Weather Alerts for California

Recent Locations: Cloudcroft, NM Chaska, MN Washington, CA

1. Flood Advisory for: San Bernardino, CA

2. Flood Advisory for: San Bernardino, CA

3. Flood Advisory for: San Diego, CA

4. Flood Watch for: Death Valley National Park; Western Mojave Desert; Eastern Mojave Desert, Including the Mojave National Preserve; Morongo Basin; Cadiz Basin

5. Flood Watch for: Kaiser to Rodgers Ridge; Kings Canyon NP; Grant Grove Area; Sequoia NP; South End of the Upper Sierra; Kern River Valley; Piute Walker Basin; Tehachapi; Indian Wells Valley; Mojave Desert Slopes; Mojave Desert

6. Flood Watch for: Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor; Eastern San Gabriel Mountains; Western Antelope Valley Foothills; Eastern Antelope Valley Foothills; Antelope Valley

7. Heat Advisory for: Cuyama Valley; San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys; San Luis Obispo County Mountains; Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains

8. Heat Advisory for: Northern Ventura County Mountains

9. Heat Advisory for: San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire; San Diego County Inland Valleys; Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills; Orange County Inland

10. Heat Advisory for: Santa Clarita Valley; Lake Casitas; Ojai Valley; Central Ventura County Valleys; Los Angeles County Inland Coast including Downtown Los Angeles; Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area; Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area; Calabasas and Agoura Hills; Western San Fernando Valley; Eastern San Fernando Valley; Southeastern Ventura County Valleys; Santa Susana Mountains; Southern Ventura County Mountains; Interstate 5 Corridor; Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor; Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley

11. Heat Advisory for: Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range

12. Heat Advisory for: Ventura County Inland Coast

13. Red Flag Warning for: Lower Middle Klamath; Trinity

14. Red Flag Warning for: Siskiyou County from the Cascade Mountains East and South to Mt Shasta; Modoc County Except for the Surprise Valley; Umpqua National Forest; Southern Oregon Cascades; Klamath Basin and the Fremont-Winema National Forest; South Central Oregon Desert including the BLM Land in Eastern Lake and Western Harney Counties

15. Red Flag Warning for: Surprise Valley California; Eastern Lassen County; Northern Washoe County

16. Red Flag Warning for: Western Klamath National Forest; Central Siskiyou County Including Shasta Valley; Siskiyou Mountains

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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

Tomorrow National Weather Forecast and Tomorrow National Weather Map are show below.

North America Water Vapor (Moisture)

This map shows recent moisture content over North America. Bright and colored areas show high moisture (ie, clouds); brown indicates very little moisture present; black indicates no moisture.

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

Weather Topic: What are Stratocumulus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Stratocumulus Clouds

Next Topic: Stratus Clouds

Stratocumulus clouds are similar to altocumulus clouds in their fluffy appearance, but have a slightly darker shade due to their additional mass.

A good way to distinguish the two cloud types is to hold your hand out and measure the size of an individual cloud; if it is the size of your thumb it is generally an altocumulus cloud, if it is the size of your hand it is generally a stratocumulus cloud.

It is uncommon for stratocumulus clouds to produce precipitation, but if they do it is usually a light rain or snow.

Next Topic: Stratus Clouds