Electrical Activity in Storms

[Keith Mullen]

I am curious, and have heard multiple theories and possible explanations on storms electrical generation, but still find myself puzzled.

Does anyone know how storms can fire up, yet have an incredible lack of lightning associated with them?

Up here in SW WA, more often than not, when we get a decent storm rolling through, we get hail, winds, tornadoes, the works... but compared to everywhere else I have lived on this planet - the lightning activity falls way, waaayyyy below similar storms in CA, UT, the UK, Italy, you name it.

Does anyone have a familiarity with the climate here, and enough meteorology knowledge to provide a satisfactory reason why?

Thanks,

Still Stumped after all these years

 

[Joel Wright]

Maybe it's caused by lack of ice crystals in the upper clouds. If freezing levels are high and or updrafts are rather short, then that may be reducing the electrical charge buildup between the opposing charges. Large amounts of ice crystals in the clouds are responsible for much of the static charge buildup.

Hurricanes have very little lightning associated with their CDOs due to weaker updrafts and very little hail production near the center. High freezing levels and weaker updrafts towards the center account for the lack of lightning.

 

[Greg Blumberg]

Here are two climatological maps of lightning distribution:

My first guess is that because the area you live in on average barely reaches 65, per:

http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=29727&refer=&units=us

I think that one can determine lightning potential by temperature contrast in the vertical, i.e. instability. Olympia, WA doesn't strike me (pun totally intended) as a place where instability can build up too well, thus slower updrafts. That's compared to areas in the south and southeast where instability can build up. The further north and west you go, the harder it is to get that instability. My big guess is that it's caused by the existence of the westerlies in the mid-latitudes.

Also it lists that the thunderstorms that do roll through are on average 5 times a year.

 

[K Brown]

Great post Keith! I am a newbie here, and fondly remember "heat lightning" in SC. There may never a drop of rain hit the ground, but you'd think heaven had hit electrical hell! LOL

Here in Central Florida we have storms, but nothing like SC heat lightning.