FORECAST CITY
Sign in
Shaded-relief map of McLean, New York: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
NEW YORK · TOMPKINS COUNTY

McLean

378 people, 1,140 ft above sea level in Tompkins County.

1,140 ftElevation, city center
378People, 2024 estimate
0 sq miLand area
Sunny 35°
Sunny now Dew point 32° · WNW 12 mph · high 37°
City of McLean River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The McLean 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 McLean

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 1:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Greater Binghamton Airport (KBGM) · 2:53 PM
Sunny
35° Sunny Feels like 27° · high of 37° near 3 PM
WindWNW 12 mphgusts 21
Humidity88%rising to 100% by morning
Pressure29.76 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 32° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Snow
Today, about 4 PMin about 1 hours · 48% chance · rain
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 121.48 in · 2 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Tompkins County
NWS Binghamton and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 3:17 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:55 AM4:44 PM ↓
9 h 49 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
21
GOODAir quality index · ozone
Tomorrow: 18, 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
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
snow
snow
rain
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
37°
33°
38°
35°
40°
30°
CHANCE OF RAIN
48% · 0.06 in Saturday evening 50%
WIND, MPH
10
10
9
9
9
9
10
12
10
8
7
7
8
7
9
9
8
6
5
5
5
3
5
7
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 26 to 34° ↑ Humid air returns 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 46° / 31°
SAT Nov. 14 Chance of showers Chance of showers
37° 32°
50% rain — WNW 11 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
40° 34°
20% rain — NW 11 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
43° 30°
0% rain — NW 8 B
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
50° 31°
0% rain — WSW 5 B
WED Nov. 18 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
53° 32°
0% rain — SSW 3 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
55° 37°
0% rain — S 6 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
56° 39°
0% rain — NW 5 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 McLean about 5,000 feet above the ground was over Canada three days ago, and over Ontario a day ago, about 2,380 miles back along its path. It came down from about 10,000 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from the northern Plains; at 10,000 feet, from British Columbia. 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, SIX YEARS AGO Nov. 11, 2020

The hottest this week has been

73° on Nov. 11, 2020, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1948. Next is 67° in 2012.

67°
73°
20122020
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Freeville 1 NE record since 1948.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What McLean stands on

McLean’s center stands about 1,140 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,050 ft to 1,640 ft, a difference of 590 ft: hilly country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Virgil Mountain, about 2,130 ft, 9 miles east-southeast.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Genesee Group (shale), from the Late Devonian, 359 to 384 million years old.

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

Lansing to Freetown, cut in half

A section west to east, 24 miles through the town center
1,000 ft1,500 ft MCLEAN1,140 ftLow point670 ftHigh point of the line1,910 ftTioughnioga Riverabout 1,080 ft ← W · LansingFreetown · E →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 16×. 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

Genesee Group

Shale. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 384 million years old. About 19 mi of the line.

Sonyea Group

Shale, siltstone. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 384 million years old. About 5 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 McLean’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in McLean reaches Lake Ontario by way of Fall Creek, the Seneca and the Oswego: about 130 river miles. From the lake it goes down the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
McLean≈ 130 mi · Lake Ontario
FROM THE CENTER OF MCLEAN ≈ 130 mi to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Fall Creek → Seneca → Oswego

Lake on the way: Cayuga Lake.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

McLean’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1948 · Freeville 1 NE, 3 mi southwest

McLean has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 79° in July; winter nights fall to about 12° in January. A normal year brings about 64 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 40 inches of water.

30°12°33°12°40°20°53°33°66°44°74°53°79°58°78°55°71°49°58°38°46°29°35°21° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY MCLEAN 39.5 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Rain by month Freezing
July, average79° / 58°high / low, the warmest month
January, average30° / 12°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow39.5 inwettest months: June and September
Snow a year64.4 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record99°FJuly 22, 2011
Coldest on record−29°FFebruary 24, 2015
Wettest day on record4.79 inOctober 28, 1981
Climate typeWarm-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfb

AROUND THE RING

1Highs below freezingDec. 24 to Feb. 15; normal highs stay below 32°
2Lows below freezingNov. 2 to April 15; normal lows fall below 32°
MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high30°33°40°53°66°74°79°78°71°58°46°35°
Normal low12°12°20°33°44°53°58°55°49°38°29°21°
Rain and melt, in2.202.022.663.193.514.194.094.094.123.902.842.66
Snow, inches16.114.513.02.40.00.00.00.00.00.15.612.7

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 at Freeville 1 NE, 3 miles southwest. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around McLean on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Syracuse NY · 35 MI 35 miles north Binghamton NY · 37 MI 37 miles southeast Newark NJ · 167 MI 167 miles southeast Jersey City NJ · 171 MI 171 miles southeast New York NY · 178 MI 178 miles southeast Philadelphia PA · 185 MI 185 miles south
FORECASTCITY
Map of McLean, New York. Explore the plate
NEW YORK · TOMPKINS

McLean

378 people, 1,140 ft above sea level in Tompkins County.

1,140 ftElevation
378People
0 sq miLand
Sunny 35°
SunnyDew point 32°
1

Today in McLean

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy day 37° 21%
6p snow 34° 38%
9p snow 36° 40%
12a mostly cloudy night 35° 18%
3a mostly cloudy night 35° 18%
6a mostly cloudy night 34° 14%
Snow
NEXT RAINToday about 4 PM · 48%
→
Sat50%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
32
37
A
Sun20%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
34
40
A
Mon0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
30
43
B
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
31
50
B
Wed0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
32
53
B
Thu0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
37
55
B
Fri0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
39
56
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK, SIX YEARS AGO · NOV. 11, 2020

73°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1948.

2

What McLean stands on

McLean’s center stands about 1,140 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,050 ft to 1,640 ft, a difference of 590 ft: hilly country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Virgil Mountain, about 2,130 ft, 9 miles east-southeast.

McLean, west to east McLean1,140 ftTioughnioga Riverabout 1,080 ft ← WE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 30×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,140 ft
Within 3 miles1,050 to 1,640 ft
Lie of the landHilly (590 ft of relief)
High point nearbyVirgil Mountain, 2,130 ft, 9 mi east-southeast
Rock at the surfaceGenesee Group
Its ageLate Devonian, 359 to 384 million years old
5

McLean’s year

McLean has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 79° in July; winter nights fall to about 12° in January. A normal year brings about 64 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 40 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 39.5 in
July, average79° / 58° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average30° / 12° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow39.5 in · wettest months: June and September
Snow a year64.4 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record99°F · July 22, 2011
Coldest on record−29°F · February 24, 2015
Wettest day on record4.79 in · October 28, 1981
Climate typeWarm-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfb
1Highs below freezing · Dec. 24 to Feb. 15; normal highs stay below 32°
2Lows below freezing · Nov. 2 to April 15; normal lows fall below 32°
Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 at Freeville 1 NE, 3 miles southwest. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 130 mito Lake OntarioFall Creek → Seneca → Oswego

A raindrop that lands in McLean reaches Lake Ontario by way of Fall Creek, the Seneca and the Oswego: about 130 river miles. From the lake it goes down the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic.

Lake on the way: Cayuga Lake.