Weather Alerts for California

Recent Locations: Huntington, WV Norris, IL Chualar, CA

Current Alerts for Chualar, CA: Beach Hazards Statement

1. Beach Hazards Statement for: Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore; San Francisco Peninsula Coast; Northern Monterey Bay

2. Beach Hazards Statement for: San Diego County Coastal Areas; Orange County Coastal

3. Beach Hazards Statement for: San Luis Obispo County Beaches; Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches

4. Beach Hazards Statement for: Ventura County Beaches; Malibu Coast; Los Angeles County Beaches

5. Fire Weather Watch for: Western Klamath National Forest; Central Siskiyou County Including Shasta Valley; Siskiyou County from the Cascade Mountains East and South to Mt Shasta; Modoc County Except for the Surprise Valley; Umpqua National Forest; Siskiyou Mountains; Southern Oregon Cascades; Klamath Basin and the Fremont-Winema National Forest; South Central Oregon Desert including the BLM Land in Eastern Lake and Western Harney Counties

6. Flood Watch for: Kaiser to Rodgers Ridge; Kings Canyon NP; Grant Grove Area; Sequoia NP; South End of the Upper Sierra; Kern River Valley; Piute Walker Basin; Tehachapi; Indian Wells Valley; Mojave Desert Slopes; Mojave Desert

7. Flood Watch for: Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor; Eastern San Gabriel Mountains; Western Antelope Valley Foothills; Eastern Antelope Valley Foothills; Antelope Valley

8. Heat Advisory for: Cuyama Valley; San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys; San Luis Obispo County Mountains; Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains

9. Heat Advisory for: Northern Ventura County Mountains

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

11. Heat Advisory for: Santa Clarita Valley; Lake Casitas; Ojai Valley; Central Ventura County Valleys; Los Angeles County Inland Coast including Downtown Los Angeles; Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area; Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area; Calabasas and Agoura Hills; Western San Fernando Valley; Eastern San Fernando Valley; Southeastern Ventura County Valleys; Santa Susana Mountains; Southern Ventura County Mountains; Interstate 5 Corridor; Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor; Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley

12. Heat Advisory for: Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range

13. Heat Advisory for: Southern Sacramento Valley; Carquinez Strait and Delta; Northern San Joaquin Valley; Motherlode

14. Heat Advisory for: Ventura County Inland Coast

15. Heat Advisory for: West Side Mountains north of 198; Los Banos - Dos Palos; Merced - Madera - Mendota; Planada - Le Grand - Snelling; Coalinga - Avenal; Caruthers - San Joaquin - Selma; Fresno-Clovis; West Side Mountains South of 198; Buttonwillow - Lost Hills - I5; Delano-Wasco-Shafter; Hanford - Corcoran - Lemoore; Visalia - Porterville - Reedley; Buena Vista; Bakersfield; South End San Joaquin Valley; Mariposa Madera Foothills; Fresno-Tulare Foothills; South End Sierra Foothills

16. Heat Advisory for: West Side of Fresno and Kings Counties; Southeast San Joaquin Valley

17. Red Flag Warning for: Lower Middle Klamath; Trinity

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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

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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