Weather Alert in California
Special Weather Statement issued March 13 at 5:42AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
AREAS AFFECTED: Cuyama Valley; Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands; Santa Clarita Valley; San Luis Obispo County Beaches; San Luis Obispo County Inland Central Coast; Santa Lucia Mountains; Southern Salinas Valley; San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys; San Luis Obispo County Mountains; Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches; Santa Barbara County Inland Central Coast; Santa Ynez Valley; Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast; Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast; Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range; Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range; Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains; Ventura County Beaches; Ventura County Inland Coast; Lake Casitas; Ojai Valley; Central Ventura County Valleys; Malibu Coast; Los Angeles County Beaches; Palos Verdes Hills; 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; Northern Ventura County Mountains; Interstate 5 Corridor; Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor; Eastern San Gabriel Mountains; Western Antelope Valley Foothills; Eastern Antelope Valley Foothills; Antelope Valley; Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley; San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands; Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands
DESCRIPTION: Expect scattered small, fast-moving showers to move across the region today. A few thunderstorms will also be possible. The rain will not last long at any one location, but rainfall amounts will be locally heavy. Minor flooding, mud slides, rock slides, and debris flows may occur with the most intense activity, especially in and around burn scars. Small hail will also be possible, along with gusty winds. In addition, a few of the more intense showers and thunderstorms could produce funnel clouds. While tornadoes are not immediately likely, the atmospheric conditions are favorable for storm rotation, and perhaps a couple of small, brief, and weak tornadoes. If a storm approaches your location, or if you sense the winds picking up, or if you see a tornado, take shelter indoors and in the interior part of the lowest floor.
INSTRUCTION: N/A
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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
Weather Topic: What are Shelf Clouds?
Home - Education - Cloud Types - Shelf Clouds
Next Topic: Sleet
A shelf cloud is similar to a wall cloud, but forms at the front
of a storm cloud, instead of at the rear, where wall clouds form.
A shelf cloud is caused by a series of events set into motion by the advancing
storm; first, cool air settles along the ground where precipitation has just fallen.
As the cool air is brought in, the warmer air is displaced, and rises above it,
because it is less dense. When the warmer air reaches the bottom of the storm cloud,
it begins to cool again, and the resulting condensation is a visible shelf cloud.
Next Topic: Sleet
