Weather Alerts for Arizona

Recent Locations: Phoenix, AZ

1. Extreme Heat Warning for: Aguila Valley; Tonopah Desert; Gila Bend; Rio Verde/Salt River; Superior; Northwest Pinal County; West Pinal County; Apache Junction/Gold Canyon; Tonto Basin; Sonoran Desert Natl Monument; San Carlos; Dripping Springs; Globe/Miami

2. Extreme Heat Warning for: Grand Canyon Country

3. Extreme Heat Warning for: Lake Havasu and Fort Mohave; Northwest Deserts; Lake Mead National Recreation Area; Death Valley National Park; Western Mojave Desert; Eastern Mojave Desert, Including the Mojave National Preserve; San Bernardino County-Upper Colorado River Valley; Western Clark and Southern Nye County; Las Vegas Valley; Lake Mead National Recreation Area

4. Extreme Heat Warning for: Northwest Valley; Buckeye/Avondale; Cave Creek/New River; Deer Valley; Central Phoenix; North Phoenix/Glendale; Scottsdale/Paradise Valley; East Valley; Fountain Hills/East Mesa; South Mountain/Ahwatukee; Southeast Valley/Queen Creek

5. Extreme Heat Warning for: Western Pima County Including Ajo/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument; Tohono O'odham Nation including Sells; Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys including Nogales; Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail; South Central Pinal County including Eloy/Picacho Peak State Park; Southeast Pinal County including Kearny/Mammoth/Oracle; Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson; Eastern Cochise County Below 5000 Feet including Douglas/Willcox; Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford

6. Red Flag Warning for: Chuska Mountains and Defiance Plateau; Little Colorado River Valley in Navajo County; Little Colorado River Valley in Apache County; Northeast Plateaus and Mesas South of Hwy 264

Want more detail? Get the Complete 7 Day and Night Detailed Forecast!

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 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