Admin What is the main cause of thunderstorms?
All thunderstorms need the same ingredients: moisture, unstable air and lift. Moisture usually comes from oceans. Unstable air forms when warm, moist air is near the ground and cold, dry air is above. It pushes unstable air upward, creating a tall thunderstorm cloud.
Where do thunderstorms happen and why?
Thunderstorms can happen anywhere and at anytime as long as the weather conditions are right. These storms most frequently form within areas located at mid-latitude where warm moist air front collides and border cool air fronts.
Where do thunderstorms usually happen?
Thunderstorms are most frequent in the Southeast U.S., especially along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida. Thunderstorms are also fairly frequent in the rest of the Southeast U.S. into the Great Plains of the U.S. (more than 50 days per year, on average, with thunderstorms).
Where do lightning storms come from?
When and where does lightning most frequently strike? Lightning comes from a parent cumulonimbus cloud. These thunderstorm clouds are formed wherever there is enough upward air motion, convective instability, and moisture to produce a deep cloud that reaches up to levels colder than freezing.
What causes a thunderstorm to form?
All thunderstorms follow the same recipe. To form, these storms require three basic ingredients: Moisture, unstable air and lift. Moisture in the air typically comes from the oceans—and areas near warm ocean currents evaporate lots of moisture into the air.
What are the ingredients of a thunderstorm?
The basic ingredients used to make a thunderstorm are moisture, unstable air and lift. You need moisture to form clouds and rain. You need unstable air that is relatively warm and can rise rapidly. Finally, you need lift. This can form from fronts, sea breezes or mountains.
What does a thunderstorm look like in weather 101?
Severe Weather 101. Thunderstorms can look like tall heads of cauliflower or they can have “anvils.” An anvil is the flat cloud formation at the top of the storm. An anvil forms when the updraft (warm air rising) has reached a point where the surrounding air is about the same temperature or even warmer.
Where is the most dangerous place to be during a thunderstorm?
The greatest severe weather threat in the U.S. extends from Texas to southern Minnesota. But, no place in the United States is completely safe from the threat of severe weather. What are the stages of a thunderstorm? Thunderstorms have three stages in their life cycle: The developing stage, the mature stage, and the dissipating stage.