FORECAST CITY
Sign in
Shaded-relief map of Longbranch, Washington: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
WASHINGTON · PIERCE COUNTY

Longbranch

4,141 people, 30 ft above sea level in Pierce County.

30 ftElevation, city center
4,141People, 2024 estimate
20 sq miLand area
Clear 55°
Clear now Dew point 49° · SSE 3 mph · high 55°
City of Longbranch River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Longbranch 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 Longbranch

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 4:00 PM PST
RIGHT NOW Tacoma / McChord Air Force Base (KTCM) · 4:55 PM
Clear
55° Clear Feels like 55° · high of 55° near 5 PM
WindSSE 3 mphno gusts
Humidity78%rising to 96% by morning
Pressure29.65 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 49° · Dry37° by Tuesday: drier air arrives
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Tonight, about 9 PMin about 4 hours · 77% chance · rain
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 70.01 in · 7 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Pierce County
NWS Seattle and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 5:18 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:13 AM4:37 PM ↓
9 h 23 m of daylight, 3 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 27% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
23
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
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
mostly cloudy night
rain
rain
rain
mostly cloudy night
showers day
partly cloudy day
showers day
showers night
showers night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
showers day
showers day
showers night
showers night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
55°
49°
54°
41°
51°
37°
CHANCE OF RAIN
77% · 0.11 in Saturday night 50%
WIND, MPH
10
9
14
14
15
15
15
12
9
8
6
2
2
4
8
7
5
5
3
1
0
0
2
4
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 37 to 49°

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
55° 46°
80% rain — SSE 10 A
SUN Nov. 15 Showers likely Showers likely
57° 39°
70% rain 0.08–0.4″ S 14 A
MON Nov. 16 Chance of showers Chance of showers
53° 34°
40% rain up to 0.2″ SW 6 B
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
53° 34°
10% rain — NNE 5 B
WED Nov. 18 Chance of showers Chance of showers
51° 33°
30% rain up to 0.05″ N 7 B
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
52° 31°
10% rain — NNE 5 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
51° 31°
20% 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 Longbranch about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the open Pacific three days ago, and over British Columbia a day ago, about 1,020 miles back along its path. It came down from about 9,000 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. 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. 13–14, 2001

The wettest two days this week has seen

5.38 inches of rain fell in two days, the most for this week of the year since records began in 1948. The next wettest, 5.30 inches, fell in 2015.

5.30″
5.38″
20152001
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Olympia Area threaded record since 1948.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Longbranch stands on

Longbranch’s center stands about 30 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 Black Hill, about 580 ft, 11 miles south-southeast.

Longbranch, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
0 ft100 ft200 ft300 ft LONGBRANCH30 ftFord Hill390 ftKinbee Hill370 ft ← SWGig Harbor · NE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 57×. 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 14 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 Longbranch’s rain goes

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

FROM THE CENTER OF LONGBRANCH < 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 Longbranch; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Longbranch’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1948 · Olympia Airport, 18 mi south-southwest

Longbranch has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. Summer afternoons average 78° in July; winter nights fall to about 32° in February. About 51 inches of rain fall in a normal year, with about 4 inches of snow.

46°33°49°32°54°35°59°37°66°43°71°47°78°51°78°51°72°46°60°40°51°36°45°33° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 TODAY LONGBRANCH 50.6 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average78° / 51°high / low, the warmest month
February, average49° / 32°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year50.6 inwettest months: November and December
Snow a year3.9 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record110°FJune 28, 2021
Coldest on record−8°FJanuary 1, 1979
Wettest day on record4.82 inJanuary 7, 2009
Snowiest day on record14.2 inJanuary 24, 1972
90° days a year6very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°77and 1 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeWarm-summer MediterraneanKöppen Csb

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 11, to the last in spring, about May 3 (median dates)
2Lows below freezingFeb. 4 to Feb. 26; normal lows fall below 32°
3Wettest stretchNovember through January: 23.9 of the year’s 50.6 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Longbranch normally reaches 51° and falls to 36°. The record high is 65°, in 1995; the record low 3°, in 1955. The most rain on this date, 3.64 in, fell in 2001.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high46°49°54°59°66°71°78°78°72°60°51°45°
Normal low33°32°35°37°43°47°51°51°46°40°36°33°
Rain, inches7.805.095.683.672.261.460.530.962.045.078.217.85
Snow, inches2.00.60.10.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.01.2
Record high64° (2005)73° (1986)79° (2019)88° (2016)96° (1983)110° (2021)104° (2009)104° (1981)98° (1988)90° (1987)74° (1949)64° (2014)
Record low−8° (1979)−1° (1972)9° (1989)23° (2020)25° (1954)30° (1976)35° (1962)33° (1973)25° (1972)14° (2002)−1° (1955)−7° (1983)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 from the Olympia Area threaded record (Olympia Airport, 18 miles south-southwest, 170 ft higher). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Longbranch on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Tacoma WA · 15 MI 15 miles east Seattle WA · 34 MI 34 miles northeast Everett WA · 58 MI 58 miles northeast Vancouver WA · 110 MI 110 miles south Portland OR · 117 MI 117 miles south Gresham OR · 120 MI 120 miles south
FORECASTCITY
Map of Longbranch, Washington. Explore the plate
WASHINGTON · PIERCE

Longbranch

4,141 people, 30 ft above sea level in Pierce County.

30 ftElevation
4,141People
20 sq miLand
Clear 55°
ClearDew point 49°
1

Today in Longbranch

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy night 55° 12%
8p mostly cloudy night 54° 17%
11p rain 51° 77%
2a rain 52° 32%
5a rain 51° 35%
8a mostly cloudy day 49° 28%
Rain
NEXT RAINTonight about 9 PM · 77%
→
Sat80%
Showers likely Showers likely
46
55
A
Sun70%
Showers likely Showers likely
39
57
A
Mon40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
34
53
B
Tue10%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
34
53
B
Wed30%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
33
51
B
Thu10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
31
52
B
Fri20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
31
51
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 2001 · NOV. 13–14, 2001

5.38 inches in two days, the most for this week since 1948.

2

What Longbranch stands on

Longbranch’s center stands about 30 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 Black Hill, about 580 ft, 11 miles south-southeast.

Longbranch, southwest to northeast Longbranch30 ftFord Hill390 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 109×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center30 ft
Within 3 miles0 to 320 ft
Lie of the landRolling (320 ft of relief)
High point nearbyBlack Hill, 580 ft, 11 mi south-southeast
5

Longbranch’s year

Longbranch has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. Summer afternoons average 78° in July; winter nights fall to about 32° in February. About 51 inches of rain fall in a normal year, with about 4 inches of snow.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 123 50.6 in
July, average78° / 51° · high / low, the warmest month
February, average49° / 32° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year50.6 in · wettest months: November and December
Snow a year3.9 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record110°F · June 28, 2021
Coldest on record−8°F · January 1, 1979
Wettest day on record4.82 in · January 7, 2009
Snowiest day on record14.2 in · January 24, 1972
90° days a year6 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°77 · and 1 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeWarm-summer Mediterranean · Köppen Csb
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 11, to the last in spring, about May 3 (median dates)
2Lows below freezing · Feb. 4 to Feb. 26; normal lows fall below 32°
3Wettest stretch · November through January: 23.9 of the year’s 50.6 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Longbranch normally reaches 51° and falls to 36°. The record high is 65°, in 1995; the record low 3°, in 1955. The most rain on this date, 3.64 in, fell in 2001.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1948 from the Olympia Area threaded record (Olympia Airport, 18 miles south-southwest, 170 ft higher). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

< 2 mito the Pacificstraight to the shore

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