Weather Alerts for California
1. Air Quality Alert for: Imperial Valley
2. Air Quality Alert for: Santa Clarita Valley; Interstate 5 Corridor; Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor; Eastern San Gabriel Mountains
3. Beach Hazards Statement for: San Diego County Coastal Areas; Orange County Coastal
4. Freeze Warning for: Northeast Siskiyou and Northwest Modoc Counties; Modoc County; Klamath Basin; Northern and Eastern Klamath County and Western Lake County; Central and Eastern Lake County
5. High Wind Warning for: Mojave Desert Slopes
6. High Wind Warning for: Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast; Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range
7. High Wind Warning for: Southern Ventura County Mountains; Northern Ventura County Mountains; Interstate 5 Corridor; Western Antelope Valley Foothills
8. Lake Wind Advisory for: Mono; Mineral and Southern Lyon Counties
9. Red Flag Warning for: Lake County Portion of Lake-Napa-Sonoma Unit
10. Red Flag Warning for: North Bay Interior Mountains
11. Red Flag Warning for: Northern Sacramento Valley to Southern Tehama County Line Below 1000 Ft; Central Sacramento Valley including Glenn/Colusa/Yuba/Northern Sutter/Butte County Below 1000 Ft; Southern Sacramento Valley In Yolo/Sacramento/Far Western Placer/Southern Sutter and Solano County Below 1000 Ft - Excludes the Delta; Eastern Delta; Northern San Joaquin Valley in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties Below 1000 ft - Excludes the Delta; Southeast Edge Shasta/Trinity NF and Western Portions of Tehama/Glenn RU; Northern Sierra Foothills from 1000 to 3000 Ft. Includes Nevada-Yuba-Placer RU and Anador-Eldorado RU; Eastern Mendocino NF
12. Red Flag Warning for: Southern Ventura County Mountains; Northern Ventura County Mountains; Interstate 5 Corridor
13. Red Flag Warning for: West Side Hills; San Joaquin Valley; Tehachapi Area; Fort Tejon
14. Red Flag Warning for: Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor
15. Wind Advisory for: Lake Casitas; Antelope Valley
16. Wind Advisory for: San Luis Obispo County Beaches; San Luis Obispo County Inland Central Coast; Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches; Santa Barbara County Inland Central Coast
17. Wind Advisory for: Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains
18. Wind Advisory for: Santa Clarita Valley
19. Wind Advisory for: Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range
20. Wind Advisory for: Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor
Want more detail? Get the Complete 7 Day and Night Detailed Forecast!
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).
![Current National Radar Current U.S. National Radar](https://radar.weather.gov/Conus/Loop/NatLoop_Small.gif)
National Weather Forecast--Current
The Current National Weather Forecast and National Weather Map are shown below.
![Today's National Weather Map Today's National Weather Map](https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/noaa/noaad1.gif)
National Weather Forecast for Tomorrow
Tomorrow National Weather Forecast and Tomorrow National Weather Map are show below.
![Tomorrows National Weather Map Tomorrows National Weather Map](https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/noaa/noaad2.gif)
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.
![Water Vapor Map North American Water Vapor Map](https://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/PCPN/DATA/RT/NA/WV/20.jpg)
Weather Topic: What are Fractus Clouds?
Home - Education - Cloud Types - Fractus Clouds
Next Topic: Freezing Rain
A fractus cloud (scud) is a fragmented, tattered cloud which has
likely been sheared off of another cloud. They are accessory clouds, meaning they
develop from parent clouds, and are named in a way which describes the original
cloud which contained them.
Fractus clouds which have originated from cumulus clouds are referred to as
cumulus fractus, while fractus clouds which have originated from stratus clouds
are referred to as stratus fractus. Under certain conditions a fractus cloud might
merge with another cloud, or develop into a cumulus cloud, but usually a
fractus cloud seen by itself will dissipate rapidly.
They are often observed on the leading and trailing edges of storm clouds,
and are a display of wind activity.
Next Topic: Freezing Rain
Weather Topic: What is Graupel?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Graupel
Next Topic: Hail
Graupel is a form of precipitation that is created by atmospheric conditions
which cause supercooled water droplets to contact snow crystals and freeze to
their surface.
Sometimes known as soft hail or snow pellets, graupel is delicate and easily
destroyed by touch. Whereas hail usually falls during severe weather, graupel
doesn't require such conditions to form, and can form in mild precipitation
similar to situations which produce snowfall.
Next Topic: Hail