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Shaded-relief map of Lancaster, South Carolina: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
SOUTH CAROLINA · LANCASTER COUNTY

Lancaster

9,396 people, 540 ft above sea level in Lancaster County.

540 ftElevation, city center
9,396People, 2024 estimate
7 sq miLand area
Sunny 55°
Sunny now Dew point 28° · NNW 8 mph · high 55°
City of Lancaster River Interstate 2 miles
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The Lancaster 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 Lancaster

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 1:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Lancaster County-mc Whirter Field (KLKR) · 1:55 PM
Sunny
55° Sunny Feels like 55° · high of 55° near 2 PM
WindNNW 8 mphgusts 14
Humidity35%falling to 35% this afternoon
Pressure30.07 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 28° · Dry37° by Monday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 60.83 in · 8 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
! Freeze WarningFreeze Warning issued November 14 at 1:24PM EST until November 15 at 9:00AM EST by NWS Columbia SC
NWS Columbia and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 2:17 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:56 AM5:19 PM ↓
10 h 23 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
0
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
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
mostly sunny
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
55°
32°
57°
34°
57°
34°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
8
5
5
0
0
0
3
6
5
2
0
2
5
5
6
5
3
1
0
0
0
0
4
6
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 28 to 37°

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
55° 31°
0% rain — NW 8 A
SUN Nov. 15 Sunny Sunny
57° 33°
0% rain — N 4 A
MON Nov. 16 Sunny Sunny
58° 33°
0% rain — NE 5 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
61° 34°
0% rain — NE 5 B
WED Nov. 18 Sunny Sunny
64° 34°
0% rain — NE 5 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
69° 38°
0% rain — NE 5 A
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
70° 40°
0% rain — NE 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 Lancaster about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the southern Plains three days ago, and over the Ohio Valley a day ago, about 1,270 miles back along its path. Near the ground the air came from Georgia; at 10,000 feet, from the Pacific off the Northwest. It feels humid. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

MILE2
THE GROUND

What Lancaster stands on

Lancaster’s center stands about 540 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 440 ft to 610 ft, a difference of 170 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Persimmon Fork Formation (metavolcanic), from the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian, 487 to 1,000 million years old.

The section below crosses 8 rock units mapped at the surface.

Lancaster, cut in half from south to north

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
400 ft500 ft600 ft700 ft LANCASTER540 ftLow point380 ftSpringdale580 ftHigh point of the line750 ft ← SJAARS · N →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 51×. 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

Persimmon Fork Formation

Metavolcanic. Age: Neoproterozoic to Cambrian, 487 to 1,000 million years old. About 12 mi of the line.

Metamorphosed Mafic Rock

Metagabbro, metadiorite. Age: Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic, 252 to 1,000 million years old. About 3 mi of the line.

Pleasant Hill metagranite

Metagranite. Age: Neoproterozoic to Cambrian, 487 to 1,000 million years old. About 2 mi of the line.

Metamorphosed granite and granodiorite

Metagranite, metadiorite. Age: Neoproterozoic to Cambrian, 487 to 1,000 million years old. About 2 mi of the line.

Metamorphosed Granitic Rock

Metagranite. Age: Neoproterozoic to Middle Cambrian, 520 to 650 million years old. About 2 mi of the line.

Granite - Liberty Hill pluton

Granite. Age: Carboniferous to Permian, 252 to 359 million years old. About 1 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale. 2 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 Lancaster’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Lancaster reaches the Atlantic Ocean by way of Gills Creek, Cane Creek, the Catawba, the Wateree, the Congaree, the Santee and the South Santee: about 250 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Lancaster≈ 250 mi · the Atlantic Ocean
FROM THE CENTER OF LANCASTER ≈ 250 mi to the Atlantic Ocean Gills Creek → Cane Creek → … → Congaree → Santee → South Santee

Lake on the way: Lib Pines Lake.

90 miles of the trip are on the Wateree.

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

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Lancaster on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Rock Hill SC · 20 MI 20 miles northwest Charlotte NC · 34 MI 34 miles north Winston-Salem NC · 100 MI 100 miles north Greensboro NC · 109 MI 109 miles northeast Durham NC · 137 MI 137 miles northeast Raleigh NC · 143 MI 143 miles northeast
FORECASTCITY
Map of Lancaster, South Carolina. Explore the plate
SOUTH CAROLINA · LANCASTER

Lancaster

9,396 people, 540 ft above sea level in Lancaster County.

540 ftElevation
9,396People
7 sq miLand
Sunny 55°
SunnyDew point 28°
1

Today in Lancaster

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly sunny 55° 0%
5p clear night 51° 0%
8p clear night 41° 0%
11p clear night 37° 0%
2a clear night 34° 0%
5a clear night 32° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
31
55
A
Sun0%
Sunny Sunny
33
57
A
Mon0%
Sunny Sunny
33
58
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
34
61
B
Wed0%
Sunny Sunny
34
64
B
Thu0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
38
69
A
Fri0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
40
70
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
2

What Lancaster stands on

Lancaster’s center stands about 540 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 440 ft to 610 ft, a difference of 170 ft: gently rolling country.

Lancaster, south to north Lancaster540 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 98×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center540 ft
Within 3 miles440 to 610 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (170 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfacePersimmon Fork Formation
Its ageNeoproterozoic to Cambrian, 487 to 1,000 million years old
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 250 mito the Atlantic OceanGills Creek → Cane Creek → … → Congaree → Santee → South Santee

A raindrop that lands in Lancaster reaches the Atlantic Ocean by way of Gills Creek, Cane Creek, the Catawba, the Wateree, the Congaree, the Santee and the South Santee: about 250 river miles.

Lake on the way: Lib Pines Lake.

90 miles of the trip are on the Wateree.