Weather Alert in California
Red Flag Warning issued August 19 at 1:27PM PDT until August 23 at 9:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
AREAS AFFECTED: Cuyama Valley; San Luis Obispo County Mountains; Santa Ynez Mountains Western Range; Santa Ynez Mountains Eastern Range; Santa Barbara County Interior Mountains
DESCRIPTION: ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM PDT WEDNESDAY TO 9 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR AN UNSEASONABLY HOT AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR FROM VERTICAL PLUME GROWTH... LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND LOCALLY BREEZY WINDS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM PDT THURSDAY TO 9 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR AN UNSEASONABLY HOT AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR FROM VERTICAL PLUME GROWTH...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND LOCALLY BREEZY WINDS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF SANTA BARBARA AND SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES... .A significant heatwave is on the way for late this week into this weekend, bringing dangerous fire-weather conditions. * TEMPERATURES...Unseasonably hot high temperatures, generally 95-105 degrees, producing unseasonably unstable conditions. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Minimum relative humidity 8-20 percent. * THUNDERSTORMS...There is a less than 10 percent chance of isolated thunderstorms Friday through the weekend, and any accompanying lightning strikes will be capable of starting new fires on the peripheries of rain cores. * WINDS...Diurnal wind patterns with speeds of 5-10 mph gusting to 10-15 mph, locally higher in wind-favored areas such as through passes and canyons. * IMPACTS...If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for extreme fire behavior and rapid fire growth, which could threaten life and property. Be aware of sudden re-direction of fires in response to passing outflow boundaries. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Fire-weather headlines may eventually need to be extended into Sunday.
INSTRUCTION: A Red Flag Warning means that fire-weather conditions could potentially become favorable for the development of extreme fire behavior in the coming days. Use extreme caution with anything that can spark a wildfire. Residents near wildland interfaces should be prepared to evacuate if a wildfire breaks out. See readyforwildfire.org and wildfirerisk.org for information.
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Weather Topic: What is Rain?
Home - Education - Precipitation - 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
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
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