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Shaded-relief map of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
WISCONSIN · JEFFERSON COUNTY

Fort Atkinson

12,377 people, 790 ft above sea level in Jefferson County.

790 ftElevation, city center
12,377People, 2024 estimate
6 sq miLand area
Clear 38°
Clear now Dew point 27° · Calm · high 39°
City of Fort Atkinson River Interstate 2 miles
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The Fort Atkinson 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 Fort Atkinson

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 4:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Dane County Regional-Truax Field (KMSN) · 4:53 PM
Clear
38° Clear Feels like 38° · high of 39° near 5 PM
WindCalmno gusts
Humidity64%rising to 96% by morning
Pressure30.27 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 27° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Rain
Friday40% chance · showers
LIKELY AMOUNT—amounts come within 3 days
LAST RAINNov. 40.08 in · 10 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Jefferson County
NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 5:17 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:46 AM4:33 PM ↓
9 h 47 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
19
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: None, 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
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly sunny
clear day
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
clear day
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
mostly clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
clear day
clear day
mostly sunny
TEMPERATURE °F
39°
26°
46°
30°
50°
35°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
7
9
9
8
8
8
8
7
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12
10
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 24 to 33°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 46° / 29°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
39° 24°
0% rain — NNW 0 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
50° 27°
0% rain — NW 0 A
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
52° 32°
0% rain — SW 8 A
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
56° 36°
0% rain — S 9 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
56° 45°
20% rain — S 13 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
59° 40°
20% rain — WSW 7 C
FRI Nov. 20 Chance of showers Chance of showers
59° 48°
40% rain up to 0.2″ SSE 8 C
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 Fort Atkinson about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Gulf of Alaska three days ago, and over the northern Plains a day ago, about 2,890 miles back along its path. It came down from about 14,600 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. 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, FOUR YEARS AGO Nov. 11, 2022

The hottest this week has been

74° on Nov. 11, 2022, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1941. Next is 72° in 1971.

72°
74°
19712022
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Fort Atkinson Wwtp record since 1941.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Fort Atkinson stands on

Fort Atkinson’s center stands about 790 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 770 ft to 910 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Cambrian, undivided (sandstone), from the Cambrian, 487 to 542 million years old.

The section below crosses 4 rock units mapped at the surface.

Fort Atkinson, cut in half from northwest to southeast

A section northwest to southeast, 24 miles through the town center
800 ft900 ft FORT ATKINSON790 ftHigh point of the line990 ftLow point780 ftWhitewater800 ft ← NW · Lake MillsSE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 64×. 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

Sinnipee Group

Dolostone. Age: Ordovician, 445 to 487 million years old. About 14 mi of the line.

Cambrian, undivided

Sandstone. Age: Cambrian, 487 to 542 million years old. About 5 mi of the line.

Prairie du Chien Group

Dolostone. Age: Early Ordovician, 471 to 487 million years old. About 3 mi of the line.

Ancell Group

Sandstone. Age: Ordovician, 445 to 487 million years old. About 3 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 Fort Atkinson’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Fort Atkinson reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Rock River and the Mississippi: about 1,670 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Fort Atkinson≈ 1,670 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF FORT ATKINSON ≈ 1,670 mi to the Gulf of America Rock River → Mississippi

Lake on the way: Lake Koshkonong.

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Fort Atkinson’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1941 · Fort Atkinson Wwtp, 2 mi southwest

Fort Atkinson has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 11° in January. A normal year brings about 36 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 36 inches of water.

28°11°32°14°44°25°57°36°69°47°79°58°83°62°81°60°74°51°61°40°46°29°33°18° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY 35.5 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average83° / 62°high / low, the warmest month
January, average28° / 11°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow35.5 inwettest months: June and May
Snow a year36.4 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record103°FJuly 6, 2012
Coldest on record−39°FFebruary 3, 1996
Wettest day on record4.50 inSeptember 8, 1941
Snowiest day on record15.2 inFebruary 7, 2008
90° days a year11very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°147and 58 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 10, to the last in spring, about April 28 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingDec. 18 to Feb. 18; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 6 to April 6; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 13.1 of the year’s 35.5 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Fort Atkinson normally reaches 46° and falls to 29°. The record high is 72°, in 1971; the record low 2°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 0.66 in, fell in 1980.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high28°32°44°57°69°79°83°81°74°61°46°33°
Normal low11°14°25°36°47°58°62°60°51°40°29°18°
Rain and melt, in1.511.431.963.564.134.984.033.863.332.842.201.71
Snow, inches10.79.44.01.20.20.00.00.00.00.12.18.7
Record high58° (2013)72° (2017)84° (2012)90° (2002)96° (2018)101° (1988)103° (2012)102° (1988)98° (1978)88° (2026)78° (1999)67° (2001)
Record low−33° (1951)−39° (1996)−21° (1962)−4° (1979)25° (1966)33° (1945)39° (1965)37° (1986)28° (1991)11° (1988)−14° (1947)−29° (1983)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1941 at Fort Atkinson Wwtp, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Fort Atkinson on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Waukesha WI · 31 MI 31 miles east Madison WI · 32 MI 32 miles west Milwaukee WI · 45 MI 45 miles east Aurora IL · 85 MI 85 miles south Chicago IL · 96 MI 96 miles southeast Grand Rapids MI · 162 MI 162 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Explore the plate
WISCONSIN · JEFFERSON

Fort Atkinson

12,377 people, 790 ft above sea level in Jefferson County.

790 ftElevation
12,377People
6 sq miLand
Clear 38°
ClearDew point 27°
1

Today in Fort Atkinson

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear night 39° 0%
8p clear night 34° 0%
11p mostly clear night 32° 0%
2a mostly clear night 29° 0%
5a partly cloudy night 27° 0%
8a mostly sunny 30° 0%
Rain
NEXT RAINFriday · 40%
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
24
39
A
Sun0%
Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
27
50
A
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
32
52
A
Tue0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36
56
A
Wed20%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
45
56
B
Thu20%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
40
59
C
Fri40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
48
59
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK, FOUR YEARS AGO · NOV. 11, 2022

74°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1941.

2

What Fort Atkinson stands on

Fort Atkinson’s center stands about 790 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 770 ft to 910 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country.

Fort Atkinson, northwest to southeast Fort Atkinson790 ftHigh point990 ft ← NWSE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center790 ft
Within 3 miles770 to 910 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (140 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceCambrian, undivided
Its ageCambrian, 487 to 542 million years old
5

Fort Atkinson’s year

Fort Atkinson has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 11° in January. A normal year brings about 36 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 36 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 35.5 in
July, average83° / 62° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average28° / 11° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow35.5 in · wettest months: June and May
Snow a year36.4 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record103°F · July 6, 2012
Coldest on record−39°F · February 3, 1996
Wettest day on record4.50 in · September 8, 1941
Snowiest day on record15.2 in · February 7, 2008
90° days a year11 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°147 · and 58 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 10, to the last in spring, about April 28 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Dec. 18 to Feb. 18; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 6 to April 6; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 13.1 of the year’s 35.5 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Fort Atkinson normally reaches 46° and falls to 29°. The record high is 72°, in 1971; the record low 2°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 0.66 in, fell in 1980.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1941 at Fort Atkinson Wwtp, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,670 mito the Gulf of AmericaRock River → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Fort Atkinson reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Rock River and the Mississippi: about 1,670 river miles.

Lake on the way: Lake Koshkonong.