Weather Alerts for Alaska

Recent Locations: Scranton, NC Buckner, KY Fairbanks, AK

1. High Wind Warning for: Kodiak Island Northeast

2. High Wind Warning for: Thompson Pass

3. High Wind Watch for: City and Borough of Juneau

4. High Wind Watch for: Municipality of Skagway

5. Special Weather Statement for: City and Borough of Juneau

6. Wind Advisory for: Southern Kenai Mtns; West Prince William Sound & Whittier

7. Wind Advisory for: Upper Tanana Valley

8. Wind Advisory for: Valdez

9. Winter Storm Warning for: Cape Fairweather to Lisianski Strait

10. Winter Storm Warning for: City and Borough of Sitka

11. Winter Storm Warning for: City and Borough of Yakutat

12. Winter Storm Warning for: Northern Denali Borough

13. Winter Storm Warning for: Prince of Wales Island

14. Winter Storm Warning for: Upper Koyukuk Valley

15. Winter Storm Warning for: 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

16. Winter Storm Watch for: Noatak Valley; Kivalina and Red Dog Dock; Lower Kobuk Valley; Baldwin Peninsula

17. Winter Storm Watch for: Northern Seward Peninsula; Shishmaref; Bering Strait Coast; Southern Seward Peninsula Coast; Interior Seward Peninsula

18. Winter Storm Watch for: Western Arctic Coast

19. Winter Weather Advisory for: City and Borough of Juneau

20. Winter Weather Advisory for: Glacier Bay; Eastern Chichagof Island; Admiralty Island

21. Winter Weather Advisory for: Ketchikan Gateway Borough; Annette Island

22. Winter Weather Advisory for: Petersburg Borough; Western Kupreanof and Kuiu Island; City and Borough of Wrangell

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