Weather Alerts for California

Recent Locations: Granby, VT Bodega Bay, CA Holmes, PA

1. Air Quality Alert for: Imperial County Southwest; Chuckwalla Mountains; Imperial County Southeast; Imperial County West; Imperial Valley; Palo Verde Valley

2. Air Quality Alert for: San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire; Riverside County Mountains; Coachella Valley; San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning

3. Frost Advisory for: Northwestern Mendocino Interior; Northeastern Mendocino Interior; Northern Lake County

4. High Wind Warning for: Malibu Coast; Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area; Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

5. High Wind Warning for: Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains; Southern Ventura County Mountains; Northern Ventura County Mountains; Interstate 5 Corridor

6. High Wind Warning for: Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor; Eastern San Gabriel Mountains

7. Wind Advisory for: Apple and Lucerne Valleys; San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning

8. Wind Advisory for: Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands; Los Angeles County Beaches; Palos Verdes Hills

9. Wind Advisory for: Coachella Valley

10. Wind Advisory for: Eastern Sierra Slopes of Inyo County

11. Wind Advisory for: Joshua Tree NP West; Joshua Tree NP East; Chuckwalla Mountains; Chiriaco Summit; Palo Verde Valley; Chuckwalla Valley

12. Wind Advisory for: Owens Valley; White Mountains of Inyo County; Death Valley National Park; Morongo Basin; Lincoln County; Western Clark and Southern Nye County

13. Wind Advisory for: Piute Walker Basin; Tehachapi; Mojave Desert Slopes

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

15. Wind Advisory for: San Bernardino County Mountains

16. Wind Advisory for: Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches; Santa Barbara County Inland Central Coast

17. Wind Advisory for: Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast; Lake Casitas; Ojai Valley

18. Wind Advisory for: Santa Clarita Valley; Calabasas and Agoura Hills; Western San Fernando Valley; Eastern San Fernando Valley; Southeastern Ventura County Valleys; Santa Susana Mountains

19. Wind Advisory for: Western Antelope Valley Foothills; Eastern Antelope Valley Foothills; Antelope Valley

20. Wind Advisory for: Western Mojave Desert

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Current U.S. National Radar--Current

The Current National Weather Radar is shown below with a UTC Time (subtract 5 hours from UTC to get Eastern Time).

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 Snow?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Snow

Snow Next Topic: Stratocumulus Clouds

Snow is precipitation taking the form of ice crystals. Each ice crystal, or snowflake, has unique characteristics, but all of them grow in a hexagonal structure. Snowfall can last for sustained periods of time and result in significant buildup of snow on the ground.

On the earth's surface, snow starts out light and powdery, but as it begins to melt it tends to become more granular, producing small bits of ice which have the consistency of sand. After several cycles of melting and freezing, snow can become very dense and ice-like, commonly known as snow pack.

Next Topic: Stratocumulus Clouds

Weather Topic: What are Stratus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Stratus Clouds

Next Topic: Wall Clouds

Stratus clouds are similar to altostratus clouds, but form at a lower altitude and are identified by their fog-like appearance, lacking the distinguishing features of most clouds.

Stratus clouds are wider than most clouds, and their base has a smooth, uniform look which is lighter in color than a nimbostratus cloud. The presence of a stratus cloud indicates the possibility of minor precipitation, such as drizzle, but heavier precipitation does not typically arrive in the form of a stratus cloud.

Next Topic: Wall Clouds