Weather Alerts for California
1. Air Quality Alert for: Imperial Valley
2. Excessive Heat Warning for: Indian Wells Valley; Mojave Desert
3. Excessive Heat Warning for: Kern River Valley
4. Excessive Heat Warning for: Los Banos - Dos Palos; Merced - Madera - Mendota; Planada - Le Grand - Snelling; Coalinga - Avenal; West Side of Fresno and Kings Counties; Caruthers - San Joaquin - Selma; Fresno-Clovis; Buttonwillow - Lost Hills - I5; Delano-Wasco-Shafter; Hanford - Corcoran - Lemoore; Visalia - Porterville - Reedley; Buena Vista; Bakersfield; Southeast San Joaquin Valley; South End San Joaquin Valley; Mariposa Madera Foothills; Fresno-Tulare Foothills; South End Sierra Foothills
5. Excessive Heat Warning for: Mojave Desert Slopes
6. Excessive Heat Warning for: Owens Valley
7. Excessive Heat Warning for: Shasta Lake Area / Northern Shasta County; Northern Sacramento Valley; Central Sacramento Valley; Southern Sacramento Valley; Carquinez Strait and Delta; Northern San Joaquin Valley; Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Western Colusa County; Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley; Motherlode
8. Excessive Heat Warning for: West Side Mountains north of 198; West Side Mountains South of 198
9. Excessive Heat Watch for: Apple and Lucerne Valleys
10. Excessive Heat Watch for: Salton Sea; Imperial County West; Imperial Valley; Chuckwalla Valley
11. Excessive Heat Watch for: San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys; Eastern Antelope Valley Foothills; Antelope Valley
12. Excessive Heat Watch for: Western Antelope Valley Foothills
13. Heat Advisory for: Northern Lake County; Southern Lake County
14. Heat Advisory for: Santa Clara Valley Including San Jose; Eastern Santa Clara Hills; Mountains Of San Benito County And Interior Monterey County Including Pinnacles National Park
15. Heat Advisory for: Sonoma Coastal Range; North Bay Interior Mountains; North Bay Interior Valleys; East Bay Interior Valleys; East Bay Hills
16. Lake Wind Advisory for: Greater Lake Tahoe Area; Greater Lake Tahoe Area
17. Wind Advisory for: Interstate 5 Corridor
18. Wind Advisory for: Mojave Desert Slopes
19. Wind Advisory for: Northern Ventura County Mountains
20. Wind Advisory for: Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast; Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range
21. Wind Advisory for: Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast; Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range
22. Wind Advisory for: Western Antelope Valley Foothills
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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
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