Weather Alerts for California

Recent Locations: Vidal, CA

1. Air Quality Alert for: Coachella Valley

2. Air Quality Alert for: Imperial County Southwest; Imperial County West; Imperial Valley

3. Beach Hazards Statement for: Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast

4. Frost Advisory for: Northern Humboldt Interior; Southern Humboldt Interior; Northern Trinity; Southern Trinity; Northwestern Mendocino Interior; Northeastern Mendocino Interior; Northern Lake County

5. High Surf Advisory for: Los Angeles County Beaches

6. High Surf Advisory for: San Diego County Coastal Areas

7. High Surf Advisory for: San Luis Obispo County Beaches; Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches

8. High Surf Advisory for: Ventura County Beaches

9. Wind Advisory for: Imperial County Southwest

10. Wind Advisory for: Imperial County West; Imperial Valley

11. Wind Advisory for: Indian Wells Valley; Mojave Desert

12. Wind Advisory for: Mojave Desert Slopes

13. Wind Advisory for: North Bay Interior Mountains; East Bay Hills

14. Wind Advisory for: Northern Sacramento Valley; Central Sacramento Valley; Southern Sacramento Valley; Carquinez Strait and Delta

15. Wind Advisory for: San Diego County Deserts; San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning

16. Wind Advisory for: San Francisco; Marin Coastal Range; Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore; San Francisco Peninsula Coast; Northern Salinas Valley/Hollister Valley and Carmel Valley; Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast

17. Wind Advisory for: San Luis Obispo County Beaches; San Luis Obispo County Inland Central Coast; Santa Lucia Mountains; Southern Salinas Valley; San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys; Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches; Santa Barbara County Inland Central Coast; Santa Ynez Valley; Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast; Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range

18. Wind Advisory for: Western Mojave Desert

19. Winter Weather Advisory for: Eastern Sierra Slopes of Inyo County

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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 are Mammatus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Mammatus Clouds

Mammatus Clouds Next Topic: Nimbostratus Clouds

A mammatus cloud is a cloud with a unique feature which resembles a web of pouches hanging along the base of the cloud.

In the United States, mammatus clouds tend to form in the warmer months, commonly in the Midwest and eastern regions.

While they usually form at the bottom of a cumulonimbis cloud, they can also form under altostratus, altocumulus, stratocumulus, and cirrus clouds. Mammatus clouds warn that severe weather is close.

Next Topic: Nimbostratus Clouds

Weather Topic: What is Precipitation?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Precipitation

Next Topic: Rain

Precipitation can refer to many different forms of water that may fall from clouds. Precipitation occurs after a cloud has become saturated to the point where its water particles are more dense than the air below the cloud.

In most cases, precipitation will reach the ground, but it is not uncommon for precipitation to evaporate before it reaches the earth's surface. When precipitation evaporates before it contacts the ground it is called Virga. Graupel, hail, sleet, rain, drizzle, and snow are forms of precipitation, but fog and mist are not considered precipitation because the water vapor which constitutes them isn't dense enough to fall to the ground.

Next Topic: Rain