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Total Lightning and Radar Storm Characteristics Associated with Severe Storms in Central FloridaA number of prior studies have examined the association of lightning activity with the occurrence of severe weather and tornadoes, in particular. High flash rates are often observed in tornadic storms (Taylor, 1973; Johnson, 1980; Goodman and Knupp, 1993) but not always. Taylor found that 23% of nontornadic storms and 1% of non-severe storms had sferics rates comparable to the tornadic storms. MacGorman (1993) found that storms with mesocyclones produced more frequent intracloud (IC) lightning than cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning. MacGorman (1993) and others suggest that the lightning activity accompanying tomadic storms will be dominated by intracloud lightning-with an increase in intracloud and total flash rates as the updraft increases in depth, size, and velocity. In a recent study, Perez et al. (1998) found that CG flash rates alone are too variable to be a useful predictor of (F4, F5) tornado formation. Studies of non-tomadic storms have also shown that total lightning flash rates track the updraft, with rates increasing as the updraft intensities and decreasing rapidly with cessation of vertical growth or downburst onset (Goodman et al., 1988; Williams et al., 1989). Such relationships result from the development of mixed phase precipitation and increased hydrometer collisions that lead to the efficient separation of charge. Correlations between updraft strength and other variables such as cloud-top height, cloud water mass, and hail size have also been observed.
Document ID
19990004337
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Goodman, Steven J. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Raghavan, Ravi (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Ramachandran, Rahul (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Buechler, Dennis (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Hodanish, Stephen (National Weather Service Melbourne, FL United States)
Sharp, David (National Weather Service Melbourne, FL United States)
Williams, Earle (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Lexington, MA United States)
Boldi, Bob (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Lexington, MA United States)
Matlin, Anne (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Lexington, MA United States)
Weber, Mark (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Lexington, MA United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1998
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Report/Patent Number
FA14.4
Meeting Information
Meeting: Severe Storms
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Country: United States
Start Date: September 14, 1998
End Date: September 18, 1998
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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