Weather Alerts for Alaska

Recent Locations: Grayling, MI Castell, TX Anchorage, AK

2. Flood Advisory for: Southern Kenai Mtns; Interior Kenai Peninsula

3. Flood Advisory for: Upper Kobuk Valleys

4. Flood Advisory for: Upper Koyukuk Valley

5. Flood Warning for: Western Susitna Valley; Southern Susitna Valley; Central Susitna Valley

6. Flood Watch for: South Slopes of the Western Brooks Range; Noatak Valley; Upper Kobuk Valleys; Lower Koyukuk Valley; Upper Koyukuk Valley

7. Flood Watch for: Southern Kenai Mtns

8. Flood Watch for: Western Susitna Valley; Southern Susitna Valley; Central Susitna Valley; Northern Susitna Valley

9. Heat Advisory for: Prince of Wales Island; Ketchikan Gateway Borough; City of Hyder; Annette Island

10. High Wind Warning for: Anchorage

11. High Wind Warning for: Anchorage Hillside / Eagle River

12. High Wind Warning for: Lower Matanuska Valley

13. Hydrologic Outlook for: Anchorage; Anchorage Hillside / Eagle River; East Turnagain Arm; Portage; Lower Matanuska Valley; Hatcher Pass; Sutton / Upper Matanuska Valley; Eureka / Tahneta Pass; Southern Kachemak Bay; SW Kenai Peninsula; NW Kenai Peninsula; Skilak Lake; Southern Kenai Mtns; Interior Kenai Peninsula; Turnagain Pass; West Prince William Sound & Whittier; Tyonek; Valdez; Thompson Pass; Cordova; Western Susitna Valley; Southern Susitna Valley; Central Susitna Valley; Northern Susitna Valley

14. Hydrologic Outlook for: Kuskokwim Valley West; Kuskokwim Valley East; Interior Kuskokwim Delta; Western Capes; Northern Bristol Bay Coast; Inland Bristol Bay

15. Hydrologic Outlook for: South Slopes Of The Central Brooks Range; South Slopes of the Western Brooks Range; Noatak Valley; Lower Kobuk Valley; Upper Kobuk Valleys; Lower Koyukuk Valley; Upper Koyukuk Valley

16. Hydrologic Outlook for: South Slopes Of The Central Brooks Range; South Slopes of the Western Brooks Range; Noatak Valley; Lower Kobuk Valley; Upper Kobuk Valleys; Lower Koyukuk Valley; Upper Koyukuk Valley

17. Special Weather Statement for: Northern Copper Valley; Western Copper Valley; Central Copper Valley; Ernestine; Southern Copper Valley

18. Special Weather Statement for: Southern Kachemak Bay; SW Kenai Peninsula; NW Kenai Peninsula

19. Wind Advisory for: Delta Junction; Eastern Alaska Range North of Trims Camp; Eastern Alaska Range South of Trims Camp

20. Wind Advisory for: Northern Denali Borough

21. Wind Advisory for: Yukon Flats; White Mountains and High Terrain South of the Yukon River; Upper Chena River Valley; Tanana Flats; Eielson AFB and Salcha; Goldstream Valley and Nenana Hills; Chatanika River Valley; Two Rivers; Fairbanks Metro Area; Nenana; Central Interior

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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

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 is Rain?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Rain

Rain Next Topic: Shelf Clouds

Precipitation in the form of water droplets is called rain. Rain generally has a tendency to fall with less intensity over a greater period of time, and when rainfall is more severe it is usually less sustained.

Rain is the most common form of precipitation and happens with greater frequency depending on the season and regional influences. Cities have been shown to have an observable effect on rainfall, due to an effect called the urban heat island. Compared to upwind, monthly rainfall between twenty and forty miles downwind of cities is 30% greater.

Next Topic: Shelf Clouds

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