Weather’s Triple Killer Thunderstorms, Tornadoes & Hurricanes

Cumulus Stage The sun heats the earth's surface during the day. The heat on the surface and warms the air around it. Warm air is lighter & starts to rise (known as an updraft). If the air is moist, water will condense into a cumulus cloud. The cloud will continue to grow as long as warm air below it continues to risesunearth's surfaceheatcumulus cloud Three elements must be present for thunderstorm development: Warm air, Moisture & Unstable air mass Latent Heat of condensation = Mucho Heat = Feeds itself Mature Stage When the cumulus cloud becomes very large, the cloud droplets become large and heavy. Raindrops start to fall through the cloud when the rising air can no longer hold them up. Meanwhile, cool dry air starts to enter the cloud. Because cool air is heavier than warm air, it starts to descend in the cloud (known as a downdraft). The downdraft pulls the heavy water downward, making rain.cloudrain This cloud has become a cumulonimbus cloud because it has an updraft, a downdraft, and rain. Lightning and thunder start to occur, as well as heavy rain & hail. The cumulonimbus is now a thunderstorm cell. cumulonimbus Lightning and thunder Dissipating Stage After about 30 minutes, the downdrafts in the cloud begins to dominate over the updraft. The thunderstorm begins to dissipatecloud thunderstorm Since warm moist air can no longer rise, cloud droplets can no longer form. The storm dies out with light rain as the cloud disappears from bottom to top. rain The whole process takes about one hour for an ordinary thunderstorm. THUNDERSTORM FORMATION STAGES

1. CUMULUS - Cumulus Cloud Develops into thunderhead when Rising Air Currents, reach 25,000 feet. 2. MATURE - Ascending Air reaches height where Precipitation occurs. Initially, the Cloud Air is warmer than surrounding Air. Falling Rain & Ice cool the Air. Downdrafts created. 3. DISSIPATING - Entire Cloud is Downdraft. Air is Adiabatic warmed. No Air is ascending & cooling. Precipitation decreases. Upper Winds blow Ice Crystals into Anvil Top

LIGHTNING FORMATION Lightning can be divided into two types: 1.Flashes with at least one channel connecting the cloud to the ground, known as "cloud-to-ground" discharges (CG); and 2.Flashes with no channel to ground, known as "in-cloud" (IC), "cloud-to-cloud" (CC), or "cloud-to- air" (CA).

See current Lightning Here!Lightning Here

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Tornado & Hurricane Formation

Hurricane Genesis: Five conditions must be present for a tropical system to develop and intensify. 1.Warm sea surface temperature C (80 0 F) or greater. Needed for a constant supply of water vapor for the release of latent heat of condensation. 2. Latitude: 5 degrees or greater - minimum Coriolis force required initiating rotation of the system. 3. Minimal wind shear with height. This will allow for unrestricted vertical development from the surface to the upper troposphere. See it hereSee it here 4. Upper level divergence greater than lower level convergence. needed for a strong outflow of incoming winds at the surface. 5. Pre-existing low-level disturbance. Aim a Hurricane Create-a-Cane

Tropical Wave - These are the most common of tropical disturbances with about 100 forming each season. They lack a closed circulation, which is when there are winds in every direction. Wind speeds are less than 20 knots, or 25 mph. Tropical Depression - A wave becomes a depression when there is a presence of a closed circulation, and sustained winds are 20 knots, or 25 mph. At this point, the system is still quite disorganized. Tropical Storm - A depression becomes a tropical storm when shower and thunderstorm activity moves over the closed circulation, and sustained winds reach at least 35 knots, or 39 mph. At this point, the system is capable of causing minimal damage. Hurricane - A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when the closed circulation becomes an eye, and sustained winds reach at least 65 knots, or 74 mph. At this point, the system is capable of causing significant damage. Death - A mature hurricane is a well-oiled meteorological machine, but disruption of the processes that drive the storm (i.e. interaction with land or colder air feeding in) will begin to destroy the storm, and the disintegration of a hurricane can often be quick and dramatic.

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