John Wheeler: Thunderstorms will become more common in May

FARGO — So far this spring, most the precipitation we have received this has been snow or sprinkles. It is pretty standard to get through April without much in the way of strong thunderstorms. Usually May is when storms start getting strong enough to get weather forecasters worried about damage and safety.

The missing link is thermodynamic energy. Thunderstorms thrive in environments with warm air and and ample humidity. Thunderstorms are tall weather systems built on columns of rising air.



As the air rises, the cooling humidity condenses into liquid water up in the clouds, and the heat energy originally used to evaporate that water is released. This additional heat warms the air further, making it even more buoyant. Thunderstorm clouds look like explosions because they are, growing suddenly to heights of 6 to 12 miles.

Thunderstorms are capable of making weather that is quite turbulent and occasionally violent.]]>.