Weather Alerts for California
1. Air Quality Alert for: Coachella Valley; San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning
2. Beach Hazards Statement for: Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands; Ventura County Beaches; Malibu Coast; Los Angeles County Beaches
3. Freeze Warning for: Western Siskiyou County; Central Siskiyou County
4. Frost Advisory for: Northeastern Mendocino Interior
5. Frost Advisory for: Northern Trinity
6. Frost Advisory for: Northwestern Mendocino Interior
7. Frost Advisory for: Southeastern Mendocino Interior
8. Frost Advisory for: Southern Lake County
9. Frost Advisory for: Southern Trinity
10. Wind Advisory for: Imperial County Southwest
11. Wind Advisory for: Indian Wells Valley; Mojave Desert
12. Wind Advisory for: Mojave Desert Slopes
13. Wind Advisory for: Riverside County Mountains; San Diego County Mountains; Coachella Valley; San Diego County Deserts
14. Wind Advisory for: Salton Sea; Chuckwalla Mountains; Imperial County Southeast; Imperial County West; Imperial Valley
15. Wind Advisory for: San Bernardino County Mountains; Apple and Lucerne Valleys
16. Wind Advisory for: San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning
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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 Rain?
Home - Education - Precipitation - 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
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