Weather Alerts for California

Recent Locations: Lewiston, CA

1. Beach Hazards Statement for: Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands; Ventura County Beaches; Malibu Coast; Los Angeles County Beaches

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

3. Extreme Heat Warning for: Coachella Valley; San Diego County Deserts

4. Extreme Heat Watch for: Joshua Tree NP West; Joshua Tree NP East; Imperial County Southwest; Salton Sea; Chuckwalla Mountains; Imperial County Southeast; Imperial County West; Imperial Valley; Chiriaco Summit; Palo Verde Valley; Chuckwalla Valley

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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).

National Weather Forecast--Current

The Current National Weather Forecast and National Weather Map are shown below.

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 are Altostratus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Altostratus Clouds

Next Topic: Cirrocumulus Clouds

Altostratus clouds form at mid to high-level altitudes (between 2 and 7 km) and are created by a warm, stable air mass which causes water vapor to condense as it rise through the atmosphere. Usually altostratus clouds are featureless sheets characterized by a uniform color.

In some cases, wind punching through the cloud formation may give it a waved appearance, called altostratus undulatus. Altostratus clouds are commonly seen with other cloud formations accompanying them.

Next Topic: Cirrocumulus Clouds

Weather Topic: What are Cirrostratus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Cirrostratus Clouds

Next Topic: Cirrus Clouds

Cirrostratus clouds are high, thin clouds that form above 20,000 feet and are made mostly of ice crystals. They sometimes look like giant feathers, horse tails, or curls of hair in the sky. These clouds are pushed by the jet stream and can move at high speeds reaching 100 mph.

What do they indicate?
They indicate that a precipitation is likely within 24 hours.

Next Topic: Cirrus Clouds