Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, And Flooding

Based mainly on my class notes from my Introduction To Weather class at Suffolk County Community College.

Moisture, Lift, And Instability

The three ingredients that all thunderstorms need in order to be created.

Maritime Tropical

Air mass thunderstorms usually develop in_________air masses.

Lifting Mechanism

Differential heating is an example of a possible__________in an air mass thunderstorm, which is one of the primary requirements in their formation.

Not Associated With

Air mass thunderstorms are generally___________the passage of a front.

Cumulus, Mature, Dissipating

The Three Stages Of Air Mass Thunderstorms

Updrafts, Warm, Moist, Transported Upward

In the cumulus stage of air mass thunderstorms, the storm is dominated by only________, in which______,_______air is__________

Most Intense

During the mature stage of an air mass thunderstorm, the storm is the________out of all the stages.

Updrafts, Downdrafts

In the mature stage of an air mass thunderstorm, there is both______of warm air, and_______of cool air.

Entrainment, Cool, Dry, Pulled Into

__________helps strengthen downdrafts in the mature stage of air mass thunderstorms, which is the process in which surrounding______,______air is_________the cloud.

Downdrafts, Cool, Transported Downward

In the dissipating stage of air mass thunderstorms, the storm is dominated by_______, in which_______air is________

Gust Front (Outflow Boundary)

Mesoscale boundary separating thunderstorm-cooled air from the surrounding warmer air, creating similar weather conditions to a cold front.

Shelf Clouds

Low-horizontal wedge shaped cloud formations that mark the passage of a gust front.

Mid-Late Afternoon, Late Spring, Summer, Early Fall

The time of day that air mass thunderstorms are most likely to form is in the_______, and the time of year they occur is during the_______,________,and________

Florida

State that experiences the most thunderstorms in an average year.

Hail At Least 1 Inch In Diameter, Wind Gusts Of At Least 58 MPH, Or A Tornado

Criteria needed for a thunderstorm to be classified as severe.

Supercell

The most destructive of all thunderstorm types that are known for producing large and long-lived tornadoes.

Single, Powerful, Tropopause, Stratosphere

Supercell thunderstorms consist of a______,______cell that can extend to the____________and even “overshoot” into the____________

Squall Line

Line of thunderstorms that is known for producing heavy wind that blows from the same direction, often causing damage. It also can produce short-lived and generally weaker tornadoes.

Mesoscale Convective Complex

A large, long lived cluster of thunderstorms that produce heavy rainfall, often causing flooding, and can also cause damaging wind.

Great Plains

Mesoscale Convective Complexes most commonly form in the__________region.

Slow

Mesoscale Convective Complexes move at a________speed.

Oval/Circular

Mesoscale Convective Complexes are organized into a____________shape.

Ice

In order for lightning and thunder to develop in a storm, it must contain particles of….

Leader

Channel of ionized air that forms a path for the lightning to travel along.

Stepped Leader

Nearly invisible short burst of ionized air coming from a cloud towards the Earth.

Return Stroke

Bright visible flash that we see during lightning. It electrically extends upwards from the ground to the cloud.

Explosive Expansion, Heated, Sound Waves

Thunder is produced due to the_________of the_______air by lightning, which produces_________

Not Heard, Heat Lightning

Thunder is typically______when lightning is more than 20 km (12.4 miles) away. This is often referred to as________

Sheet Lightning

Flash of lightning within a cloud that illuminates it.

5 Seconds, Estimate Your Distance From Lightning

Sound waves travel one mile in around_______, and knowing this helps us in storms to________

Wind Shear

Radical shift in wind speed and direction that quickly occurs over a very short distance.

Directional Shear

The type of wind shear that can be seen in this diagram.

Speed Shear

The type of wind shear that can be seen in this diagram.

Vertical Wind Shear

The occurrence of___________within the environment of a thunderstorm is required in the formation of a tornado.

Tornado

Violent windstorm with at least one rapidly rotating column of air, or vortex.

Varies, A Single Vortex, Multiple Vortices

The amount of vortices in a tornado________. They can have either________or________

Late Afternoon, Evening, Any Time Of Day

The time of day that tornadoes most commonly form are in the________and the________. However, they have the ability to form in__________

Updrafts

A type of wind known as______occur inside tornadoes, which helps grow the tornado and makes it more intense.

Northeast

Most tornadoes travel to the…..

May

Month in which tornadoes are the most likely to occur in the United States.

Fujita Scale

Scale for rating tornado intensity. It has several degrees of damage that are applied, primarily based on the level of destruction caused by the Tornado.

Tornado Watch

When the formation of a tornado is possible and the conditions for its creation are favorable, a_________is issued.

Tornado Warning

When a tornado is sighted or detected by weather radar, a________is issued.

Doppler Weather Radar And Storm Spotters

These are what are commonly used to issue tornado warnings in the United States.

Much Larger, Several States, Much Longer

A tornado watch usually covers a___________area than a tornado warning and can cover__________. They also usually take place for a__________period of time.

1/5 inch

Hail is precipitation of ice pellets that are larger than________in diameter.

Large And Damaging

It is very rare to see hail that is________produced by air-mass thunderstorms.

Stronger

The larger the size of the hail, the_______the updrafts.

Cumulonimbus, Small Ice Pellets, Upward, Updrafts, Downward, Downdrafts

Hailstones are formed in________clouds, where they initially begin as_________. They are then propelled________throughout the cloud by_______, which help them grow, and they also move________as a result of__________

Flash Flood

Rapidly rising water over a short period of time, usually associated with heavy rainfall.

Ponding

A type of flooding, often classified as a flash flood, that results from water piling up at or near the point of where it falls because rainfall rates exceed drainage capacity. It often occurs in relatively flat areas.

Urban Flooding

A type of flood, often classified as a flash flood, that occurs when large amounts of runoff from concrete and asphalt collect in low spots in roads, poor drainage areas, intersections, and underpasses.