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Shaded-relief map of Banks, Pennsylvania: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
PENNSYLVANIA · CARBON COUNTY

Banks

1,164 people, 1,610 ft above sea level in Carbon County.

1,610 ftElevation, city center
1,164People, 2024 estimate
12 sq miLand area
Clear 42°
Clear now Dew point 32° · NW 8 mph · high 41°
City of Banks River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Banks 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 Banks

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 6:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Lehigh Valley International Airport (KABE) · 5:51 PM
Clear
42° Clear Feels like 37° · high of 41° near 6 PM
WindNW 8 mphno gusts
Humidity67%rising to 92% by morning
Pressure29.88 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 32° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 120.93 in · 2 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Carbon County
NWS Mount Holly and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 6:47 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:49 AM4:46 PM ↓
9 h 56 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
22
GOODAir quality index · ozone
Tomorrow: 15, 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
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
41°
33°
50°
33°
53°
29°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
9
9
8
9
9
13
13
12
8
6
6
6
6
9
10
9
6
3
3
3
3
3
7
6
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 26 to 36°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 54° / 34°
SAT Nov. 14 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
41° 30°
10% rain — WNW 9 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
50° 29°
0% rain — NNW 12 A
MON Nov. 16 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
53° 27°
0% rain — NNW 9 B
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
58° 28°
0% rain — WNW 6 A
WED Nov. 18 Sunny Sunny
61° 29°
0% rain — W 5 A
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
62° 33°
0% rain — WSW 5 B
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
63° 35°
0% rain — WNW 5 B
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 Banks about 5,000 feet above the ground was over British Columbia three days ago, and over the Great Lakes a day ago, about 2,400 miles back along its path. Near the ground the air came from the Canadian Prairies; at 10,000 feet, from the Gulf of Alaska. 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, SIX YEARS AGO Nov. 11, 2020

The hottest this week has been

72° on Nov. 11, 2020, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1958. Next is 71° in 2012.

71°
72°
20122020
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Francis E Walter Dam record since 1958.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Banks stands on

Banks’s center stands about 1,610 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,200 ft to 1,890 ft, a difference of 690 ft: hilly country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Bears Head, about 2,090 ft, 10 miles west-southwest.

The section below crosses 12 rock units mapped at the surface.

Hollenback to Mahoning, cut in half

A section northwest to southeast, 24 miles through the town center
500 ft1,000 ft1,500 ft BANKS1,610 ftHarleigh1,530 ftHazleton1,600 ftMahoning520 ft ← NW · HollenbackMahoning · SE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 15×. 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

Mauch Chunk Formation

Shale, siltstone, sandstone. Age: Carboniferous, 324 to 359 million years old. About 9 mi of the line.

Pottsville Formation

Sandstone. Age: Carboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old. About 6 mi of the line.

Llewellyn Formation

Sandstone. Age: Carboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old. About 2 mi of the line.

Pocono Formation

Sandstone. Age: Carboniferous, 324 to 359 million years old. About 2 mi of the line.

Long Run Member of Catskill Formation

Sandstone, siltstone, mudstone. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 384 million years old. About 1 mi of the line.

Clarks Ferry Member of Catskill Formation

Sandstone. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 384 million years old. About 0.9 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale. 6 smaller units along the line are not listed.

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 Banks’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Banks reaches Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean by way of Beaver Creek, Black Creek, the Lehigh and the Delaware: about 220 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Banks≈ 220 mi · Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean
FROM THE CENTER OF BANKS ≈ 220 mi to Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean Beaver Creek → Black Creek → Lehigh → Delaware

150 miles of the trip are on the Delaware.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Banks’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1958 · Francis E Walter Dam, 17 mi northeast

Banks has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 79° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. About 49 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

31°16°35°17°43°24°56°34°67°45°74°54°79°58°77°56°71°49°59°38°47°29°36°22° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY BANKS 48.8 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average79° / 58°high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 16°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year48.8 inwettest months: September and June
Hottest on record98°FAugust 3, 2006
Coldest on record−28°FFebruary 18, 1979
Wettest day on record6.67 inJune 15, 1969
Snowiest day on record22.0 inNovember 26, 1971
Climate typeWarm-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfb

AROUND THE RING

1Highs below freezingDec. 30 to Feb. 3; normal highs stay below 32°
2Lows below freezingNov. 4 to April 11; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Banks normally reaches 48° and falls to 30°. The record high is 65°, in 1964; the record low 10°, in 1997. The most rain on this date, 0.91 in, fell in 1972.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high31°35°43°56°67°74°79°77°71°59°47°36°
Normal low16°17°24°34°45°54°58°56°49°38°29°22°
Rain, inches3.132.603.654.064.174.814.494.555.244.693.613.84
Record high67° (2008)72° (2018)84° (1998)90° (2009)95° (2006)94° (2024)96° (2011)98° (2006)91° (1980)86° (2007)77° (1982)67° (2015)
Record low−26° (1982)−28° (1979)−13° (1967)4° (1975)21° (1974)27° (1972)30° (1989)31° (1965)23° (1991)11° (1969)−1° (2018)−22° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1958 at Francis E Walter Dam, 17 miles northeast, 100 ft lower. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Banks on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Allentown PA · 33 MI 33 miles southeast Bethlehem PA · 36 MI 36 miles southeast Philadelphia PA · 76 MI 76 miles southeast New York NY · 105 MI 105 miles east Baltimore MD · 118 MI 118 miles south Hempstead NY · 123 MI 123 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of Banks, Pennsylvania. Explore the plate
PENNSYLVANIA · CARBON

Banks

1,164 people, 1,610 ft above sea level in Carbon County.

1,610 ftElevation
1,164People
12 sq miLand
Clear 42°
ClearDew point 32°
1

Today in Banks

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now partly cloudy night 41° 0%
9p partly cloudy night 39° 9%
12a mostly clear night 36° 2%
3a mostly clear night 35° 1%
6a mostly clear night 33° 0%
9a mostly sunny 41° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
30
41
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
29
50
A
Mon0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
27
53
B
Tue0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
28
58
A
Wed0%
Sunny Sunny
29
61
A
Thu0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
33
62
B
Fri0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
35
63
B
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

72°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1958.

2

What Banks stands on

Banks’s center stands about 1,610 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,200 ft to 1,890 ft, a difference of 690 ft: hilly country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Bears Head, about 2,090 ft, 10 miles west-southwest.

Banks, northwest to southeast Banks1,610 ft ← NWSE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 28×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,610 ft
Within 3 miles1,200 to 1,890 ft
Lie of the landHilly (690 ft of relief)
High point nearbyBears Head, 2,090 ft, 10 mi west-southwest
5

Banks’s year

Banks has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 79° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. About 49 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 48.8 in
July, average79° / 58° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average31° / 16° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year48.8 in · wettest months: September and June
Hottest on record98°F · August 3, 2006
Coldest on record−28°F · February 18, 1979
Wettest day on record6.67 in · June 15, 1969
Snowiest day on record22.0 in · November 26, 1971
Climate typeWarm-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfb
1Highs below freezing · Dec. 30 to Feb. 3; normal highs stay below 32°
2Lows below freezing · Nov. 4 to April 11; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Banks normally reaches 48° and falls to 30°. The record high is 65°, in 1964; the record low 10°, in 1997. The most rain on this date, 0.91 in, fell in 1972.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1958 at Francis E Walter Dam, 17 miles northeast, 100 ft lower. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 220 mito the AtlanticBeaver Creek → Black Creek → Lehigh → Delaware

A raindrop that lands in Banks reaches Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean by way of Beaver Creek, Black Creek, the Lehigh and the Delaware: about 220 river miles.

150 miles of the trip are on the Delaware.