Bath, Pennsylvania - U.S.A.
Charles A. Giannetta
Meteorologist Emeritus
Professor
"N O T E"
All weather articles written by the author,
weather records for Bath, Pa. USA, graphs,
graphics, pictures, are copyrighted and are owned by the author.
If you make use of data from this site,
please make reference to the: Station Licensee: Virginia T. Giannetta.
Owner - Author: Charles A. Giannetta. Computer Consultant: Charles E. Giannetta
& This Web Site. Thank you.
"Picture of "Towering Cumulus"
Picture I took of Towering Cumulus at my home.
Towering Cumulus clouds are predecessors to thunderstorms.
"Thunderstorms Occur In 3 Stages"
1st Stage...Cumulus. 2nd Stage...Mature. 3rd Stage...Dissipating
In the first stage (Cumulus) of thunderstorm development an updraft
warms air up to where the water vapor it contains condenses into
visible droplets and a cloud is formed.
As the clouds form, water vapor changes to liquid and/or frozen cloud
particles. This results in a release of heat, (Latent Heat) that takes
over as the principal source of energy for the developing cloud. As the cloud particles grow by colliding and combining (Coalescence) with each other, they may become rain, snow, or hail.
In the 2nd Stage (Mature) precipitation which has developed falls creating
a downdraft. The cumulonimbus cloud (CB) has now formed. The cloud now contains an updraft & downdraft.
The thunderstorm may be several miles across its base and often towers
to altitudes 40,000 to 50,000 feet or more and may well reach into the stratosphere.
The 3rd Stage. "Dissipating". This stage is marked by a change in wind
flow within the storm cell.
The prevailing updraft which initiated the cloud's growth is now replaced
by the downdraft.
On the ground directly beneath the storm system, this stage is often
accompanied by strong gusts and cold wind from the downdraft, or heavy
precipitation - rain or hail. These downdrafts may well reach over 100
mph and are called (Microbursts or Downbursts)
Lightning always accompanies the thunderstorm. These are nature's
warning that the thunderstorm is in it's most violent stage.
Tornadoes may also be associated with the thunderstorm.
In the 3rd stage, however, the thunderstorm cell has already begun to
die.
The violent downdraft having shared the circulation with the updraft
now strangles it.
Precipitation weakens and the thunderstorm, a short lived creature,
weakens and dies.
From the 1st stage of a thunderstorm to when the storm dies all
takes place in about 30 minutes to an hour.
1. On earth, 2,000+ thunderstorms occur each hour. 40,000 to 50,000
each 24 hours, most occurring near the equator. Millions and
millions of lightning strikes each 24 hours
2. Thunderstorms reach up into the stratosphere 50,000 to 60,000 feet.
3. The name given to a thunderstorm is: Cumulonimbus. CB
4. Cumulus meaning puffy. Nimbus meaning rain.
5. The average thunderstorm lasts about 30 minutes to an hour, and
may or may not be accompanied by hail.
Check out my graphic on: "3 Stages of a Thunderstorm"
© 2001 Charles A. Giannetta
* * TOP OF PAGE * *
BACK
© 2000 Charles A. Giannetta
Charles A. Giannetta |
|---|
Meteorologist Emeritus
Professor
"N O T E"
All weather articles written by the author,
weather records for Bath, Pa. USA, graphs,
graphics, pictures, are copyrighted and are owned by the author.
If you make use of data from this site,
please make reference to the: Station Licensee: Virginia T. Giannetta.
Owner - Author: Charles A. Giannetta. Computer Consultant: Charles E. Giannetta
& This Web Site. Thank you.
"Picture of "Towering Cumulus"
Picture I took of Towering Cumulus at my home.
Towering Cumulus clouds are predecessors to thunderstorms.
"Thunderstorms Occur In 3 Stages"
1st Stage...Cumulus. 2nd Stage...Mature. 3rd Stage...Dissipating
In the first stage (Cumulus) of thunderstorm development an updraft
warms air up to where the water vapor it contains condenses into
visible droplets and a cloud is formed.
As the clouds form, water vapor changes to liquid and/or frozen cloud
particles. This results in a release of heat, (Latent Heat) that takes
over as the principal source of energy for the developing cloud. As the cloud particles grow by colliding and combining (Coalescence) with each other, they may become rain, snow, or hail.
In the 2nd Stage (Mature) precipitation which has developed falls creating
a downdraft. The cumulonimbus cloud (CB) has now formed. The cloud now contains an updraft & downdraft.
The thunderstorm may be several miles across its base and often towers
to altitudes 40,000 to 50,000 feet or more and may well reach into the stratosphere.
The 3rd Stage. "Dissipating". This stage is marked by a change in wind
flow within the storm cell.
The prevailing updraft which initiated the cloud's growth is now replaced
by the downdraft.
On the ground directly beneath the storm system, this stage is often
accompanied by strong gusts and cold wind from the downdraft, or heavy
precipitation - rain or hail. These downdrafts may well reach over 100
mph and are called (Microbursts or Downbursts)
Lightning always accompanies the thunderstorm. These are nature's
warning that the thunderstorm is in it's most violent stage.
Tornadoes may also be associated with the thunderstorm.
In the 3rd stage, however, the thunderstorm cell has already begun to
die.
The violent downdraft having shared the circulation with the updraft
now strangles it.
Precipitation weakens and the thunderstorm, a short lived creature,
weakens and dies.
From the 1st stage of a thunderstorm to when the storm dies all
takes place in about 30 minutes to an hour.
1. On earth, 2,000+ thunderstorms occur each hour. 40,000 to 50,000
each 24 hours, most occurring near the equator. Millions and
millions of lightning strikes each 24 hours
2. Thunderstorms reach up into the stratosphere 50,000 to 60,000 feet.
3. The name given to a thunderstorm is: Cumulonimbus. CB
4. Cumulus meaning puffy. Nimbus meaning rain.
5. The average thunderstorm lasts about 30 minutes to an hour, and
may or may not be accompanied by hail.
Check out my graphic on: "3 Stages of a Thunderstorm"
© 2001 Charles A. Giannetta
* * TOP OF PAGE * *
BACK
© 2000 Charles A. Giannetta
"N O T E"
All weather articles written by the author,
weather records for Bath, Pa. USA, graphs,
graphics, pictures, are copyrighted and are owned by the author.
|
|---|
"Picture of "Towering Cumulus"
Picture I took of Towering Cumulus at my home.
Towering Cumulus clouds are predecessors to thunderstorms.
"Thunderstorms Occur In 3 Stages"
1st Stage...Cumulus. 2nd Stage...Mature. 3rd Stage...Dissipating
In the first stage (Cumulus) of thunderstorm development an updraft
warms air up to where the water vapor it contains condenses into
visible droplets and a cloud is formed.
As the clouds form, water vapor changes to liquid and/or frozen cloud
particles. This results in a release of heat, (Latent Heat) that takes
over as the principal source of energy for the developing cloud. As the cloud particles grow by colliding and combining (Coalescence) with each other, they may become rain, snow, or hail.
In the 2nd Stage (Mature) precipitation which has developed falls creating
a downdraft. The cumulonimbus cloud (CB) has now formed. The cloud now contains an updraft & downdraft.
The thunderstorm may be several miles across its base and often towers
to altitudes 40,000 to 50,000 feet or more and may well reach into the stratosphere.
The 3rd Stage. "Dissipating". This stage is marked by a change in wind
flow within the storm cell.
The prevailing updraft which initiated the cloud's growth is now replaced
by the downdraft.
On the ground directly beneath the storm system, this stage is often
accompanied by strong gusts and cold wind from the downdraft, or heavy
precipitation - rain or hail. These downdrafts may well reach over 100
mph and are called (Microbursts or Downbursts)
Lightning always accompanies the thunderstorm. These are nature's
warning that the thunderstorm is in it's most violent stage.
Tornadoes may also be associated with the thunderstorm.
In the 3rd stage, however, the thunderstorm cell has already begun to
die.
The violent downdraft having shared the circulation with the updraft
now strangles it.
Precipitation weakens and the thunderstorm, a short lived creature,
weakens and dies.
From the 1st stage of a thunderstorm to when the storm dies all
takes place in about 30 minutes to an hour.
1. On earth, 2,000+ thunderstorms occur each hour. 40,000 to 50,000
each 24 hours, most occurring near the equator. Millions and
millions of lightning strikes each 24 hours
2. Thunderstorms reach up into the stratosphere 50,000 to 60,000 feet.
3. The name given to a thunderstorm is: Cumulonimbus. CB
4. Cumulus meaning puffy. Nimbus meaning rain.
5. The average thunderstorm lasts about 30 minutes to an hour, and
may or may not be accompanied by hail.
Check out my graphic on: "3 Stages of a Thunderstorm"
© 2001 Charles A. Giannetta
* * TOP OF PAGE * *
BACK
© 2000 Charles A. Giannetta