Weather Alerts for California

Recent Locations: Dillard, GA Osterville, MA Byron, CA

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

2. Freeze Warning for: Interior Del Norte; Northeastern Interior Humboldt; Southeastern Interior Humboldt; Southern Trinity; Northwestern Interior Mendocino; Northeastern Interior Mendocino; Northern Lake; Northwestern and Central Trinity; Northeastern Trinity; Western Lake

3. Freeze Warning for: Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties

4. Freeze Warning for: Surprise Valley California; Northern Washoe County

5. Freeze Warning for: Western Siskiyou County; Eastern Curry County and Josephine County; Jackson County

6. Frost Advisory for: Coastal Del Norte; Northern Coastal Humboldt; Southwestern Humboldt; Coastal Mendocino; Southwestern Interior Mendocino; Southeastern Interior Mendocino

7. Lake Wind Advisory for: Kern River Valley

8. Wind Advisory for: Apple and Lucerne Valleys

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

10. Wind Advisory for: Mojave Desert Slopes

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

12. Wind Advisory for: San Luis Obispo County Beaches; Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches

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

14. Wind Advisory for: Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast; Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range; Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range

15. Wind Advisory for: Santa Clarita Valley; Ventura County Beaches; Ventura County Inland Coast; Central Ventura County Valleys; Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area; Calabasas and Agoura Hills; Western San Fernando Valley; Southeastern Ventura County Valleys; Santa Susana Mountains

16. Wind Advisory for: Santa Lucia Mountains

17. Wind Advisory for: South-Central Shasta County Including Redding Metro; Northern Sacramento Valley in Tehama County; Central Glenn County Including Interstate 5; Eastern Glenn County; Butte County Below 1000 ft; Central Colusa County Including Interstate 5; Eastern Colusa County; Sutter and Yuba Counties Below 1000 ft; Capay Hills of Yolo County and Vaca Hills of Solano County; Western Yolo County Including Capay Valley and Interstate 505; Central Yolo and Northeast Solano Counties Including Woodland and Davis; Sacramento Metro and Western El Dorado and Amador Counties; Central Solano County Including Fairfield and Vacaville; Southwestern Solano County Including Vallejo; Sacramento County Delta; San Joaquin County Delta

18. Wind Advisory for: Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor; Eastern San Gabriel Mountains

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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)

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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