Interesting Facts

• Lightning always takes the easiest path from the cloud to the ground.
• Lightning bolts begin when a small "leader stroke" zig-zags to the ground, ionizing (charging) the air and completing a circuit.
• A split second after the leader strike, a massive surge of lightning- the return stroke- shoots up the path created.
• Severe thunderstorm w/ winds 58 mph or faster or hailing stones 3 quarters of or larger in diameter
• Thunder storms can cause tornandos.
• Tornadoes are violently rotating, tall columnar vortex typically 30-300ft in diameter
• It's sometimes called a funnel cloud
• The average thunder storm lasts 10-30min.
• Nearly 2,000 thunderstorms cells are estimated to present over the planet at any given time