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Shaded-relief map of Key Center, Washington: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
WASHINGTON · PIERCE COUNTY

Key Center

3,863 people, 190 ft above sea level in Pierce County.

190 ftElevation, city center
3,863People, 2024 estimate
15 sq miLand area
Sunny 58°
Sunny now Dew point 46° · SSW 12 mph · high 55°
City of Key Center River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Key Center 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 Key Center

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 2:00 PM PST
RIGHT NOW Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW) · 1:53 PM
Sunny
58° Sunny Feels like 58° · high of 55° near 2 PM
WindSSW 12 mphno gusts
Humidity65%falling to 72% this afternoon
Pressure29.67 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 46° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Mostly cloudy
Tonight, about 9 PMin about 6 hours · 74% chance · rain
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 101.07 in · 4 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Pierce County
NWS Seattle and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 2:47 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:14 AM4:37 PM ↓
9 h 23 m of daylight, 3 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
22
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: 28, 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
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
rain
rain
rain
partly cloudy night
rain
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
showers night
showers night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
rain
showers day
showers day
showers day
showers night
showers night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
TEMPERATURE °F
55°
50°
54°
45°
51°
42°
CHANCE OF RAIN
74% · 0.15 in Saturday night 50%
WIND, MPH
10
9
8
12
13
13
13
13
9
8
8
7
5
4
6
8
7
5
5
5
2
0
0
2
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 42 to 49°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 51° / 40°
SAT Nov. 14 Showers likely Showers likely
55° 50°
70% rain — S 10 A
SUN Nov. 15 Showers likely Showers likely
54° 44°
70% rain 0.2–0.4″ SSW 12 A
MON Nov. 16 Chance of showers Chance of showers
52° 40°
50% rain up to 0.2″ SSW 6 B
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
51° 41°
20% rain — NNE 5 A
WED Nov. 18 Chance of showers Chance of showers
50° 40°
40% rain up to 0.08″ NNE 7 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
51° 37°
10% rain — NNE 5 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
49° 37°
20% rain — E 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 Key Center about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the open Pacific three days ago, and over British Columbia a day ago, about 1,010 miles back along its path. Near the ground the air came from the open Pacific; at 10,000 feet, from the Pacific north of Hawaii. 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 2001 Nov. 14–15, 2001

The wettest two days this week has seen

4.20 inches of rain fell in two days, the most for this week of the year since records began in 1899. The next wettest, 3.56 inches, fell in 1983.

3.56″
4.20″
19832001
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Bremerton record since 1899.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Key Center stands on

Key Center’s center stands about 190 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 0 ft to 320 ft, a difference of 320 ft: rolling country. Open water lies within three miles. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Gold Mountain, about 1,770 ft, 14 miles north.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Younger glacial drift (fine-detrital, coarse-detrital), from the Pleistocene, less than 2.6 million years old.

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

Key Center, cut in half from south to north

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
0 ft200 ft400 ft KEY CENTER190 ftHigh point of the line540 ft ← SGorst · N →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 36×. 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

Younger glacial drift

Fine-detrital, coarse-detrital. Age: Pleistocene, less than 2.6 million years old. About 10 mi of the line.

Younger glacial drift

Fine-detrital, coarse-detrital. Age: Pleistocene, less than 2.6 million years old. About 7 mi of the line.

Younger glacial drift

Fine-detrital, coarse-detrital. Age: Pleistocene, less than 2.6 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.

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 Key Center’s rain goes

Rain that falls on Key Center runs straight into Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean.

FROM THE CENTER OF KEY CENTER < 2 mi to Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean straight to the shore

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Key Center’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1899 · Bremerton, 16 mi north

Key Center has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. Summer afternoons average 77° in August; winter nights fall to about 35° in February. About 57 inches of rain fall in a normal year, with about 3 inches of snow.

47°36°49°35°54°38°59°41°66°47°70°51°76°55°77°55°72°51°61°45°51°39°46°35° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY KEY CENTER 56.9 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month
August, average77° / 55°high / low, the warmest month
February, average49° / 35°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year56.9 inwettest months: December and January
Snow a year3.0 insnowiest: December
Hottest on record102°FJune 28, 2021
Coldest on record7°FDecember 21, 1990
Wettest day on record7.50 inDecember 3, 2007
Snowiest day on record13.3 inFebruary 13, 1923
90° days a year4on average, 1991–2020
Nights at or below 32°43and 2 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeWarm-summer MediterraneanKöppen Csb

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Nov. 15, to the last in spring, about April 2 (median dates)
2Wettest stretchNovember through January: 28.0 of the year’s 56.9 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Key Center normally reaches 52° and falls to 39°. The record high is 68°, in 1901; the record low 12°, in 1955. The most rain on this date, 2.45 in, fell in 2001.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high47°49°54°59°66°70°76°77°72°61°51°46°
Normal low36°35°38°41°47°51°55°55°51°45°39°35°
Rain, inches9.285.836.373.862.361.610.831.091.805.148.849.92
Snow, inches0.60.70.10.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.31.3
Record high64° (2015)72° (1918)80° (2019)89° (2016)92° (1983)102° (2021)99° (2007)101° (2020)97° (1988)88° (2022)74° (1901)71° (1918)
Record low12° (1969)12° (1989)19° (1989)23° (2001)27° (1964)37° (2003)39° (1903)40° (1955)30° (2003)27° (2006)10° (1955)7° (1990)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1899 at Bremerton, 16 miles north. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Key Center on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Tacoma WA · 15 MI 15 miles east Seattle WA · 27 MI 27 miles northeast Everett WA · 51 MI 51 miles northeast Bellingham WA · 99 MI 99 miles north Yakima WA · 116 MI 116 miles southeast Vancouver WA · 117 MI 117 miles south
FORECASTCITY
Map of Key Center, Washington. Explore the plate
WASHINGTON · PIERCE

Key Center

3,863 people, 190 ft above sea level in Pierce County.

190 ftElevation
3,863People
15 sq miLand
Sunny 58°
SunnyDew point 46°
1

Today in Key Center

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy day 55° 0%
5p mostly cloudy night 54° 13%
8p mostly cloudy night 54° 23%
11p rain 52° 74%
2a rain 52° 53%
5a rain 52° 31%
Mostly cloudy
NEXT RAINTonight about 9 PM · 74%
→
Sat70%
Showers likely Showers likely
50
55
A
Sun70%
Showers likely Showers likely
44
54
A
Mon50%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
40
52
B
Tue20%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
41
51
A
Wed40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
40
50
B
Thu10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
37
51
B
Fri20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
37
49
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 2001 · NOV. 14–15, 2001

4.20 inches in two days, the most for this week since 1899.

2

What Key Center stands on

Key Center’s center stands about 190 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 0 ft to 320 ft, a difference of 320 ft: rolling country. Open water lies within three miles. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Gold Mountain, about 1,770 ft, 14 miles north.

Key Center, south to north Key Center190 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 68×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center190 ft
Within 3 miles0 to 320 ft
Lie of the landRolling (320 ft of relief)
High point nearbyGold Mountain, 1,770 ft, 14 mi north
Rock at the surfaceYounger glacial drift
Its agePleistocene, less than 2.6 million years old
5

Key Center’s year

Key Center has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. Summer afternoons average 77° in August; winter nights fall to about 35° in February. About 57 inches of rain fall in a normal year, with about 3 inches of snow.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 56.9 in
August, average77° / 55° · high / low, the warmest month
February, average49° / 35° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year56.9 in · wettest months: December and January
Snow a year3.0 in · snowiest: December
Hottest on record102°F · June 28, 2021
Coldest on record7°F · December 21, 1990
Wettest day on record7.50 in · December 3, 2007
Snowiest day on record13.3 in · February 13, 1923
90° days a year4 · on average, 1991–2020
Nights at or below 32°43 · and 2 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeWarm-summer Mediterranean · Köppen Csb
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Nov. 15, to the last in spring, about April 2 (median dates)
2Wettest stretch · November through January: 28.0 of the year’s 56.9 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Key Center normally reaches 52° and falls to 39°. The record high is 68°, in 1901; the record low 12°, in 1955. The most rain on this date, 2.45 in, fell in 2001.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1899 at Bremerton, 16 miles north. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

< 2 mito the Pacificstraight to the shore

Rain that falls on Key Center runs straight into Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean.