Weather Alerts for Oregon

Recent Locations: Dufur, OR

1. Heat Advisory for: Eastern Columbia River Gorge of Oregon; Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon; Eastern Columbia River Gorge of Washington; Kittitas Valley; Yakima Valley

2. Heat Advisory for: Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon; Lower Columbia Basin of Washington; Foothills of the Blue Mountains of Washington

3. Heat Advisory for: Lower Columbia River; Tualatin Valley; West Hills and Chehalem Mountains; Inner Portland Metro; East Portland Metro; Outer Southeast Portland Metro; West Central Willamette Valley; East Central Willamette Valley; Benton County Lowlands; Linn County Lowlands; Lane County Lowlands; West Columbia River Gorge of Oregon above 500 ft; West Columbia River Gorge I-84 Corridor; Upper Hood River Valley; Central Columbia River Gorge I-84 Corridor; Clackamas County Cascade Foothills; Cascade Foothills of Marion and Linn Counties; Lane County Cascade Foothills; Cowlitz County Lowlands; North Clark County Lowlands; Inner Vancouver Metro; East Clark County Lowlands; South Washington Cascade Foothills; West Columbia River Gorge - SR 14; Central Columbia River Gorge - SR 14

4. Heat Advisory for: Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

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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