All About Thunderstorms
All About Thunderstorms Thunderstorms and springtime go hand in hand and the reasons are directly related to the change of airmasses as the atmosphere transitions from cold to warm. Longer days and higher sun angles create warmer days and warmer air masses. These contrast with lingering cold air masses still being pulled out of Canada into the continental United States. Contrasts between warming land surfaces and still cold upper levels create much stronger instability that can produce stronger storms with high winds, hail, and in extreme cases, tornadoes. 1 What is a thunderstorm and what do they produce? A thunderstorm occurs when a cloud producing a shower develops to a sufficient height and begins to produce lightning, and thus thunder. Thunderstorms affect relatively small areas when compared with hurricanes and winter storms. The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes. Nearly 1,800 thunderstorms are occurring at any moment a...