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

Carbondale

1,150 people, 1,070 ft above sea level in Lackawanna County.

1,070 ftElevation, city center
1,150People, 2024 estimate
14 sq miLand area
Clear 39°
Clear now Dew point 33° · W 10 mph · high 39°
City of Carbondale River Interstate 2 miles
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The Carbondale 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 Carbondale

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 6:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Wilkes-Barre / Scranton International Airport (KAVP) · 6:28 PM
Clear
39° Clear Feels like 32° · high of 39° near 6 PM
WindW 10 mphno gusts
Humidity79%rising to 92% by morning
Pressure29.88 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 33° · 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. 121.75 in · 2 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Lackawanna County
NWS Binghamton and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 6:47 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:49 AM4:43 PM ↓
9 h 53 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
18
GOODAir quality index · ozone
Tomorrow: 10, 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
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly 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
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
39°
34°
45°
35°
46°
30°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
8
8
7
8
8
10
12
10
7
6
6
6
7
9
9
8
5
3
1
0
0
0
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0
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 28 to 36°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 52° / 35°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
39° 32°
20% rain — W 8 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
45° 32°
0% rain — NNW 10 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
48° 28°
0% rain — NNW 8 B
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
55° 30°
0% rain — W 5 A
WED Nov. 18 Sunny Sunny
58° 32°
0% rain — SW 5 A
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
60° 37°
0% rain — SSW 3 B
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
61° 38°
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 Carbondale about 5,000 feet above the ground was over Canada three days ago, and over Ontario a day ago, about 2,510 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 2006 Nov. 15–16, 2006

The wettest two days this week has seen

3.00 inches of rain fell in two days, the most for this week of the year since records began in 1901. The next wettest, 2.41 inches, fell in 1926.

2.41″
3.00″
19262006
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Avoca Area threaded record since 1901.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Carbondale stands on

Carbondale’s center stands about 1,070 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 990 ft to 2,180 ft, a difference of 1,190 ft: steep hill country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is North Knob, about 2,690 ft, 10 miles north-northwest.

The section below crosses 3 rock units mapped at the surface.

Carbondale, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
1,000 ft1,500 ft2,000 ft CARBONDALE1,070 ftLow point850 ftDickson City1,190 ftBlakely1,690 ftHigh point of the line2,250 ftWest Branch Lackawaxen Riverabout 1,240 ft ← SW · Dickson CityNE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 14×. 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

Llewellyn Formation

Sandstone. Age: Carboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old. About 10 mi of the line.

Catskill Formation

Sandstone, siltstone, shale. Age: Late Devonian, 359 to 384 million years old. About 8 mi of the line.

Pottsville Formation

Sandstone. Age: Carboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old. About 6 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 Carbondale’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Carbondale reaches Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Lackawanna and the Susquehanna: about 230 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Carbondale≈ 230 mi · Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean
FROM THE CENTER OF CARBONDALE ≈ 230 mi to Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean Lackawanna → Susquehanna

Lake on the way: Lake Aldred.

160 miles of the trip are on the Susquehanna.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Carbondale’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1901 · Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, 20 mi southwest

Carbondale has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 85° in July; winter nights fall to about 20° in January. A normal year brings about 45 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 39 inches of water.

36°20°39°22°48°29°61°39°72°50°80°58°85°63°82°61°75°54°63°43°51°34°40°26° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY CARBONDALE 38.7 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average85° / 63°high / low, the warmest month
January, average36° / 20°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow38.7 inwettest months: September and August
Snow a year45.1 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record103°FJuly 9, 1936
Coldest on record−21°FJanuary 21, 1994
Wettest day on record5.98 inSeptember 27, 1985
Snowiest day on record22.1 inMarch 14, 2017
90° days a year12none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°122and 35 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 17, to the last in spring, about April 27 (median dates)
2Lows below freezingNov. 22 to March 28; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Carbondale normally reaches 52° and falls to 35°. The record high is 71°, in 1989; the record low 14°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 1.75 in, fell in 1972.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high36°39°48°61°72°80°85°82°75°63°51°40°
Normal low20°22°29°39°50°58°63°61°54°43°34°26°
Rain and melt, in2.592.072.773.263.263.803.613.854.153.712.852.80
Snow, inches11.710.910.10.80.00.00.00.00.00.73.27.7
Record high69° (1932)76° (2018)85° (1998)93° (2009)93° (2020)99° (1919)103° (1936)102° (1918)100° (1953)91° (1927)81° (1950)71° (2006)
Record low−21° (1994)−19° (1934)−4° (1967)8° (1923)27° (1974)34° (1972)43° (1979)38° (1982)29° (2000)19° (1972)5° (2018)−13° (1917)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1901 from the Avoca Area threaded record (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, 20 miles southwest, 120 ft lower). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Carbondale on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Scranton PA · 13 MI 13 miles southwest Wilkes-Barre PA · 29 MI 29 miles southwest New York NY · 102 MI 102 miles southeast Philadelphia PA · 108 MI 108 miles south Hempstead NY · 118 MI 118 miles southeast Brookhaven NY · 141 MI 141 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Explore the plate
PENNSYLVANIA · LACKAWANNA

Carbondale

1,150 people, 1,070 ft above sea level in Lackawanna County.

1,070 ftElevation
1,150People
14 sq miLand
Clear 39°
ClearDew point 33°
1

Today in Carbondale

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy night 39° 0%
9p mostly cloudy night 37° 3%
12a mostly cloudy night 36° 4%
3a mostly cloudy night 35° 2%
6a mostly cloudy night 34° 1%
9a mostly cloudy day 38° 1%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat20%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
32
39
A
Sun0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
32
45
A
Mon0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
28
48
B
Tue0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
30
55
A
Wed0%
Sunny Sunny
32
58
A
Thu0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
37
60
B
Fri0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
38
61
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 2006 · NOV. 15–16, 2006

3.00 inches in two days, the most for this week since 1901.

2

What Carbondale stands on

Carbondale’s center stands about 1,070 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 990 ft to 2,180 ft, a difference of 1,190 ft: steep hill country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is North Knob, about 2,690 ft, 10 miles north-northwest.

Carbondale, southwest to northeast Carbondale1,070 ftWest Branch Lackawaxen Riverabout 1,240 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 26×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,070 ft
Within 3 miles990 to 2,180 ft
Lie of the landSteep hill country (1,190 ft of relief)
High point nearbyNorth Knob, 2,690 ft, 10 mi north-northwest
5

Carbondale’s year

Carbondale has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 85° in July; winter nights fall to about 20° in January. A normal year brings about 45 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 39 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 38.7 in
July, average85° / 63° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average36° / 20° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow38.7 in · wettest months: September and August
Snow a year45.1 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record103°F · July 9, 1936
Coldest on record−21°F · January 21, 1994
Wettest day on record5.98 in · September 27, 1985
Snowiest day on record22.1 in · March 14, 2017
90° days a year12 · none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°122 · and 35 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 17, to the last in spring, about April 27 (median dates)
2Lows below freezing · Nov. 22 to March 28; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Carbondale normally reaches 52° and falls to 35°. The record high is 71°, in 1989; the record low 14°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 1.75 in, fell in 1972.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1901 from the Avoca Area threaded record (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, 20 miles southwest, 120 ft lower). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 230 mito the AtlanticLackawanna → Susquehanna

A raindrop that lands in Carbondale reaches Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Lackawanna and the Susquehanna: about 230 river miles.

Lake on the way: Lake Aldred.

160 miles of the trip are on the Susquehanna.