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Shaded-relief map of Macon, Missouri: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
MISSOURI · MACON COUNTY

Macon

5,509 people, 870 ft above sea level in Macon County.

870 ftElevation, city center
5,509People, 2024 estimate
6 sq miLand area
Clear 39°
Clear now Dew point 27° · Calm · high 39°
City of Macon River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Macon 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 Macon

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 5:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Omar N Bradley Airport (KMBY) · 5:35 PM
Clear
39° Clear Feels like 39° · high of 39° near 5 PM
WindCalmno gusts
Humidity60%rising to 88% by morning
Pressure30.29 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 27° · Dry37° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 50.02 in · 9 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Macon County
NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 5:46 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:53 AM4:55 PM ↓
10 h 2 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
32
GOODAir quality index · ozone
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
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
mostly sunny
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
39°
27°
50°
31°
53°
34°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
2
2
1
2
2
2
3
2
2
2
1
2
2
3
6
5
3
3
3
5
6
7
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9
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 23 to 28° ↑ Humid air returns More humid: 36° 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 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
39° 26°
0% rain — E 2 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
52° 29°
0% rain — SSE 2 A
MON Nov. 16 Sunny Sunny
55° 33°
0% rain — SSW 4 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
57° 39°
0% rain — SSE 6 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
62° 49°
20% rain — S 12 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
64° 49°
20% rain — WSW 3 C
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
67° 54°
20% rain — SSE 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 Macon about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the northern Plains three days ago, and over the southern Plains a day ago, about 800 miles back along its path. It rose from near the ground on the way. Near the ground the air came from the Canadian Prairies; at 10,000 feet, from the Pacific Northwest. It has stayed over land, which is why it feels dry. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK, SEVEN YEARS AGO Nov. 12, 2019

The coldest this week has been

8° on Nov. 12, 2019, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1989. Next is 12° in 2000.

12°
8°
20002019
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Long Branch Reservoir record since 1989.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Macon stands on

Macon’s center stands about 870 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 750 ft to 880 ft, a difference of 130 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Marmaton Group (limestone, shale), from the Carboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old.

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

Macon, cut in half from west to east

A section west to east, 24 miles through the town center
700 ft800 ft MACON870 ftChariton Riverabout 670 ftBevier840 ftMiddle Fork Salt Riverabout 790 ftClarence830 ft ← WClarence · 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

Marmaton Group

Limestone, shale. Age: Carboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old. About 14 mi of the line.

Cherokee Group - Cabaniss Subgroup, Krebs Subgroup

Shale, sandstone, siltstone. Age: Carboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old. About 10 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 Macon’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Macon reaches the Gulf of America by way of Sewer Creek, the Middle Fork Salt, the Salt River and the Mississippi: about 1,410 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Macon≈ 1,410 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF MACON ≈ 1,410 mi to the Gulf of America Sewer Creek → Middle Fork Salt → Salt River → Mississippi

Lake on the way: Mark Twain Lake.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Macon’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1989 · Long Branch Reservoir, 2 mi west-northwest

Macon has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 88° in July; winter nights fall to about 19° in January. About 42 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

35°19°41°23°53°33°64°43°74°55°83°64°88°68°86°66°79°57°67°45°52°34°40°24° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 TODAY MACON 41.9 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Rain by month Freezing
July, average88° / 68°high / low, the warmest month
January, average35° / 19°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year41.9 inwettest months: June and May
Hottest on record106°FAugust 18, 2003
Coldest on record−28°FDecember 23, 1989
Wettest day on record7.41 inJuly 25, 2008
90° days a year38about 2 of them 100° or more
Nights at or below 32°121and 29 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 22, to the last in spring, about April 14 (median dates)
2Lows below freezingNov. 19 to March 13; normal lows fall below 32°
3Wettest stretchApril through June: 15.3 of the year’s 41.9 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Macon normally reaches 53° and falls to 34°. The record high is 80°, in 1999; the record low 15°, in 2019. The most rain on this date, 0.43 in, fell in 1994.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high35°41°53°64°74°83°88°86°79°67°52°40°
Normal low19°23°33°43°55°64°68°66°57°45°34°24°
Rain, inches1.562.072.904.325.445.504.253.823.873.452.742.01

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1989 at Long Branch Reservoir, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Macon on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Kirksville MO · 32 MI 32 miles north Kansas City MO · 119 MI 119 miles west Overland Park KS · 133 MI 133 miles southwest Des Moines IA · 140 MI 140 miles northwest St. Louis MO · 142 MI 142 miles southeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Macon, Missouri. Explore the plate
MISSOURI · MACON

Macon

5,509 people, 870 ft above sea level in Macon County.

870 ftElevation
5,509People
6 sq miLand
Clear 39°
ClearDew point 27°
1

Today in Macon

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear night 39° 0%
8p mostly clear night 33° 0%
11p mostly clear night 30° 0%
2a mostly clear night 29° 0%
5a mostly clear night 27° 0%
8a partly cloudy day 31° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
26
39
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
29
52
A
Mon0%
Sunny Sunny
33
55
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
39
57
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
49
62
B
Thu20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
49
64
C
Fri20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
54
67
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. 12, 2019

8°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1989.

2

What Macon stands on

Macon’s center stands about 870 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 750 ft to 880 ft, a difference of 130 ft: gently rolling country.

Macon, west to east Macon870 ftChariton Riverabout 670 ftMiddle Fork Salt Riverabout 790 ft ← WE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center870 ft
Within 3 miles750 to 880 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (130 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceMarmaton Group
Its ageCarboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old
5

Macon’s year

Macon has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 88° in July; winter nights fall to about 19° in January. About 42 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 41.9 in
July, average88° / 68° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average35° / 19° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year41.9 in · wettest months: June and May
Hottest on record106°F · August 18, 2003
Coldest on record−28°F · December 23, 1989
Wettest day on record7.41 in · July 25, 2008
90° days a year38 · about 2 of them 100° or more
Nights at or below 32°121 · and 29 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 22, to the last in spring, about April 14 (median dates)
2Lows below freezing · Nov. 19 to March 13; normal lows fall below 32°
3Wettest stretch · April through June: 15.3 of the year’s 41.9 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Macon normally reaches 53° and falls to 34°. The record high is 80°, in 1999; the record low 15°, in 2019. The most rain on this date, 0.43 in, fell in 1994.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1989 at Long Branch Reservoir, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,410 mito the Gulf of AmericaSewer Creek → Middle Fork Salt → Salt River → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Macon reaches the Gulf of America by way of Sewer Creek, the Middle Fork Salt, the Salt River and the Mississippi: about 1,410 river miles.

Lake on the way: Mark Twain Lake.