Temporal and Spatial Relations between Hail and Lightning
- 1 June 1992
- journal article
- Published by American Meteorological Society in Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
- Vol. 31 (6) , 587-604
- https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1992)031<0587:tasrbh>2.0.co;2
Abstract
A study of very detailed spatial and temporal data on damaging hail, associated cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning, and storm echoes in the Midwest was pursued to define their relationships and gain insight on their formation processes. Lightning activity was always closely associated with hailstreaks: the surface embodiment (4.5 km long by 1.3 km wide) of a single volume of hail generated aloft. Lightning seldom occurred where the hail fell and generally formed and moved forward in a 10–15-km2 area on either the left or right flank of the hailstreaks. These lightning centers, areas with CG flashes closely associated with hail, typically developed 9 min before hail at a point 5 km upstorm from first hail, suggesting that CG flashes began as the hailstones were developing aloft. The centers then grew in areal coverage and flash frequency until hail began and diminished shortly after hail ended, with a duration of 26 min. The hailstorm's severity was found to be well correlated to the rate of flashing ... Abstract A study of very detailed spatial and temporal data on damaging hail, associated cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning, and storm echoes in the Midwest was pursued to define their relationships and gain insight on their formation processes. Lightning activity was always closely associated with hailstreaks: the surface embodiment (4.5 km long by 1.3 km wide) of a single volume of hail generated aloft. Lightning seldom occurred where the hail fell and generally formed and moved forward in a 10–15-km2 area on either the left or right flank of the hailstreaks. These lightning centers, areas with CG flashes closely associated with hail, typically developed 9 min before hail at a point 5 km upstorm from first hail, suggesting that CG flashes began as the hailstones were developing aloft. The centers then grew in areal coverage and flash frequency until hail began and diminished shortly after hail ended, with a duration of 26 min. The hailstorm's severity was found to be well correlated to the rate of flashing ...Keywords
This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: