Weather Alerts for Arizona

Recent Locations: Mayer, MN Corcoran, CA Tempe, AZ

1. Extreme Heat Warning for: Aguila Valley; Tonopah Desert; Gila Bend; Cave Creek/New River; Fountain Hills/East Mesa; Superior; Northwest Pinal County; West Pinal County; Apache Junction/Gold Canyon; Sonoran Desert Natl Monument

2. Extreme Heat Warning for: Grand Canyon Country

3. Extreme Heat Warning for: Northwest Valley; Buckeye/Avondale; Deer Valley; Central Phoenix; North Phoenix/Glendale; Scottsdale/Paradise Valley; East Valley; South Mountain/Ahwatukee; Southeast Valley/Queen Creek

4. Extreme Heat Warning for: Western Pima County Including Ajo/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument; Tohono O'odham Nation including Sells; Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys including Nogales; Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail; South Central Pinal County including Eloy/Picacho Peak State Park; Southeast Pinal County including Kearny/Mammoth/Oracle; Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson; Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford; Baboquivari Mountains including Kitt Peak

5. Extreme Heat Watch for: Aguila Valley; Tonopah Desert; Gila Bend; Cave Creek/New River; Fountain Hills/East Mesa; Superior; Northwest Pinal County; West Pinal County; Apache Junction/Gold Canyon; Sonoran Desert Natl Monument

6. Extreme Heat Watch for: Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet including Douglas/Willcox

7. Extreme Heat Watch for: New River Mesa; Tonto Basin; Mazatzal Mountains; Pinal/Superstition Mountains; San Carlos; Dripping Springs; Globe/Miami; Southeast Gila County

8. Extreme Heat Watch for: Northwest Valley; Buckeye/Avondale; Deer Valley; Central Phoenix; North Phoenix/Glendale; Scottsdale/Paradise Valley; East Valley; South Mountain/Ahwatukee; Southeast Valley/Queen Creek

9. Extreme Heat Watch for: Parker Valley; Kofa; Yuma; Central La Paz; Southeast Yuma County; Gila River Valley; Joshua Tree NP West; Joshua Tree NP East; Imperial County Southwest; Salton Sea; Chuckwalla Mountains; Imperial County Southeast; Imperial County West; Imperial Valley; Chiriaco Summit; Palo Verde Valley; Chuckwalla Valley

10. Extreme Heat Watch for: Rio Verde/Salt River

11. Extreme Heat Watch for: Western Pima County Including Ajo/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument; Tohono O'odham Nation including Sells; Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys including Nogales; Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail; South Central Pinal County including Eloy/Picacho Peak State Park; Southeast Pinal County including Kearny/Mammoth/Oracle; Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson; Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford; Baboquivari Mountains including Kitt Peak

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Current U.S. National Radar--Current

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National Weather Forecast--Current

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National Weather Forecast for Tomorrow

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North America Water Vapor (Moisture)

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Weather Topic: What is Rain?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Rain

Rain Next Topic: Shelf Clouds

Precipitation in the form of water droplets is called rain. Rain generally has a tendency to fall with less intensity over a greater period of time, and when rainfall is more severe it is usually less sustained.

Rain is the most common form of precipitation and happens with greater frequency depending on the season and regional influences. Cities have been shown to have an observable effect on rainfall, due to an effect called the urban heat island. Compared to upwind, monthly rainfall between twenty and forty miles downwind of cities is 30% greater.

Next Topic: Shelf Clouds

Weather Topic: What is Sleet?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Sleet

Sleet Next Topic: Snow

Sleet is a form of precipitation in which small ice pellets are the primary components. These ice pellets are smaller and more translucent than hailstones, and harder than graupel. Sleet is caused by specific atmospheric conditions and therefore typically doesn't last for extended periods of time.

The condition which leads to sleet formation requires a warmer body of air to be wedged in between two sub-freezing bodies of air. When snow falls through a warmer layer of air it melts, and as it falls through the next sub-freezing body of air it freezes again, forming ice pellets known as sleet. In some cases, water droplets don't have time to freeze before reaching the surface and the result is freezing rain.

Next Topic: Snow