Analysis of the Climatological Factors that Promote and Inhibit Thunderstorm Activity in the Washington, DC Region

Keywords: urban climate, lightning, thunderstorms, spatiotemporal analysis, visualization
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

Thunderstorms are the product of a complex mixture of climatological factors, including wind, atmospheric pollutants, and instability. With lightning data reliably serving as a proxy for thunderstorm occurrence, the storm activity can be examined in relation to these factors. We analyze warm season cloud-to-ground lightning data, from the National Lightning Data Network, spanning from 2006 to 2020, in conjunction with wind speed, direction, and aerosol/particulate concentrations, to better understand the conditions that promote storm formation. In the Washington DC region, we address both spatial and temporal disparities in the relationship between storms and such atmospheric conditions. We put special emphasis on factors that play out in and near Washington in comparison to nearby cities and the surrounding suburban and rural areas.