Questions tagged [thunderstorm]
The thunderstorm tag has no summary.
43 questions
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Why is there so much activity in the upper atmosphere, even though it is usually colder?
My son thought the atmosphere (that is, above our heads as humans) is hotter than what we experience, and I told him that it is typically cooler. (I suppose there can occasionally be an "...
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Could the electrical potential difference between the Windward and Leeward sides of a mountain range generate electrical current?
I would like to know if it is possible that the electrical potential difference between the Windward side and the Leeward side of a mountain range, due to a thunderstorm occurring on the Windward side,...
user23275
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Is there some science behind the cloud color of "electric blue"
I do notice that the bottom of thunderheads have a dark grey blue hue(here in the PNW they do where I live and T-storms are not common but they do happen). And many times when I see a cloud bank ...
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What are the current theories on the formation of satellite tornados
I have already searched the web for information on the formation of satellite tornadoes but all the sites say the mechanism is unknown.
What are the current leading theories for their formation?
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How do we detect thunderbolts in real time?
When I look at radar data (in Windy for example), and I'm looking into a thunderstorm, I often see thunderbolts appearing in 'real time' on the map. How does that work ? I assume some satellites have ...
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Investigating the "Leesburg split" rainfall anomaly
I've spent some time in the Leesburg, Virginia (USA) area and I've noticed that whenever a line of thunderstorms approaches the area, it frequently splits and goes around a particular spot just ...
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What causes thunderstorms to develop in the early dawn hours?
I know that a majority of thunderstorms form in the daytime due to convection from sunlight heating in a moist, unstable airmass. Once the sun begins to set, these storms dissipate.
But on some ...
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Does lightning strike density decrease over cities?
I've been noticing that large (for the northeast US!) lightning storms seem to lose their lightning as they move over downtown Boston. Example gif below (from today, August 19 2021, ~5 am - 11 am ...
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Why aren't positive cloud-to-ground lightning strikes associated with the precipitation core of a storm?
My understanding is that positive CG flashes are more common on the leading edge or tail end of a storm, and can be associated with weakening storms. Shouldn't the most powerful lightning strikes (+CG ...
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Are thunderstorms normal at the end of a heat wave?
As far as I know, heat waves form when a high-pressure system builds up over an area. This forms a sort of "cap" over the affected area which prevents air from rising and cooling and then ...
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Thunderstorm Frequency Depending on the Year [closed]
Why is it that some years have significantly more thunderstorms than others while other years have significantly less? For example, in 2008, there were 15 thunderstorm days in Asheville but above 40 ...
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Rain during Hot Weather
During hot weather, it is uncommon for there to be rain without lightning and thunder if the weather is hot. I find that the general rule of thumb is that if it is raining while it is 70 degrees or ...
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Earth's Electricity
This question is titled according to of one of the Nikola Tesla's patents. There he stated that lightning generates electric waves in Earth.
"In the course of certain investigations which I ...
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Average thunderstorm days for each month
How can I find the average number of days with thunderstorms for each month for different cities in the United States? I’m doing a researching project for this and I need to find some links that will ...
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Conditions of Thunderstorms
Why do some heavy rainstorms and hailstorms not produce any lightning or thunder at all when I thought that these conditions of heavy rain and hail are right to bring lightning and thunder but don’t ...
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