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 13.9 of the year’s 34.7 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Viola normally reaches 42° and falls to 26°. The record high is 69°, in 2025; the record low −5°, in 1916. The most rain on this date, 0.88 in, fell in 1973.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high22°27°40°55°68°78°80°78°72°58°42°28°
Normal low7°11°23°35°47°57°61°58°50°38°26°14°
Rain and melt, in0.991.022.023.524.355.354.194.123.602.431.801.28
Snow, inches12.210.78.63.30.50.00.00.00.00.94.512.4
Record high58° (1944)69° (2024)82° (1910)92° (2009)106° (1934)105° (1934)108° (1936)100° (1948)100° (1913)93° (1997)77° (1893)64° (2021)
Record low−42° (1887)−35° (1996)−31° (1962)5° (1982)21° (1967)31° (1937)40° (1911)32° (1915)22° (1942)−6° (1887)−24° (1887)−33° (1983)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1886 from the Rochester Area threaded record (Rochester International Airport, 16 miles southwest). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Viola on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Rochester MN · 11 MI 11 miles west Winona MN · 29 MI 29 miles east St. Paul MN · 74 MI 74 miles northwest Minneapolis MN · 80 MI 80 miles northwest Cedar Rapids IA · 148 MI 148 miles south Madison WI · 157 MI 157 miles southeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Viola, Minnesota. Explore the plate
MINNESOTA · OLMSTED

Viola

532 people, 1,230 ft above sea level in Olmsted County.

1,230 ftElevation
532People
36 sq miLand
Sunny 41°
SunnyDew point 23°
1

Today in Viola

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear day 39° 0%
3p clear day 41° 0%
6p mostly clear night 35° 0%
9p partly cloudy night 30° 0%
12a partly cloudy night 28° 0%
3a mostly cloudy night 27° 0%
Rain
NEXT RAINFriday · 70%
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
26
41
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
33
48
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
39
52
B
Tue0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
44
55
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
48
56
B
Thu20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
42
56
C
Fri70%
Showers likely Showers likely
49
57
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1953 · NOV. 16, 1953

71°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1886.

2

What Viola stands on

Viola’s center stands about 1,230 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,080 ft to 1,310 ft, a difference of 230 ft: rolling country.

Viola, west to east Viola1,230 ftSouth Fork Zumbro Riverabout 980 ft ← WE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 77×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,230 ft
Within 3 miles1,080 to 1,310 ft
Lie of the landRolling (230 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceUpper Ordovician
Its ageLate Ordovician, 445 to 459 million years old
5

Viola’s year

Viola has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 80° in July; winter nights fall to about 7° in January. A normal year brings about 53 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 35 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 34.7 in
July, average80° / 61° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average22° / 7° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow34.7 in · wettest months: June and May
Snow a year53.1 in · snowiest: December
Hottest on record108°F · July 14, 1936
Coldest on record−42°F · January 7, 1887
Wettest day on record7.47 in · July 11, 1981
Snowiest day on record19.8 in · March 18, 2005
90° days a year5 · none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°156 · and 78 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeWarm-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfb
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 5, to the last in spring, about April 28 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 4 to March 1; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Oct. 30 to April 8; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 13.9 of the year’s 34.7 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Viola normally reaches 42° and falls to 26°. The record high is 69°, in 2025; the record low −5°, in 1916. The most rain on this date, 0.88 in, fell in 1973.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1886 from the Rochester Area threaded record (Rochester International Airport, 16 miles southwest). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,770 mito the Gulf of AmericaNorth Fork Whitewater → Whitewater → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Viola reaches the Gulf of America by way of the North Fork Whitewater, the Whitewater and the Mississippi: about 1,770 river miles.