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

Ulysses

4,839 people, 990 ft above sea level in Tompkins County.

990 ftElevation, city center
4,839People, 2024 estimate
33 sq miLand area
Rain 37°
Rain now Dew point 35° · WNW 16 mph · high 39°
City of Ulysses River Interstate 2 miles
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The Ulysses 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 Ulysses

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 1:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (KITH) · 1:56 PM
Rain
37° Rain Feels like 28° · high of 39° near 2 PM
WindWNW 16 mphgusts 24
Humidity92%falling to 89% this afternoon
Pressure29.79 in →steady
Visibility7 mihazy
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 35° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Today, about 2 PMin about 1 hours · 75% chance · rain
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 80.02 in · 6 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Tompkins County
NWS Binghamton and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 2:16 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:56 AM4:45 PM ↓
9 h 49 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
20
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
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
rain
rain
rain
rain
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
39°
34°
40°
36°
43°
32°
CHANCE OF RAIN
75% · 0.26 in Saturday evening 50%
WIND, MPH
14
12
10
9
9
9
10
13
12
9
8
7
8
8
10
10
9
5
1
0
0
0
2
5
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 31 to 37° ↑ Humid air returns 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 80° / 62°
SAT Nov. 14 Showers likely Showers likely
39° 29°
80% rain — WNW 14 A
SUN Nov. 15 Chance of showers Chance of showers
42° 31°
40% rain — NNW 12 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
45° 27°
10% rain — NW 9 B
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
52° 28°
0% rain — WSW 2 B
WED Nov. 18 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
56° 29°
0% rain — S 5 A
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
58° 36°
0% rain — S 5 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
59° 38°
0% rain — WNW 1 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 Ulysses about 5,000 feet above the ground was over Canada three days ago, and over Ontario a day ago, about 2,350 miles back along its path. It came down from about 10,400 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from the Canadian Prairies; 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

75° on Nov. 11, 2020, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1893. Next is 72° in 1909.

72°
75°
19092020
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Ithaca Cornell University record since 1893.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Ulysses stands on

Ulysses’s center stands about 990 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 370 ft to 1,340 ft, a difference of 970 ft: steep hill country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Connecticut Hill, about 2,140 ft, 9 miles south-southwest.

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 4 rock units mapped at the surface.

Catharine to Genoa, cut in half

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
500 ft1,000 ft1,500 ft ULYSSES990 ftBuck Hill2,010 ftLow point370 ft ← SW · CatharineGenoa · NE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 12×. 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 12 mi of the line.

Sonyea Group

Shale, siltstone. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 384 million years old. About 6 mi of the line.

Beers Hill, Dunn Hill, Millport, and Moreland Shales; Grimes Siltstone

Shale. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 384 million years old. About 5 mi of the line.

Moscow Formation

Shale. Age: Middle Devonian, 384 to 388 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 Ulysses’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Ulysses reaches Lake Ontario by way of Taughannock Creek, the Seneca and the Oswego: about 110 river miles. From the lake it goes down the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Ulysses≈ 110 mi · Lake Ontario
FROM THE CENTER OF ULYSSES ≈ 110 mi to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Taughannock Creek → Seneca → Oswego

Lake on the way: Cayuga Lake.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Ulysses’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1893 · Ithaca Cornell University, 10 mi east-southeast

Ulysses has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 80° in July; winter nights fall to about 15° in January. A normal year brings about 63 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 38 inches of water.

31°15°33°15°41°22°54°33°67°44°76°53°80°58°79°56°72°49°59°39°47°30°36°22° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 TODAY ULYSSES 38.3 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average80° / 58°high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 15°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow38.3 inwettest months: June and July
Snow a year62.9 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record103°FJuly 9, 1936
Coldest on record−25°FFebruary 2, 1961
Wettest day on record5.08 inOctober 28, 1981
Snowiest day on record26.0 inFebruary 14, 1914
90° days a year6none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°148and 51 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 May 14 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 31 to Feb. 12; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 8 to April 14; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Ulysses normally reaches 47° and falls to 31°. The record high is 71°, in 1902; the record low 9°, in 1905. The most rain on this date, 0.83 in, fell in 1972.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high31°33°41°54°67°76°80°79°72°59°47°36°
Normal low15°15°22°33°44°53°58°56°49°39°30°22°
Rain and melt, in2.241.982.783.403.203.983.903.773.833.702.942.57
Snow, inches16.614.512.02.80.00.00.00.00.00.24.612.2
Record high70° (1906)73° (2017)85° (1977)91° (2009)96° (1911)102° (1933)103° (1936)101° (1916)100° (1931)91° (1953)81° (1950)69° (1998)
Record low−25° (1957)−25° (1961)−17° (1993)−1° (2016)22° (1978)31° (1986)38° (1963)32° (1965)24° (1991)15° (1928)−5° (2018)−22° (1917)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1893 at Ithaca Cornell University, 10 miles east-southeast. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Ulysses on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Ithaca NY · 8 MI 8 miles southeast Elmira NY · 31 MI 31 miles south Newark NJ · 177 MI 177 miles southeast Jersey City NJ · 181 MI 181 miles southeast New York NY · 188 MI 188 miles southeast Philadelphia PA · 189 MI 189 miles southeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Ulysses, New York. Explore the plate
NEW YORK · TOMPKINS

Ulysses

4,839 people, 990 ft above sea level in Tompkins County.

990 ftElevation
4,839People
33 sq miLand
Rain 37°
RainDew point 35°
1

Today in Ulysses

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now rain 39° 37%
5p rain 37° 64%
8p rain 37° 70%
11p rain 36° 56%
2a mostly cloudy night 36° 11%
5a mostly cloudy night 35° 6%
Rain
NEXT RAINToday about 2 PM · 75%
→
Sat80%
Showers likely Showers likely
29
39
A
Sun40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
31
42
A
Mon10%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
27
45
B
Tue0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
28
52
B
Wed0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
29
56
A
Thu0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
36
58
B
Fri0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
38
59
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

75°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1893.

2

What Ulysses stands on

Ulysses’s center stands about 990 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 370 ft to 1,340 ft, a difference of 970 ft: steep hill country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Connecticut Hill, about 2,140 ft, 9 miles south-southwest.

Ulysses, southwest to northeast Ulysses990 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 23×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center990 ft
Within 3 miles370 to 1,340 ft
Lie of the landSteep hill country (970 ft of relief)
High point nearbyConnecticut Hill, 2,140 ft, 9 mi south-southwest
Rock at the surfaceGenesee Group
Its ageLate Devonian, 359 to 384 million years old
5

Ulysses’s year

Ulysses has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 80° in July; winter nights fall to about 15° in January. A normal year brings about 63 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 38 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 38.3 in
July, average80° / 58° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 15° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow38.3 in · wettest months: June and July
Snow a year62.9 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record103°F · July 9, 1936
Coldest on record−25°F · February 2, 1961
Wettest day on record5.08 in · October 28, 1981
Snowiest day on record26.0 in · February 14, 1914
90° days a year6 · none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°148 · and 51 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 May 14 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 31 to Feb. 12; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 8 to April 14; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Ulysses normally reaches 47° and falls to 31°. The record high is 71°, in 1902; the record low 9°, in 1905. The most rain on this date, 0.83 in, fell in 1972.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1893 at Ithaca Cornell University, 10 miles east-southeast. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 110 mito Lake OntarioTaughannock Creek → Seneca → Oswego

A raindrop that lands in Ulysses reaches Lake Ontario by way of Taughannock Creek, the Seneca and the Oswego: about 110 river miles. From the lake it goes down the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic.

Lake on the way: Cayuga Lake.