Weather Alerts for California

Recent Locations: Chula Vista, CA Hilo, HI Stevenson Ranch, CA

1. Beach Hazards Statement for: Coastal Del Norte; Northern Humboldt Coast; Southwestern Humboldt; Mendocino Coast

2. Beach Hazards Statement for: San Francisco; Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore; San Francisco Peninsula Coast; Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast

3. Dense Fog Advisory for: Los Banos - Dos Palos; Merced - Madera - Mendota; Planada - Le Grand - Snelling; 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; Bakersfield; Southeast San Joaquin Valley

4. Flood Advisory for: San Diego, CA

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

6. Wind Advisory for: Northern Sacramento Valley; Central Sacramento Valley; Southern Sacramento Valley

7. Winter Storm Watch for: Del Norte Interior; Northern Humboldt Interior; Southern Humboldt Interior

8. Winter Storm Watch for: Eastern Sierra Slopes of Inyo County

9. Winter Storm Watch for: Greater Lake Tahoe Area; Greater Lake Tahoe Area

10. Winter Storm Watch for: Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties

11. Winter Storm Watch for: Mariposa-Madera Lower Sierra; Fresno-Tulare Lower Sierra; South End of the Lower Sierra; Yosemite NP outside of the valley; Yosemite Valley; San Joaquin River Canyon; Upper San Joaquin River; Kaiser to Rodgers Ridge; Kings Canyon NP; Grant Grove Area; Sequoia NP; South End of the Upper Sierra; Piute Walker Basin

12. Winter Storm Watch for: Mono

13. Winter Storm Watch for: Northern Trinity; Southern Trinity

14. Winter Storm Watch for: Northwestern Mendocino Interior; Northeastern Mendocino Interior; Northern Lake County; Southern Lake County

15. Winter Storm Watch for: Shasta Lake Area / Northern Shasta County; Burney Basin / Eastern Shasta County; Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Western Colusa County; Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley; Motherlode; Western Plumas County/Lassen Park; West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

16. Winter Storm Watch for: South Central Siskiyou County; North Central and Southeast Siskiyou County

17. Winter Storm Watch for: Western Siskiyou County

18. Winter Storm Watch for: White Mountains 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 is Sleet?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Sleet

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