Weather Alerts for California

Recent Locations: Newhall, CA

1. Extreme Heat Warning for: Western Mojave Desert

2. Fire Weather Watch for: Northern Sacramento Valley to Southern Tehama County Line Below 1000 Ft; Central Sacramento Valley including Glenn/Colusa/Yuba/Northern Sutter/Butte County Below 1000 Ft; Southern Sacramento Valley In Yolo/Sacramento/Far Western Placer/Southern Sutter and Solano County Below 1000 Ft - Excludes the Delta; Eastern Delta; Northern San Joaquin Valley in San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties Below 1000 ft - Excludes the Delta; Southern Motherlode From 1000 to 3000 Ft/Calaveras and Toulumne Counties; Southeast Edge Shasta/Trinity NF and Western Portions of Tehama/Glenn RU; Northern Sierra Foothills from 1000 to 3000 Ft. Includes Nevada-Yuba-Placer RU and Anador-Eldorado RU; Eastern Mendocino NF

3. High Wind Warning for: Mojave Desert Slopes

4. Lake Wind Advisory for: Mono; Mineral and Southern Lyon Counties; Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area; Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake

5. Red Flag Warning for: Indian Wells Valley

6. Red Flag Warning for: Kern County Desert

7. Red Flag Warning for: Southern Mono County; Eastern Lassen County; Northern Sierra Front - Carson City/Douglas/Storey/Southern Washoe/Eastern Lyon/Far Southern Lassen Counties; Southern Sierra Front - Alpine/Northern Mono/Southern Lyon/Western Mineral Counties; West Humboldt Basin - Pershing County; Lahontan Basin - Churchill and Eastern Mineral Counties; Northern Washoe County

8. Wind Advisory for: Greater Lake Tahoe Area; Greater Lake Tahoe Area

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

10. Wind Advisory for: Interstate 5 Corridor

11. Wind Advisory for: Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties; Northern Washoe County

12. Wind Advisory for: Mono; Mineral and Southern Lyon Counties; Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area; Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake

13. Wind Advisory for: San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning

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

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

16. Wind Advisory for: Santa Lucia Mountains; Southern Salinas Valley

17. Wind Advisory for: Western Antelope Valley Foothills; Eastern Antelope Valley Foothills; Antelope Valley

18. Wind Advisory for: Western Mojave Desert

19. Wind Advisory for: Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor

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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 are Contrails?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Contrails

Next Topic: Cumulonimbus Clouds

A contrail is an artificial cloud, created by the passing of an aircraft.

Contrails form because water vapor in the exhaust of aircraft engines is suspended in the air under certain temperatures and humidity conditions. These contrails are called exhaust contrails.

Another type of contrail can form due to a temporary reduction in air pressure moving over the plane's surface, causing condensation. These are called aerodynamic contrails.

When you can see your breath on a cold day, it is also because of condensation. The reason contrails last longer than the condensation from your breath is because the water in contrails freezes into ice particles.

Next Topic: Cumulonimbus Clouds

Weather Topic: What are Cumulus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Cumulus Clouds

Next Topic: Drizzle

Cumulus clouds are fluffy and textured with rounded tops, and may have flat bottoms. The border of a cumulus cloud is clearly defined, and can have the appearance of cotton or cauliflower.

Cumulus clouds form at low altitudes (rarely above 2 km) but can grow very tall, becoming cumulus congestus and possibly the even taller cumulonimbus clouds. When cumulus clouds become taller, they have a greater chance of producing precipitation.

Next Topic: Drizzle